The historic Burr Oak Cemetery reopened Thursday to families wanting to visit gravesites of loved ones and is not open to the general public.
The historic Burr Oak Cemetery reopened Thursday to families wanting to visit gravesites of loved ones and is not open to the general public. “We know that this has been an extremely trying time for the families of loved ones who are buried at Burr Oak,” said Howard Korenthal, who was appointed chief operating officer for Burr Oak by a federal judge on Sept. 22 as part of bankruptcy proceedings. Since July the cemetery in south suburban Alsip has been closed after four former cemetery employees were charged with dismembering bodies and digging up gravesites in a plot-reselling scheme. Families with loved ones at Burr Oak are being allowed visitation until Nov. 25 and the days families can visit will depend on what section of the cemetery the gravesites are located. Hours of operation during the reopening are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. To find out what section gravesites are located and the visitation schedule, Korenthal said families should either visit the Web site burroakalsip.com or call 773-233-5676. Burr Oak is famous for those buried there, such as civil rights symbol Emmett Till and singer Dinah Washington. It is also the first cemetery in the Chicago area that allowed Blacks to be buried there, according to historians.
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