Greve Cemetery

Tucked away north of Higgins Road but south of I-90 (the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway) in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, is Greve Cemetery. It’s about a half a mile to the west of Fabbrini Park as the crow flies, which I guess would be a fitting bird to seek out an obscure burying ground.
For a suburban development, the streets of the surrounding neighborhood of Barrington Square are fairly dense, with houses and townhouses of various configurations lining the way. A lot of people were out and about on those streets and yards late in the afternoon when I parked on Abbey Wood Drive to look for the cemetery, but no one else was interested in it.

It wasn’t hard to find.

Greve Cemetery Hoffman EstatesGreve Cemetery
In 1827 was called “Wild Cat Grove”
Johann Gerhard Greve settled here from
Hanover, Germany, in 1838
Purchased land from government in 1842
Property was first used as a family and
Community cemetery in the 1840s
Sold to Cook County in 1899
Acquired by the village of Hoffman Estates in 1989

Ah, those plucky German settlers. The cemetery is atop a small hill — pretty much the only kind in Illinois — and thick with oaks and other tall trees.
Greve Cemetery Hoffman EstatesFenced in completely. I assume because of a history of wanker vandals beginning with the surrounding development in the late 20th century.
Greve Cemetery Hoffman EstatesStill, most of the stones are visible. Including the Greves.
Greve Cemetery Hoffman EstatesAnd the Völkenings, complete with umlaut.

Greve CemeteryStones without much left to tell their tales.
Greve CemeteryA short history of the cemetery is here, and another article about it is here.