21 famous people who are buried in Illinois

Oct 24, 2014Halloween was not always about candy, costumes and pumpkin-flavored food and drinks. The origin of Halloween stems from an ancient Celtic holiday called Samhain, which marks the end of harvest season and onset of winter. This seasonal transition was believed to bridge two worlds — that of the living and the dead.

While previous lists have featured well-known, native Illinoisans from both northern and southern parts of the state, this one looks at “very famous” people who were laid to rest in Illinois, according to the website, Find a Grave.

1. John Belushi (Jan. 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982)

Bio: Actor and comedian

Cause of death: Cocaine and heroin overdose

Grave site: Elmwood Cemetery and Mausoleum in River Grove

2. Alphonse “Al” Capone (Jan. 17 1899 – Jan. 25, 1947)

Bio: Organized crime boss who operated in Chicago

Cause of death: Syphilis

Grave site: Mount Carmel Cemetery in Hillside

3. John Deere (Feb. 7, 1804 – May 17, 1886)

Bio: Inventor of the first steel plow and founder of the John Deere company

Cause of death: Natural causes

Grave site: Riverside Cemetery in Moline

4. Enrico Fermi (Sept. 29, 1901 – Nov. 28, 1954)

Bio: Nobel Peace Prize recipient in the field of physics; first person to split the atom and produce a sustaining nuclear chain reaction

Cause of death: Stomach cancer

Grave site: Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago

5. George “Papa Bear” Halas (Feb. 2, 1895 – Oct. 31, 1983)

Source: jsonline.com

Bio: Owner, founder and coach of the Chicago Bears

Cause of death: Pancreatic cancer

Grave site: Saint Adalbert Catholic Cemetery in Niles

6. Laurens Hammond (Jan. 11, 1895 – July 3, 1973)

Source: thehammondorganstory.com

Bio: Founder and president of the Hammond Organ Company

Cause of death: Natural causes

Grave site: Evanston Cemetery in Evanston

7. Paul Harvey Sr. (Sept. 4, 1918 – Feb. 28, 2009)

Source: findagrave.com

Bio: News commentator

Cause of death: None announced

Grave site: Forest Home Cemetery in Forest Park

8. Burl Icle Ives (June 14, 1909 – April 14, 1995)

Source: legacy.com

Bio: Actor, folk singer and author

Cause of death: Mouth cancer

Grave site: Mound Cemetery in Hunt City

9. Gene Krupa (Jan. 15, 1909 – Oct. 16, 1973)

Source: drummerworld.com

Bio: Drummer and band leader

Cause of death: Heart failure

Grave site: Holy Cross Cemetery and Mausoleums in Calumet City

10. Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865)

Bio: The 16th President of the United States

Cause of death: Assassinated

Grave site: Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield

11. Mary Ann Todd Lincoln (Dec. 13, 1818 – July 16, 1882)

Bio: First Lady of the United States and wife of President Abraham Lincoln

Cause of death: Stroke

Grave site: Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield

12. Bernie Mac (Oct. 5, 1957 – Aug. 9, 2008)

Source: scomedy.com

Bio: Actor and comedian

Cause of death: Complications from pneumonia

Grave site: Washington Memory Gardens Cemetery in Homewood

13. Oscar F. Mayer (March 29, 1859 – March 11, 1955)

Source: findagrave.com

Bio: Founder of the Oscar Mayer company

Cause of death: Died in his sleep

Grave site: Rosehill Cemetery and Mausoleum in Chicago

14. William McCool (Sept. 23, 1961 – Feb. 1, 2003)

Bio: United States astronaut and pilot of ill-fated Space Shuttle Columbia

Cause of death: Killed when the Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart over Texas

Grave site: North Prairie Cemetery in Washington County

15. Jesse “JC” Owens (Sept. 12, 1913 – March 31, 1980)

Source: ohiostatebuckeyes.com

Bio: United States track star; winner of three gold medals during the 1936 Berlin Olympics

Cause of death: Lung cancer

Grave site: Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago

16. Alvah Curtis Roebuck (Jan. 9, 1864 – June 18, 1948)

Source: findagrave.com

Bio: Co-founder of Sears and Roebuck Company

Cause of death: Natural causes

Grave site: Acacia Park Cemetery and Mausoleum in Chicago

17. Carl Sandburg (Jan. 6, 1878 – July 22, 1967)

Source: yourdailypoem.com

Bio: American poet

Cause of death: Heart attack

Grave site: Carl Sandburg Birthplace in Galesburg

18. Richard Warren Sears (Dec. 7, 1863 – Sept. 28, 1914)

Bio: Founder of Sears, Roebuck and Company

Cause of death: Bright’s Disease (kidney failure)

Grave site: Rosehill Cemetery and Mausoleum in Chicago

19. Maurice “The French Angel” Tillet (Oct. 23, 1903 – Sept. 4, 1954)

Source: pwhf.org

Bio: French-born professional wrestler who suffered from acromegaly, a rare disease that causes bones to grow uncontrollobably; won the American Wrestling Association World championship on Aug. 1, 1944 against Steve “Crusher” Casey; later inducted in the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame

Cause of death: Heart disease

Grave site: Lithuanian National Cemetery in Justice

20. Daniel Hale Williams (Jan. 18, 1856 – Aug. 4, 1931)

Source: diversemedicine.org

Bio: A black general surgeon and the second person credited with performing successful open-heart surgery; appointed to the Illinois State Board of Health, which is now known as the Illinois Department of Public Health; founded Provident Hospital in Chicago in 1891 — the first African-American owned, non-segregated hospital and nursing school in the United States.

Cause of death: Stroke

Grave site: Graceland Cemetery in Chicago

21. Muddy Waters (April 4, 1915 – April 30, 1983)

Source: alldylan.com

Bio: American blues musician who is considered the “father of modern Chicago blues”

Cause of death: Heart failure

Grave site: Restvale Cemetery in Alsip

NEXT ARTICLE: The 13 highest-grossing horror movies filmed in Illinois

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