The Lithuanian National Cemetery is a non-profit cemetery in Justice, Illinois, that mainly serves the Lithuanian American community in Chicago. Established in 1911, it is the resting place of many prominent Lithuanians in politics, culture, and science.
History
As the Lithuanian immigration to the United States increased, Lithuanians in Chicago established the Catholic cemetery of Saint Casimir in 1903. However, this cemetery would accept only Catholics for burials. The cemetery was controlled by Matas Kriaučiūnas, priest of St. George parish, who was suspected of embezzling parish's funds. The growing number of Lithuanian intellectuals felt the need for a non-religious Lithuanian cemetery. The idea was met with approval in February 1911 and the new cemetery was organized on 28 March 1911. The founding members were 21 different Lithuanian societies and organizations. The organizers purchased of land. The purchase price of $10,000 was divided into bonds of $50 or $100 that were sold to Lithuanian organizations. The bonds paid 3% interest and were redeemed by 1921. The cemetery was officially opened on 30 May 1912. The first burial was a two-year old child re-interned from the Saint Casimir Cemetery. The cemetery was blessed by Stasys Mickevičius, founder of the Lithuanian National Catholic Church. The cemetery was and still is open to all regardless of religious or political convictions. In 1934, the cemetery purchased additional 40 acres. In 1937, the cemetery added an office building and a columbarium for cremated remains. The cemetery has a monument to Vincas Kudirka. A traditional Lithuanian wayside shrine made of steel in height was erected in 1995 to commemorate Soviet deportations from Lithuania in 1941–1952. Many of the headstones, particularly of those emigrants who were forced to leave due to the Soviet occupation, bear Lithuanian symbols – traditional wayside shrines and crosses, folk sashes, kanklės, Lithuanian coat of arms, Columns of Gediminas, Tower of Gediminas, etc. After Lithuania regained independence in 1990, some of the remains were returned to Lithuania. It remains the only Lithuanian cemetery in Chicago as the St. Casimir Cemetery officially dropped "Lithuanian" from its name in 1997.
