Most Haunted Places in America: Resurrection Cemetery

So much rich history can be found in Chicago dating back to 1772. Al Capone was found guilty there in 1931; John Dillinger was shot by FBI there in 1934; home of the Comiskey Park, Wrigley Field, and Da’ Bears. One of the most famous residents of the Windy City though may not have been so well known while alive but in death has become one of the most famous ghosts in Chicago, Resurrection Mary.

Mary was a young polish girl around 20 years old who was out dancing at one of the local ballrooms. The very attractive blonde haired girl got in an argument and started to walk home down Archer Avenue. She was struck by a car on that dark road and killed. She was buried in Resurrection Cemetery in a white dress and her favorite dancing shoes.

There have been sightings of Mary from the 1920’s on up till the present day. Policemen and cab drivers offer stories of giving rides to her, people see her standing at the entrance to the cemetery and she is apt to throw herself in front of oncoming traffic, especial young men driving alone.

One of the most interesting encounters with Resurrection Mary came in 1939. Jerry Palus was enjoying a night of dancing on the town. His eyes caught a beautiful young girl standing in the corner (in later interviews Jerry states he never recalls her actually coming in the door) and asks her to dance. She says yes and they spend a few hours dancing at the hall.

Jerry tells that she seemed a little distant and that her skin was like ice. Later he was rewarded a kiss and claims her lips were also cold and clammy. As the evening comes to a close, the young lady asks for a ride home. Palus is more than happy to oblige and even though the women has a strange request to go down Archer Avenue, they rode off in his car.

As the couple approached Resurrection Cemetery, she asked him to stop. Palus stopped and according to him she said, “This is where I have to get out but where I’m going, you can’t follow”, and before Jerry could respond, she vanished.

Jerry Palus never made a dime on this story, never tried to exploit his experience. He died in 1992 never recanting what he said happened.

Another interesting paranormal event was in 1977. This time it is told that Resurrection Mary left evidence. Someone saw a women locked inside the fence of the cemetery after dark. The passerby didn’t stop however but instead called the police to come and assist her. The police found no one in sight when they arrived but did find that the two bars on the main gate had been bent as if someone was pushing on them.

On the bent bars where to imprint of what looks like human hands burnt into the metal. The bars were removed by officials but later reinstalled. They tried to remove the hand prints with a blowtorch but the burns can still be seen today.

What has made Resurrection Mary and interesting phenomena is the number of people from various walks of life that have seen this apparition. From cab rides to dance halls, this apparition seems to still be living a fascinating life.

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