Burr Oak Cemetery is a cemetery located in Alsip, Illinois, United States, a suburb southwest of Chicago, Illinois. Established in 1927, Burr Oak was one of the few early Chicago cemeteries focused on the needs of the African-American community, it is the final resting place of many black celebrities, including Chicago blues musicians, athletes, and other notables.

History

The origins of Burr Oak Cemetery date back to when Ellis Stewart, secretary of the black-owned Supreme Liberty Life Insurance company, joined with

Earl B. Dickerson Earl B. Dickerson (1891–1986) was a prominent African American attorney, community activist and business executive who successfully argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in '' Hansberry v. Lee''. Early life Earl Burrus Dickerson was born on J ...

, a prominent Chicago lawyer, to develop a cemetery that would meet the needs of the burgeoning African-American population in Chicago, a demographic change brought about by the great migration of blacks from the South during the early decades of the 20th century. Stewart had located a possible site for the cemetery just outside the Chicago city limits near Alsip, Illinois. The owners of the land ultimately sold 40 acres for $50,000, $40,000 of which was loaned by the Roosevelt State Bank and the remainder raised by subscription. The new group was incorporated as the Burr Oak Cemetery Association, and a suitable corpse was found in the morgue to legally dedicate the cemetery. Unfortunately, the Alsip townsfolk did not approve of a black cemetery next to the village and, "with the assistance of armed police", drove the burial party away. The burial party eventually returned, however, with a deputy sheriff (courtesy of Robert E. Crowe the Republican state's attorney) and was successfully able to legally dedicate Burr Oak. During the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, the Burr Oak Cemetery Association defaulted on the mortgage. Dickerson again stepped in to help arrange for the black-owned Supreme Liberty Life Insurance company to buy the mortgage at roughly 10 cents to the dollar. The re-constituted Chicago Burr Oak Cemetery Association eventually paid off the mortgage. Dickerson later said that "saving that cemetery was one of the great achievements as a lawyer".

2009 scandal

Incident

On July 11, 2009, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart alleged that four workers at Burr Oak cemetery dug up more than 200 graves, dumped the bodies into unmarked mass graves, and resold the plots in a scheme that went back at least five years. The three men and one woman were charged with one count each of dismembering a human body and face up to 30 years in prison. Two men were convicted and sentenced to six and three year prison terms.

Investigation

Because of the investigation, the entire cemetery was declared a crime scene by the Cook County Sheriff's Office and temporarily closed to the public. The court-assigned receiver managing the cemetery had hoped to reopen it in September, but on October 13, 2009, visiting families found the cemetery still closed, with no statement on when it would reopen. The sheriff's office set up a searchable database with photographs of most headstones. The cemetery records were in great disarray, but the usable ones were computerized and turned over to the receiver for integration into the database. A study of the records indicated that between 140,190 and 147,568 people were buried at Burr Oak. However, the cemetery has space for a maximum of 130,000 graves, and some areas appear never to have been used for burials. After burials resumed in November 2009, some human remains were found in areas that no one knew had been used. On May 24, 2011, a federal judge approved a plan to place the cemetery into a trust that would use about $2.6 million of a $7 million insurance settlement to renovate and run the cemetery. The judge set aside at least $50,000 for a memorial to honor those whose graves were lost or desecrated. Those who can prove they buried relatives in the cemetery will receive $100 per grave. Those whose relatives' graves were destroyed may apply for more money.

Notable burials

* James Kokomo Arnold (1901–1968), Musician. * Ezzard Charles (1921–1975), Boxer, world heavyweight boxing champion. *

George "Sonny" Cohn George Thomas Cohn (March 14, 1925 – November 7, 2006), known professionally as Sonny Cohn, was an American jazz trumpeter whose career spanned over six decades. After working for fifteen years with Red Saunders (1945–1960), Cohn went on ...

(1925–2006), Musician, jazz trumpeter. * Jimmie Crutchfield (1910–1993), All-Star

Negro league baseball The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans and, to a lesser extent, Latin Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be ...

player. *

(1891–1986), a prominent attorney and community activist who successfully argued

Hansberry v. Lee __NOTOC__ ''Hansberry v. Lee'', 311 U.S. 32 (1940), is a famous and commonly-used case in civil procedure classes for teaching that ''res judicata'' does not apply to an individual whose interests were not adequately represented in a prior class ac ...

before the Supreme Court. Dickerson helped establish and preserve Burr Oak Cemetery. *

Willie Dixon William James Dixon (July 1, 1915January 29, 1992) was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was proficient in playing both the upright bass and the guitar, and sang with a distinctive voice, but he ...

(1915–1992), musician and songwriter. * Annie Malone an African-American businesswoman, inventor and philanthropist. She was one of the first African American women to become a millionaire. * John Donaldson (1892–1970), Baseball player, star pre-Negro league baseball pitcher and barnstormer businessman. *Jodie Edwards (1895–1967), Comedian, member of the comedy duo Butterbeans and Susie. * Blind Leroy Garnett (1897–1933), Musician, boogie-woogie and ragtime pianist and songwriter. * Noble Drew Ali (1886–1929), founder of the Moorish Science Temple of America. * Carl Augustus Hansberry (1895–1946), businessman and political activist, father of playwright Lorraine Hansberry. * Big Walter Horton (1921–1981), American musician, blues harmonica player. *Inman Jackson (1907–1973), basketball player, player with the

Harlem Globetrotters The Harlem Globetrotters are an American exhibition basketball team. They combine athleticism, theater, and comedy in their style of play. Created in 1926 by Tommy Brookins in Chicago, Illinois, the team adopted the name ''Harlem'' because of i ...

. *

Roberta Martin Roberta Evelyn Martin (February 12, 1907 – January 18, 1969) was an American gospel composer, singer, pianist, arranger and choral organizer, helped launch the careers of many other gospel artists through her group, The Roberta Martin Singers. ...

(1907–1969), Gospel music singer, pianist, composer and founder of

The Roberta Martin Singers The Roberta Martin Singers were an American gospel group based in the United States. History Founding The group was founded in 1933 by Roberta Martin, who in that same year had just become acquainted with gospels music, which was different from ...

. * St. Louis Jimmy Oden (1903–1977), American blues vocalist and songwriter ("Goin' Down *

Graham T. Perry Graham Turner Perry (April 22, 1894 – September 9, 1960) was an African-American attorney who served as assistant attorney general for the State of Illinois. He is also the father of stage director Shauneille Perry and uncle of playwright ...

(1900–1960), Politician, one of the first African-Americans to serve as assistant attorney general for the State of Illinois, father of director Shauneille Perry and uncle of playwright Lorraine Hansberry. *

Otis Spann Otis Spann (March 21, 1924 or 1930April 24, 1970) was an American blues musician, whom many consider to be the leading postwar Chicago blues pianist. Early life Sources differ over Spann's early years. Some state that he was born in Jackson, Miss ...

(1930–1970), musician, blues pianist. * James A. "Candy Jim" Taylor (1884–1948), Negro league baseball player and manager. *

Mamie Till-Mobley Mamie Elizabeth Till-Mobley (born Mamie Elizabeth Carthan; November 23, 1921 – January 6, 2003) was an American educator and activist. She was the mother of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old boy murdered in Mississippi on August 28, 1955, after accus ...

(1921-2003) Activist, educator and mother of

Emmett Till Emmett Louis Till (July 25, 1941August 28, 1955) was a 14-year-old African American boy who was abducted, tortured, and lynched in Mississippi in 1955, after being accused of offending a white woman, Carolyn Bryant, in her family's grocery ...

(1941–1955), Chicago teenager murder victim whose death helped galvanize the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. * Ted "High-pockets" Trent (1903–1944), Negro league baseball player, pitcher. * Dinah Washington (1924–1963), singer, known as the "Queen of the Blues". *

LeRoy Whitfield LeRoy Whitfield (born in Chicago, September 19, 1969 – October 9, 2005) was an African-American freelance journalist who chronicled his personal experience with HIV infection and AIDS. He was hailed by many as one of the nation's leading ...

(1969 – 2005), one of the nation’s leading journalists reporting on AIDS among African-Americans. *

Billy Williams Billy Leo Williams (born June 15, 1938) is a former left fielder and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played from 1959 to 1976, almost entirely for the Chicago Cubs. A six-time All-Star, Williams was named the 1961 National League (NL) ...

(1910–1972), African–American singer. * J. Mayo Williams (1894–1980), Early blues and jazz record producer and one of the first African-American players in the

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

. * Frank Reed (1954–2014), lead singer of The Chi-Lites. *Rev. Dr. Clay Evans (1925-2019), Baptist Pastor & Civil Rights Leader * Harold Bradley Sr. (1905-1973), One of the first African-American players in the

. * Tiny Topsy (1930-1964)- R&B Singer * Barbara Acklin (1943-1998)- Soul Singer and Songwriter

References

{{Reflist

External links

Official Burr Oak Cemetery site
Cemeteries in Illinois Cemeteries in Cook County, Illinois Funeral scandals 1927 establishments in Illinois