CEMETERY

Historically black cemetery in Cook County, with many notable jazz or blues musicians. It was scandalized in 2009 when it was revealed that owners dug up over 200 graves, dumping or reburying the bodies, in an attempt to resell the gravesites. Burr Oak Cemetery was declared a crime scene and placed in receivership, while a new staff attempted to make sense of haphazardly kept records.

Location:
Alsip, IL

Name	Occupation	Birth	Death	Known for
George Washington Collins	Politician	5-Mar-1925	8-Dec-1972	Congressman from Illinois, 1970-72
Malachi Favors	Bassist	22-Aug-1927	30-Jan-2004	Bass player for Art Ensemble of Chicago
Emmett Till	Victim	25-Jul-1941	28-Aug-1955	Black boy, murdered brutally in Mississippi
Dinah Washington	Singer	29-Aug-1924	14-Dec-1963	Queen of the Blues

Copyright ©2025