Milton Township Cemetery Authority dedicates a German-style well, honoring town's immigrant history

Thursday, Aug. 18 was a beautiful summer day at St. Stephen Cemetery and Prairie in Carol Stream.

John Monino, representing Milton Township's Cemetery Authority, dedicated a rebuilt well in the name of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet.

The story of how the well came to be refurbished goes back almost one year.

At the annual St. Stephen Family Day and Mass last September, board member Jeff Castle noticed what he thought was dangerous concrete rubble until he further investigated. He realized that the rubble covered a well.

At the time, Castle had the vision to "take something little and make it beautiful."

He thought he could do better than that. So, he started doing some research on German wells since the settlers of Gretna, the original name of Carol Stream, were primarily of German descent.

He made plans for the well, building up smooth river stones capped by a ledge of stone. He then used white oak for the structure with fragrant redwood to line the shingled roof. A wooden bucket on a winch completes the authenticity of a well of the late 1800s. Rebuilding the well is to honor the memory of immigrants who built the beautiful community.

Accepting the proclamation of dedication document for the Diocese of Joliet in Illinois was Eric Holloway, the diocese's director of Catholic cemeteries.

St. Stephen is a lush site that is the final resting place for many early settlers of Gretna, with burials continuing until about 1911. Maintaining these sacred grounds and prairie to the west has been possible through collaboration between the cemetery authority and the diocese.

Many dignitaries and community members attended the ceremony. Among those community members was Bob Jacobsen. Originally from New York, he was an early advocate of protecting St. Stephen with construction of a fence to protect the grave sites from vandals. He shared the importance of continued collaboration among interested parties to keep St. Stephen as a place of history and beauty that community members can enjoy for years to come.

Learn more about the history of St. Stephen Cemetery and Prairie or Friends of Pioneer Cemeteries at www.dioceseofjoliet.org/cemeteries/.