Looking for Aunt Ebba and finding more.

We family historians/genealogists joke about it and our family and friends make jokes about us. But it's true and I have been at it again. FINDAGRAVE.COM is one of my favorite genealogy websites and I am also a member. Yesterday I went into Northlake (a close suburb of Chicago) to stomp around the Fairview Memorial Park Cemetery.

I was looking for the grave marker of my Aunt Ebba Kallman. When she died suddenly, I was away in Norway with my brother visiting my grandmother so I did not get a chance to go to her funeral. I had heard years ago that someone had donated her burial plot and now I know who and can easily guess the circumstances.

Fairview Memorial Park, Northlake, Illinois Section 2, lot 339, #7

Immediately to the right of Ebba's gravestone is the dual gravestone of my great Uncle and Aunt, John (Johan) Emil Jacobson, and Anna Abrahamson Jacobson.

Fairview Memorial Park, Northlake, Illinois Section 2, Lot 339, #5&6

Immediately to the left of Ebba's gravestone is the grave of Selma Emilia Borg Jacobson. She was the first wife of my father's cousin Rudolf and the daughter in law of Uncle Emil and Aunt Anna. At the time of Aunt Ebba's death, Rudolf  had been remarried, died and was buried with his second wife, Agnes Nordin Jacobson, in Canada. I believe the plot was originally intended for Rudolf. In 1989 there were no longer any Jacobsons residing in the Chicago area and the family kindly donated the plot for Ebba's earthly remains.

Fairview Memorial Park, Northlake, Illinois Section 2, Lot 339, #8

This beautiful large monument with the Lord's prayer (once the largest in the Chicago area) highlights this section of Fairview Memorial Park.

Fairview Memorial Park, Northlake, Illinois Section 2

I am sorry that I, unfortunately, did not think to bring a knife to cut away the grass that with time had almost obliterated the stones or a brush so I did the best I could with my hand, a pen and a napkin! The caretaker said they would have the stones cleared but I told them "no worries, no one in our family comes to weep over a grave anyway. We choose to instead remember them in life and rejoice we shall see them again one day in heaven."

***click on photos to enlarge for easier viewing***