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History of Saint Joseph Cemetery
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St. Joseph’s Cemetery
Founded in 1865, St. Joseph’s Cemetery on West Peoria’s Heading Avenue is the oldest Roman Catholic cemetery in the Peoria area. In fact, this cemetery was founded by the Rev. Henry Bors, the pastor of St. Joseph’s parish, even before the Diocese of Peoria was formed.
The original nine acres of land for the cemetery was purchased from the Thomas S. Dobbins family and deeded to the Bishop of Chicago. In 1877, the title was transferred to Bishop John Spalding, the first Bishop of Peoria. In 1873 more acreage was added to the cemetery. In 1934, land purchased from Peter Heine increased the cemetery to its present size of 25 acres.
The cemetery was originally established for families of German descent who had immigrated to this area. Two of those immigrants, William Geier and Peter Becker, served as sextons of St. Joseph’s between 1910 and 1915, built their homes across the street, and established florist shops to serve those visiting their loved ones buried in the cemetery.
Over the past 90 years, families of the Lebanese community have also chosen St. Joseph’s Cemetery as the final resting place of their family members. Only a limited number of plots are currently available.
The many stone angels displayed in the cemetery are the work of John Merkle, his son, and his grand- son. Merkle, a stonecutter from Germany, came to America in 1854 and moved to Peoria, where he started a monument company. These “Angels of Stone” throughout the cemetery symbolize a constant spiritual presence standing guard over St. Joseph’s.
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