About St. Johannes Cemetery

St. Johannes Cemetery was established as a German pioneer cemetery consecrated in 1849 and associated with the St. John's United Church of Christ Church in Addison Township, DuPage County, Illinois. Although the Church was moved from the property in 1952, the Cemetery remained. The Cemetery contained grave markers depicting German iconography and language dating from the nineteenth century. In addition, white wooden crosses also marked the burial locations of numerous unknown individuals which lacked grave markers. Some of the individuals that were interred at St. Johannes Cemetery represented the first generation German immigrants to the Chicagoland area and many of their families and descendants still reside in the area. As with many nineteenth century cemeteries, the majority of grave markers within St. Johannes Cemetery were oriented towards the east, facing the sun and the new dawn which is symbolic of resurrection.

Fast facts about St. Johannes Cemetery

The Cemetery…

• Originally consecrated in 1849
• First burial occurred in 1849
• Last burial occurred in 2006
• Encompassed approximately 2.0 acres
• Configured into ten discrete sections separated by pathways
• Family grave plots measured 8 feet wide and 24 feet deep
• 794 markers, monuments, plot markers, and wooden crosses
• Total reinterments 1,494
• Cemetery relocation activities initiated in 2010 and completed in 2012