The annual Sangamon County Historical Society’s cemetery walk, Echoes of Yesteryear, will make for a great Sunday outing on Oct. 5. It takes place from noon to 3:30 p.m. at Oak Ridge Cemetery, 1441 Monument Ave. The last tour begins at 3 p.m.
Susan Helm, co-chair of the cemetery committee, said, “This year’s Cemetery Walk will provide visitors with a glimpse into the history and heritage of Springfield and Sangamon County.”
Actors dressed in period costumes will portray seven individuals who made significant contributions to our community’s history and represent a melting pot of diverse heritage. The personal stories of each historic figure will be interpreted at his or her respective gravesite in the cemetery. These authentic stories, which have been thoroughly researched, will take the audience back to an earlier time and provide insight into their lives.
Participants will be transported by bus to the first and second gravesites, walk to the other gravesites and then be transported back to the parking area. The entire walk is around a half mile.
Those who will be portrayed include:
Eva Carroll Monroe founded the Lincoln Colored Home, the first orphanage for African American children in Sangamon County, in 1898 and worked as its matron until 1933. When she saw poor Black children who were orphans, she took them into her home and committed to finding a location for others in the same situation. A house at 427 S. 12th St., which was rumored to be haunted, was purchased with the help of Eva’s sister, Ollie, and donations from many, including Mary Lawrence, Susan Lawrence Dana’s mother. A new home was built in 1904 that is still standing. Dr. Clarissa Williams will portray Eva and share the struggle to sustain the home and the many other people involved.
Amos Duncan was the first African American to serve as a Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy, and he later joined the Springfield Police Department. However, his SPD title was “special detective,” which allowed him to enforce the law within the African American community, although not against whites. His story will be told by his wife, Phoebe, portrayed by Kathryn Harris. Duncan developed Dreamland Park, near Southeast High School on Taylor Avenue. He owned several taverns, a laundry and the Pekin movie theater, which opened in 1914 when movies were fairly new and catered to Blacks. His wife was the granddaughter of William Florville, Abraham Lincoln’s barber.
Johei Okuhara, a manof Japanese descent, will have his story told by his friend and neighbor, Mabel Bretz Fletcher. Okuhara was also of the Muslim religion, and his funeral in 1913 may have been the first Muslim religious ceremony ever held in Sangamon County. He became a well-known photographer, and his specialty was photographing his subjects in front of a Japanese-style background, considered exotic in those days. Although the writer of Okuhara’s obituary in the Illinois State Journal claimed he was a lonely man, Mabel, portrayed by Tracy Petro, will debunk that view.
Professor Frederick Streckfuss was of German descent and served as a Lutheran minister and professor at Concordia Theological Seminary in Springfield for 32 years. The Concordia campus covered eight acres, north and east of 12th and Carpenter streets. The very first school to use that location was called Illinois State University, although it had no connection to today’s ISU in Normal. Streckfuss was fluent in several languages; in addition to English and German, he spoke Hebrew, Slovak, Lithuanian and Polish, which enabled him to communicate with coal miners who had immigrated from Eastern European countries. He will be portrayed by Andy Vandevoort.
Adelaide Garden Defrates hailed from the island of Madeira, a Portuguese colony in the mid-19th century. Many Portuguese came to Sangamon County, fleeing harsh struggles. These will be shared by portrayer Linda Ferreira Schneider, who is also of Portuguese descent. By 1855, 350 Portuguese immigrants had settled in Springfield. The neighborhood around 10th and Carpenter streets became known as Madeira because of all the Portuguese in the area. Adelaide was called Springfield’s Betsy Ross for her many lace flags, and her husband, Manuel, was active in the Republican Party as a leader of the Portuguese Marines, a Republican marching group.
Edris Mabie was a second-generation Welshman who worked in the coal mines. The workers were faced with salary cuts in 1932 when John L. Lewis, leader of the United Mine Workers, backed the cuts. Mabie and others formed the Progressive Mine Workers of America, which led to several years of union wars between the two factions. In the early 1930s, explosions at houses were common; often windows were shot out and many were killed. Dennis Rendleman will tell the story of Mabie and what happened on Easter morning 1935.
Alex Karon came from Greece in 1907 and became a popular man in town. His Sugar Bowl confectionary at South Grand Avenue and State Street opened in 1927 and operated for more than 30 years. Karon made his own ice cream, chocolate syrup and fruit drinks. Teens packed the shop after school or following ice-skating in Washington Park in the winter. Sundaes were the big sellers, although Karon added burgers and even beer after Prohibition ended. Karon will be portrayed by Patrick Foster, whose mouth-watering descriptions of the Sugar Bowl offerings might entice people to head to an ice cream shop after the walk.
The popular cemetery walk was held annually for 12 years, beginning in 1996 and ending in 2008. It was brought back in 2015 by popular demand. The event is free and open to the public, although donations are accepted. Parking will be available in designated areas of the cemetery. Refreshments will be available for purchase by the Sangamon County Historical Society.
For more information about the event and Sangamon County Historical Society, visit sangamonhistory.org.
Cinda Ackerman Klickna has written about past cemetery walks and serves on the board of directors for the Sangamon County Historical Society.
This article appears in October 2-8, 2025.
