Evergreen Cemetery

We welcome diversity

At Evergreen Cemetery, we believe people of all faiths, religions, backgrounds and cultures should be represented. Evergreen is home to many religious institutions, which is how it earned its nickname “Village of Churches.” Our team is well-versed in the burial customs and rites of many faiths, including Christian, Jewish and Muslim traditions.

Several sections of the cemetery are dedicated to churches, including St Nicholas and Monument of Faith. There is also a feature that honors Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico.

Of course, you do not have to be religious or be of a certain faith to be buried here. We are a non-denominational cemetery and serve all families—no matter their background. What’s most important to us is that we honor your wishes and traditions with respect and dignity.

To better serve the Latino community, we have team members who speak both English and Spanish.

Wide variety of burial choices

Everyone deserves a one-of-a-kind final resting spot. Evergreen Cemetery offers a wide array of burial choices to suit your needs, from traditional ground burial with a flat marker or upright monument to cremation placement in a niche. We also have elegant private family estates in some of loveliest areas of the cemetery. These estates are bordered with hedges and fences and allow for ground burial of several members of a family.

For those who prefer above-ground burial, we have community mausoleums with crypts and niches. Our indoor mausoleum has a chapel for committal services. If you’d like something more exclusive, we can build a private family mausoleum for you and your loved ones.

Over the years, cremation has become more popular. We offer the latest cremation memorialization choices, including marble, stone and glass-front niches—which can be personalized with photos, mementos, flowers and a custom urn—columbaria and memorial benches.

You can count on us

We promise to be there for you in your time of time. As a member of the Dignity Memorial® network, North America’s largest network of funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers, we are committed to personalized care and compassionate service.

Visit us on West 87th Street in Evergreen Park at any time to meet our team and take a guided tour of our cemetery grounds. Please contact us for any reason. You can count on us to be there in your time of need.

History

Evergreen Cemetery was established in 1910 by the LaSalle Sales Organization. The LaSalle Sales Organization was a partnership of Max Guthman and Jacob Rothschild. After perfecting its skills, the organization established several cemeteries in the rapidly growing city of Chicago, one of which was Evergreen Cemetery, now part of Evergreen Park.

Designed for natural beauty

The designer of Evergreen Cemetery was well-known Danish landscape architect Svend Lollesgard. When Evergreen Cemetery was first established, only flush markers were allowed. It was built as a memorial park where the natural beauty of the land would shine through and bring peace to families and friends visiting their loved ones. As time passed, the needs of the Chicago community changed and upright monuments were allowed, with some restrictions, so that the natural beauty was never disturbed.

Today, many of our gardens have diverse monuments of all sizes, colors and shapes—each one expressing a unique and personal tribute to the person or family they represent.

Honoring veterans and the military

We are honored to serve veterans and military families. The team at Evergreen Cemetery is familiar with military burial benefits and works with the Veterans Administration and all branches of the U.S. armed services. In addition, several areas of the cemetery—such as the Field of Honor—are dedicated to veterans.

In the early 1990s, we added Veterans Cannon; the authentic decommissioned World War II cannon stands in the middle of the Field of Honor veterans garden as a reminder of all that our military does to protect and serve our country. As part of our annual Memorial Day ceremony, we lay a wreath on the cannon.

Every Veterans Day and Memorial Day, we have special ceremonies honoring all veterans who have chosen Evergreen Cemetery as their final resting place.

Gatekeepers Garden honors Chicago icons

In 2012, we identified 7 African-American religious and civic leaders who have made a big impact in the Chicago community in their lifetime. We invited these community leaders to the cemetery to honor them with a dedication and monument in our newly created Gatekeepers Garden.

The 7 inaugural Chicago community “Gatekeepers” are Pastor George Clements, a Catholic priest and civil rights activist; Reverend Dr. Clay Evans, founder of the Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church; Apostle R.D. Henton, founder of the Monument of Faith Church (he passed away in 2015); Dr. Mildred Harris, founder, pastor and CEO of God First Church and Ministries; activist and pastor Dr. B. Herbert Martin Sr.; minister and civil rights leader Rev. Willie T. Barrow; and Bishop Cody Vernon Marshall, founder of Freedom Temple Church of God in Christ.