There is a place in every community that possesses the heart and soul, the tragedy, the heroics and the history of that community. The cemetery. The cemetery is also the most peaceful place in the community.

A stroll through the cemeteries in Lake Zurich reveals something of the background of the families that built this community from the prairie and woodland that attracted the first settlers.

Lake Zurich's first cemetery was connected to St. Matthew's Lutheran Church on Old McHenry Rd. The cemetery was laid in 1842. The oldest grave markers are in German, testimony to the heritage of the first settlers of the area. Their headstones share the names of beloved children who never made it to adulthood, marked by tiny lambs carved in stone, and the families that established the foundations for the next generations. Built in the shadow of the great church, St. Matthew's cemetery possesses a special peace akin to old Cathedrals in ancient civilizations.

Other cemeteries in the area include: Evergreen, Lake Zurich, Fairfield, White, Cady, and Brick cemetery. Each of these cemeteries contains a portion of Lake Zurich's past.

Evergreen Cemetery in Barrington is one of the oldest in the area. The first markers date back to 1816, the graves of two young women, the wives of one man traveling into the new frontier many years before the first settlers were known to be staying here. The large family plots in Evergreen are surrounded by the embracing boughs of hundreds of American Evergreens, planted in 1932 by the cemetery board. One plot in the cemetery is marked by a carved marble bench for a traveler or visitor to rest upon as they appreciate the beauty of the cemetery, a gift left by a generous soul.

Scattered throughout the cemeteries are the personalities of the past. The names of area roads are reflected in the names on the markers, Benching, Mionske, Whitney, Ela, and others. The names of local schools and public facilities, Fox, Whitney, Knigge, Ela, Keuchmann, all the foundations of the community we know today. Also represented are the former leaders, the Prehm's, two generations of police leadership, the Grever's, long in community involvement, the Ela's, the Froelich's, who helped establish the guidelines to keep the Lake beautiful and one woman in Lake Zurich's cemetery who dedicated herself to humanity.

There is, of course, always a melancholy attached to the cemeteries. The tragedies are obvious. One husband and wife died on the same day in 1908. There were lives cut short by disease; the terrible influenza outbreak of 1918 left behind many parentless children and childless adults. The deaths were so frequent during the outbreak that the deceased barely received recognition due to the volume. There were also the babies. So many babies perished with great frequency before the advent of penicillin or the convenience and safety of hospital births. Some families tried again and again unsuccessfully to keep their children alive. Some families lost mothers early in marriage and motherhood. Some lost fathers. And still today, though thankfully less frequent, there are children, teens and young adults. These graves are still marked by fresh teddy bears and fresh tears.

Last, but just as importantly, the cemeteries commemorate the heroes. The men and women who served their communities and their country in the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the war in Vietnam. There are large monuments to remember these heroes (Evergreen Cemetery), and small plaques that mark the branch of service served and the years of duty. These remind us of the sacrifice these men made, risking their lives to protect the values of democracy.

When you enter the gates of these cemeteries you cross a line into a special sanctuary. Strolling among the markers and reading their stories is cathartic and educational. The cemetery reflects the history of the community, the heartbreak, the sacrifice, the heroes, the leaders and most importantly, the families.