Missing Gravestone Makes Its Way Back to Final Resting Place in Inverness

If you found a gravestone at your newly purchased home, what would you do?

This very situation happened to Andrew Baum of Arlington Heights when he started renovation work in his backyard. He flipped over a large marble stone that previous owners had placed a water hose reel upon, and discovered it was a gravestone. Baum then did what most 21 century people would do - he Googled the name of the deceased.

Baum searched 'William Moorhouse' who, according to the headstone, died July 8, 1864, and was 39 years, 5 months and 6 days old at the time of his death.

One of the first entries that popped up during the online search was Cady Cemetery, Palatine Historical Society. Baum then placed a call to the historical society to report his find.

From there, Terry Kelly, the Palatine Township cemetery chairman (and Palatine Township assessor) stepped in. Palatine Township maintains five cemeteries, where many of the areas founders and notable residents are buried, including Cady Cemetery which is located south of Dundee Road off Ela Road, in Inverness.

Kelly, along with friend of the family Andrew Wurtz, traveled to Baum's home to pick up the headstone, which weighed more than 200 pounds.

The gravestone is now back at Cady Cemetery resting against a tree near the entrance. William Moorehouse's gravestone will be returned to the family plot which includes three other family members later this fall, after it is restored.

"We are thrilled and truly thankful to Mr. Baum for taking the time to help this gravestone make its way back to where it belongs," said Kelly. "Palatine Township cannot thank him enough for his thoughtfulness and help."

The stone will be restored and remounted by 'Stonehuggers' of Nashville, Indiana. The company handles specialized restoration work for aged gravestones and monuments in cemeteries throughout the Midwest.

The Clarinda Cady Questers, a local group of women which includes Cemetery Chairwoman Jeanne Pavlica, have been instrumental in improving the Cady Cemetery and work directly with Stonehuggers to identify gravestones in need of restoration.

The Questers applied for and received a $5,000 grant in 2012 that helped to install a wrought iron fence around Cady Cemetery for security purposes, and the group continues their work to this day.

The question as to why the headstone ended up in the backyard of a residential property more than 10 miles away from its rightful place, remains somewhat of a mystery.

What Palatine Township and Historical Society officials do know is that the cemetery has a 'colorful' past.

Because of its secluded location - which is relatively hidden by trees and bushes - the cemetery has been a venue for teenage parties over the years. The gatherings in the graveyard especially ramped up in the late 1950s through the 1960s, where beer bottles, cans and other garbage were reported regularly and scattered throughout the site.

Gravestones were also broken, knocked over and even moved, presumably by young people on a dare who may have simply been seeking a thrill. According to the Palatine Historical Society, in the summer of 1960, six youths were caught by authorities trying to dig up a grave. They were sentenced by a judge to clean up and maintain the cemetery for the remainder of the summer.

It also isn't the first time a Cady Cemetery gravestone has been discovered at a private residence. In 2003, Amy Cannon of Mount Prospect reported finding a face down gravestone in her parent's front yard, which was finally turned over after decades of sitting under a flagpole.

That gravestone belonged to Martha Jane Hunnewell, who died on Sept. 4, 1855, at the age of 10. The stone was returned shortly after its discovery to the Hunnewell plot in Cady Cemetery.

The cemetery is located on the site of the former Cady family farm and was deeded to Palatine Township by the family in 1856.

Ezekiel and Adaline Cady were two of the earliest settlers in the area. Their daughter Clarinda, born in 1838, was the first settler child to be born in what was to officially become Palatine Township in 1850.

The cemetery had its beginnings when the Cady's buried their son Wilbert on a knoll behind their orchard in 1841. At that time, there was no official church or cemetery for those who came to the area to build a new life. As time went on, other settlers buried their loved ones near Wilbert Cady, and a cemetery began to form. The final resting place of Ezekiel, Adaline and Clarinda Cady is also at Cady Cemetery.

Other notable Palatine Township families who are buried there include the Freeman family. Richard Freeman was one of the firefighters killed in the 1973, Ben Franklin fire; one of the biggest tragedies to occur in Palatine to date.

The Catlow family, whose family members founded the Catlow Theatre in Barrington, also have their final resting place there.

In addition to Cady Cemetery, Palatine Township also maintains Hillside and Sutherland cemeteries in Palatine, as well as Salem and Wolfrum cemeteries in Rolling Meadows.

For information, please visit http://www.palatinetownship.com/cemeteries.

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