As mentioned the other day I’m doing updates this week during my visit to Chicago. Yesterday being the third day I was in town. I didn’t do any graving since it was Fathers Day and I have a tendency to avoid the cemeteries for grave hunting related purposes when holidays come around. So starting with Day 4. Today I trekked over to four cemeteries. The cemeteries I trekked to included Acacia Park Cemetery, Irving Park Cemetery, St. Joseph Cemetery, and finally Westlawn Cemetery.

Beginning with Acacia Park I found the gravesites of Johannes Anderson who was a WWI Medal of Honor recipient. Next I found the resting place of singer Ral Stewart Donner he sang and probably wrote the song “You Don’t Know What You’ve Got”, and closing at Acacia Park I found the gravesite of actress Audre Joan Knecht. Audre acted on stage and film during the 1940s and 50s. She was in the film “The Luck of Ginger Coffey” and also the film “Niagara”.

Moving along the next cemetery I checked out was Westlawn Cemetery. This is the cemetery where Oswald assassin Jack Ruby reposes. The thing I found bitterly amusing about finding this gravesite. The cemetery office for some reason or another wouldn’t disclose the location. But unbeknownst to them I had detailed instructions on how to find the gravesite from the book “Where Are They Buried? How Did They Die?” by Tod Benoit. Next at Westlawn I found the gravesite of Virginia Lee Corbin. Known as the  “The Dresden Doll of the Movies” she was one of the most popular child stars of the 1930s. She starred in many silent films, and films known as “talkies” which were films that implemented the use of sound in the early film eras. Her film credits include but are not limited to “Jack and the Beanstalk,” (1917) , “The Forbidden Room,” (1919), “The City That Never Sleeps” (1924), “Forgotten Women” (1931), among others.

The third cemetery I visited was Irving Park Cemetery. This is the cemetery where three of the seven Chicago gangland St. Valentines Day Massacre victims repose. The three Northside gangsters include brothers Pete & Frank Gusenberg, and Albert Kallachek. All three died on February 14th of 1929. It’s also rumored that notorious Chicago gangland asssassin Fred Goetz reposes somewhere in the cemetery.

And finally rounding off the day I trekked to St. Joseph Cemetery. In this cemetery I found the gravesite of Lester Joseph Gillis better known as gangster “Babyface” Nelson. All in all I had a very productive day. Stay tuned for further updates this week.