Headstone Missing For Years, Returned To Cemetery
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A headstone that was placed at Jewish Graceland Cemetery eight decades ago was lost, but has recently been found 18 miles away.
The headstone marked the grave of Jacob Schnadig, a member of a prominent family in the furniture business in Chicago. He died in 1935 and was buried at Jewish Graceland Cemetery not far from Wrigley Field, WBBM's Steve Miller reports.
At some point, the headstone disappeared, taken by vandals, says Edie Eiseman, an officer of the Hebrew Benevolent Society.
Then fast forward to August 2016.
"I got a phone call from somebody at the Elk Grove Village public works, stating that they have a headstone of ours," Eiseman said.
That they had found it cleaning out Salt Creek. The stone was believed to be there for about 20 years.
There's no last name on the stone.
"They really traced everything back because the dates are on the stone," Eiseman said. "The wife's name is on the stone. They had a middle initial. They had birth and death dates. And they figured it out, which to me is just incredible."
Using ancestry.com, Elk Grove Village was able to trace the stone back to Jewish Graceland Cemetery.
The stone was picked up and moved back to its rightful location.
Although the headstone is in two pieces, Eiseman said at least it's back where it belongs.
The Jewish Graceland Cemetery has been in touch with the family of Schnadig.