One of the most popular and enduring ghost stories in the Chicago area involves the
spirit of Resurrection Mary, who supposedly wanders the streets around Resurrection Cemetery in the city's
southwest suburbs.
In the 1920s and '30s, there were several popular dance halls along Archer Avenue, not
far from the cemetery, and a few still remain. According one version of the legend, Mary enjoyed going to the
dance halls. One night in the early 1930, she left one of the halls and tried to cross busy Archer Avenue.
She was hit by a passing car and killed, and buried in nearby Resurrection Cemetery.
Ever since, there have been reports of a ghostly female figure wandering along the road near
the cemetery. But, unlike most ghosts who prefer to keep their distance and not make contact with people,
Resurrection Mary seems to enjoy human contact. Some of the most popular and oft-repeated stories about
Resurrection Mary come from men who meet an attractive woman at one of the dance halls. After spending the
evening with her, they offer to give her a ride home. She tells them that she's the daughter of the cemetery
caretaker and lives on the grounds, so they drive her to the cemetery. At that point, Mary disappears. Some
have reported that she walks toward the locked cemetery gates and fades away. Others have said they get
out of their car to open the door for their passenger but, when they reach the other side of the car, she's gone.
Others have reported seeing the ghostly figure walking along Archer Avenue. Some have reported
that she jumped out in front of their cars and was hit -- a "residual haunting" in which the victim re-enacts,
over and over, the events of their death. When the drivers stop to see if the woman has been injured, they
find no one there.
For those who believe in Resurrection Mary, she has left behind absolute proof of her existance. According to this story, in the mid-1970s, a cab driver was passing the gates of Resurrection
Cemetery late at night when he was a young woman standing inside the locked gates, with her hands on the bars. Thinking that she had been accidentally locked inside and couldn't get out, the cab driver called the police. When
the police arrived, they found no sign of the trapped woman -- but they did discover that two of the bars of
the cemetery gate had been pried apart, and the metal was seared with the permanent impressions of a pair of small, delicate hands.
One of the bent bars can still be seen on the main gate of Resurrection Cemetery, but there
is no sign of the small handprint. Cemetery officials explain the incident by saying that a truck driver
accidentally backed into the gate.
Another mystery in the Resurrection Mary story revolves around who she was in life. Various
books and other sources cite various names for the mysterious Mary, but there is no conclusive evidence as to who
she was. Most agree that she was a young woman, loved to dance, and was killed either in an accident or after
bring struck by a car on her way home from one of the dance halls.
If you happen to stop at Resurrection Cemetery in the search for Mary, you might want to go across
Archer Avenue to visit Chet's Melody Lounge. It's fairly easy to find. Just look for the "Resurrection Mary
Drinks Here" sign in front.
Obviously, Chet's embraces the Resurrection Mary legend, even hosting special events
devoted to her, and including "The Ballad of Resurrection Mary" on the juke box. Chet's also sells Resurrection
Mary T-shirts.
The story of Resurrection Mary is similar to many other ghost stories catagorized under the
"vanishing hitchhiker" label -- a mysterious stranger is seen along the road, asks for a ride, then disappears.
But, for some reason, the legend of Resurrection Mary has endured for more than 60 years. And the sightings and
stories continue.