And, now, the rest of the story at O'Hare

More than 500 homes and businesses in Bensenville and Elk Grove have been demolished or stand condemned to make way for Mayor Daley's ever-expanding "economic engine." According to news reports, St. Johannes Cemetery is the last obstacle to those new runways at O'Hare Airport, and its days are surely numbered.

The legal battle waged by St. John's United Church of Christ appears about over as their last appeals are denied by the court. Crews stand ready to dig up the remains of those buried at St. Johannes and move them to other cemeteries. But that's only part of the story.

St. John's church building once stood adjacent to the cemetery. Back then a tract of land west of Mannheim and north of Lawrence was used as a proving ground for planes built by Douglas Aircraft Co. When Chicago bought the land to build O'Hare, only a few 707 jets mingled with the prop planes. Still, the proximity of the church presented a safety issue.

Mayor Richard J. Daley visited the church and made a proposal to its congregation. The city would physically move their church building to a new location of their choice. Members reluctantly agreed, and the church was relocated to it present site at Foster Avenue and Busse Highway (Route 83). The church was guaranteed access to St. Johannes Cemetery, and members have faithfully maintained the grounds. As part of the agreement, the mayor gave church members a verbal promise that the cemetery would never be disturbed. Sadly, no one had the foresight to ask for that promise in writing.

And, as Paul Harvey used to say, that's the rest of the story.

Dan McGuire

Bensenville