Headstone data from cemetery photos and comments.
Photos when available; select to display larger image.

Our ancestors belonged to burial and social societies that were based on where their ancestors lived in Europe. Often a family belonged if one spouse was from the region.  And it was not unusual for a family to belong to multiple societies. Below is the Retchitzer and Province Aid Society (1927) information; Ben & Lea Miller were founders and their names are located on the Cemetery Gate #57 portal (right side list).  Included on the Society’s information page officer’s is Sarah Laskin, who signed Ben Miller’s Naturalization Petition as a witness.

Below are excerpts, about these societies from a book, Bridges to An American City (Chicago); our relatives were members and often officers in these social and burial societies. They usually were buried in the cemeteries sponsored or owned by the societies.

The Riga-Baltic Benefit Society (1930)

 Many of our relatives are buried in the Waldheim Cemetery which is composed of many small cemeteries that have been combined under Waldheim.  Many of the these ‘Waldheim’ cemetery burial societies are administered by other burial agencies (Sexton’s).

Select to view larger Waldheim Cemetery map which has the cemetery gate numbers listed.

Select the above image to view the entire list of Waldheim cemetery gates and note that the gates are indicated on the Waldheim Cemetery map (above). 

Name and information Headstone Photo

BERESIN Sophie & Benjamin Beresin Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL Gate: 54 Lot: 1564 Row: 64 Grave: 5 & 6 Sophie died or was interred on June 3, 1956 at the age of 78. Benjamin died or was interred on April 8, 1951 at the age of 77.

BERMAN Frieda October 14, 1911 – September 30, 1998 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, ILBERMAN Morris Nov 16, 1954 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

BERMAN Tillie May 13, 1959 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

BRODSKY Anna Dec 7, 1985 age 91

BRODSKY Morris H. Oct 13, 1966 Age 73

CHARGO, Tillie 1862 – Sept 19, 1953 West Side Hebrew Cemetery Saint Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota,

CHARGO, Sam ‘Israel’ Nov 5, 1865 – June 6, 1940 West Side Hebrew Cemetery Saint Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota,

Garfinkel, Mollie (AKA Matilda) Date of Death: 6/24/1915 Date of Burial:  6/27/1915 Har Nebo Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA. Grave 2, Lot 2230 “Here lies our dear mother, an important woman, Mrs. Malkah Bas/(daughter of) Reb Nahum, who died on the 12th day of the Hebrew month of Tamuz (followed by the year). May her sould be bound up in the bonds of eternal life.” Bas = daughter of Reb = an honorific title preceding the name of her father.    Garfinkel, Elijah (AKA Eli, Ely, and Henry) Date of death:  9/21/1911 Date of Burial:  9/25/1911 Har Nebo Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA.  Grave 1, Lot 2229 Here lies My dear husband Yechiel Avraham son of Yakov Shimon died 27 Elul 5670 “May his soul be be bound up in the bond of everlasting life”

Goodman  Louis May 11, 1945 age 74 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

GOODMAN Aaron June 8, 1932 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

Goodman Eva May 27, 1954 age 82 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

Goodman Sol Dec 5, 1934 age 23 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

Goodman Tamar Sept 11, 1939 age 75 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

HERZOG Abraham 1893  – Aug 16, 1953 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

HERZOG Fannie 1900 – Nov 15, 1969 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

HYMAN Mae M. May 5, 1904 – Sept 7, 1961 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

HYMAN Maurice L. April 7, 1901 – December 14, 1977 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

Chani KAPLAN Harry SHANKMAN’s Aunt. (Chani and Ida Bessie were sisters). Died October 9, 1929 Age 73 Cemetery: Burial location: Buried Silverman & Weiss Cemetery BMA Lot 204, grave 6. GATE #41. BMA: B’nai Mosche Alexandrovsky. Here lies Chana daughter of Yakov died 2 Cheshvan 5687 May her soul be bound up in the bond of everlasting life

KAPLAN Dora 1881 – 1941 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

KAPLAN Isaac 1873 – 1940 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

KARPMAN Abraham Apr 20, 1957 age 73KARPMAN Hyman Dec 31, 1927 – Aug 21 1998 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

Karpman Jack Mar 29, 1949 Age 38 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

Karpman Molly Dec 15, 1956 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

KRAVETS Fannie April 22, 1964

MILLARD Dora Jan 31, 1954 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

MILLARD Morris Dec 9, 1967 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

MILLER Abraham Aug 14, 1941 age 79 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

MILLER Benjamin April 15, 1885 – December 16, 1978 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

MILLER Bernard September 21, 1921 – December 13, 1953 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

MILLER Lena August 20, 1888 – June 19, 1968 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

MILLER Miriam Nov 25, 1935 age 76 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

MILLER Vera June 17, 1922 – November 27, 2002 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

MITNICK Solomon & Nellie nee GOLDENBERG SHANKMAN Harry May 5, 1883 – Oct 19, 1949 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL Harry Shankman military headstone application. SHANKMAN nee Golden, Rosabel June 5, 1900 – April 1, 1926 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

SKOLNICK Bessie May 12, 1929 age 56 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL Here Lies Chaya Pessel, daughter of Leyzer Ze’ev Died the 2nd of Iyaar, 5689. May her soul be bound up for life eternal

SKOLNICK Rhona (1922 – 2016) and Phil (1915 – 2004) Beth Israel Memorial Garden, Houston, TX

SPIVACK Hyman Aug 29, 1908 – Oct 13, 1969 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

TUROW Clara Mar 12, 1974 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

TUROW Louis Aug 22, 1973 Waldheim Cemeteries, Forest Park, IL

YALE Millicent