Schaumburg Illinois

They say that if you want to know the history of a place then have a look at the cemetery first. So one morning I pedaled down to the cemetery and found the origin of the name Schaumburg in Illinois.

The original 1842 township survey, names the grove as Sarah's Grove. Three families lived near a grove of woods on the northwest end of the township, and each family had a woman named Sarah (Sarah McChesney, Sarah Frisbe, and Sarah Smith)

At a township meeting in 1850, citizens debated new names for the town. A wealthy landowner named Friedrich Heinrich Nerge, at one point during the meeting, slammed his fist on the table and said in German, "Schaumburg schall et heiten!" ( "It will be called Schaumburg!"). At that point, the township became officially called Schaumburg

Above Black and White picture clicked by Duane Rapp

German was the first language of the majority of households until the 1950s.

The cemetery, with 2600 total grave sites, continues to receive burials today.

Lightning struck the church steeple on July 11, 1904, and set it on fire. The fire, which burned slowly downward, was extinguished by the bucket brigade.

But the steeple was destroyed and had to be rebuilt. The bell was cracked and made useless. In 1956 the Men's Club replaced the bell and memorialized the founders of the congregation by placing it as a monument on the front lawn of the church.

The Schaumburg Center School was one of the five public schools founded in Schaumburg Township in the 1870s.

Originally located at Schaumburg Road, northwest of Roselle Road, (and numbered as 54) it was moved in1981 and restored on its current site on St Peter Lutheran Church property.

This one room schoolhouse is owned by the Village of Schaumburg and is leased to Schaumburg Township Historical Society. Unfortunately I could not have a look inside as it was closed for repairs.

Made a short video of all that I could capture in the morning. The squirrel at the cemetery lawn was eyeing me suspiciously "should I share my breakfast with this guy on a bicycle?"

On the way back I noticed these birds (a Great Blue Heron and Swallow)  in the grove. (things that we don't notice when we zip past in a four wheeler)

All Souls Day

People usually visit the cemetery on all souls day to pay their respects to their near and dear ones. I make it a point to walk around and have a look at all the graves, some colourfully decorated 

while some make it simple with just a single bouquet 

It’s a pleasure to walk around the St Sepulchers cemetery in Pune.

I saw these small graves which were unmarked (probably infants) but someone had left some flowers on the graves  

Some sit down and painstakingly arrange each and every flower 

I noticed this dog with a collar. Was he spending a few minutes of solitude with his master? 

Some of the graves looked uniform, (with similar decorations) 

If you have the time and patience, you get to read some good and meaningful writings on the tombstones. 

I noticed that on the older tombstones, the cause of the death was also mentioned. 

I was fascinated by the statue of an angel behind this lady 

I don’t think the present day craftsman can make anything like this in marble or stone.

The next time I must make it a point to go early. The noon sun is not the right time to click pictures.

Burial and Cremation

Of late there is an  increased awareness about donating body parts to the cause of Science and Medicine.

I have found more and more people signing up for Eye donation and leaving clear cut instructions to their family regarding Organ donation, when the time arrives.

Many have even gone a step ahead and arranged for their own funeral, something like a prepaid cremation.
 For some it may sound morbid to talk about death especially when it is a family member. But let us face it, Death is a reality. The only uncertain thing is about the “How and When”

But if everyone goes through this exercise of selecting the way you want to be buried or cremated then it would be a lesser burden for the loved ones who are already in grief at that particular moment. One can even decide on the Casket Costs.

Then there is the question of deciding whether one wants to be buried or cremated. Most often the choice is dictated by religious beliefs. Cremation is an ancient practice that began over 2000 years ago in civilized cultures such as Greece, Rome and in India. The Hindus believe that cremation is the only way in which the soul will attain salvation.

When it comes to the Christians (especially Catholics) some still cling on to the old church belief that all Catholics have to be buried. Many are not aware of the instruction from the Holy Office in 1963 about the changes to Catholic views on Cremation. This was further amended in 1969, 1983 and 1989. These revisions solidified the church’s position and says that following a cremation, Catholic Church teachings instruct that the cremated remains be buried in a grave, or entombed in a colobarium.
Then there is the choice of keeping the body in community owned Mausoleum or a private one. One can even compare the price at the Mausoleum Prices.

Cremation is becoming  a more popular and widely acceptable option due to shortage of space in burial grounds (especially in the cities) and the fact that it is less expensive. 

 Last year this time I was in Spain where I attended a funeral of a loved one. I was really impressed about the way the whole cremation process was conducted.

I wish such facilities were available in India too.