Friends of Bohemian National Cemetery - Past Events and Programs

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Friends of
Bohemian National Cemetery

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BNC Picnic Sunday, July 8, 2012 Bohemian National Cemetery had their annual old fashioned picnic with Bohemian music, food, and live entertainment all on the beautiful grounds of Bohemian National Cemetery. Friends had bakery and book tables at the BNC picnic raising money for the restoration project. return to list

Spring Walking Tour Our Spring Walking Tour was Saturday, Jun 2, 2012 "Tour of the Tombstones"was guided by Albert Walavich
Memorial Day Flag Placement for Memorial Day was Friday, May 25th Many helped decorate the cemetery for Memorial Day. Memorial Day Service was held Monday, May 28th, 9:30 am Refreshments were served in the Gatehouse. Carnations for ladies were compliments of Friends.
Mother’s Day Ceremony Sunday, May 13th Participants met at the gatehouse at 1:00 pm. Refreshments were served after the ceremony. return to list
Sunday, January 29, 2012 Friends Winter Meeting Friends winter meeting was held Sunday, January 29, at Klas Restaurant. Sixty-four people sat down at Klas Restaurant for a delicious Bohemian meal. Another thirty joined the gathering after lunch to hear our presentations by Kathy Mallin, Erin Kennealy, and Tony Kartsonas. Kathy Mallin, the granddaughter of John Anton Mallin, described her grandfather’s evolution from studying art and decoration in Vienna, Austria, in the early 1900’s to his arrival in Chicago in 1907, where one of his first jobs was painting facades at Riverview Park. In his first decade in America, Mallin worked for contractors, decorating churches, residences and courthouses. In 1918 he founded his own business and received his first contract to decorate the BNC Ceremony Hall, which he decorated again in 1929, 1931, and in the 1940s. He also decorated the gatehouse waiting room as well as the concealed attic in the main office. He became one of the most sought after church decorators in the Midwest and elsewhere, decorating more than 100 churches in his lifetime, including St. Procopius, St. Hedwig’s, St. Mary of the Angels, and St. Hyacinth in Chicago. He died in 1973, and his remains, along with his family’s, are inurned in the columbarium leading into the Ceremony Hall. Tony Kartsonas, founder of Historic Surfaces, LLC, updated us on Phase One -- his work to establish a protocol for the restoration and preservation of Mallin’s painted decoration of the Ceremony Hall in the crematorium/columbarium building. With a goal of preserving as much as possible of Mallin’s work, Tony described three main facets of his work: Tony and his team assess the current condition of the decoration. They investigate what materials Mallin used and the causes of the damage. Finally, to determine the protocol - what works best to fix the condition problems - Tony and his team test conservation treatments, including surface cleaning, varnish removal, plaster consolidation, paint stabilization, infill of losses in decoration, and restoration of scagliola columns.	Left to right: Kathy Mallin, Marge Stueckemann, Erin Kennealy, Tony Katsonas
September 8, 2011 Chicago congratulates Friends Chicago City Council Congratulates Friends on Cynthia Woods Mitchell Grant Award Read the proclamation . . .
Saturday, October 1, 2011 Friends Featured on FGS Radio Show Friends of Bohemian National Cemetery was featured in the Society Spotlight segment of the weekly internet radio show My Society, presented by the Federation of Genealogical Societies. return to list	You can hear their weekly show at this link. FGS Radio - My Society

Saturday, September 24, 2011 Tour of the Tombstones On Saturday, September 24, Friends of Bohemian National Cemetery sponsored our walking tour of the cemetery led by tour guide Albert Walavich. The 2 hour tour featured several of the monuments including the Cermak Mausoleum, the Civil War Veterans Monument, Beyond the Vines, and the Ladimir Klacel Circle. Albert Walavich also spoke about "tree monuments" and "resume stones". The tour concluded in the historic gatehouse with traditional Czech refreshments, many of which were homemade. return to list

Sunday, August 21st Summer Meeting of Friends The summer meeting was held at 1:00 pm in the Ceremony Hall of the crematorium/columbarium with a program by Rob Plummer on "Helen Sclair, Our Cemetery Lady." After the presentation some members laid fresh flowers on Helen's grave. A short meeting was held for the election of officers. return to list

Sunday, July 17, 2011 BNC Picnic Bohemian National Cemetery had their annual old fashioned picnic with Bohemian music, food, and live entertainment all on the beautiful grounds of Bohemian National Cemetery. Friends had bakery and book tables at the BNC picnic raising money for the restoration project. return to list

Saturday, June 11, 2011 Tour of the Tombstones On Saturday, June 11, 2011, Friends of Bohemian National Cemetery sponsored our walking tour of the cemetery led by tour guide Albert Walavich. Weather was perfect and the tour had been mentioned by the Chicago Tribune in an article on cemetery tours. As a result, we had a large crowd of over 70 people most of whom were interested nonmembers. We were fortunate to be able to tour the Ceremony Hall of the Crematory and the rare glass front columbarium. The tour concluded in the historic gatehouse with traditional Czech refreshments, many of which were homemade. return to list

Sunday, May 1, 2011 Friends Mayfest Our Mayfest dinner and silent auction on May 1, 2011, was the kick-off event for a multi-year fundraising effort to fund the restoration of the historic interior of the Ceremony Hall in the Crematorium building. Nearly 100 partygoers enjoyed the feast, the auction and the dancing of the Omladina Moravian Dancers. Marge Stueckemann gave a presentation illustrating restoration and repair work which Friends funding has already accomplished. Tony Kartsonas, who will direct phase one of the restoration work, described the interior work that needs to be done. Mayfest was able to realize over $12,000 toward our current restoration project. return to list

Sunday, January 23 2011 Friends Winter Meeting was Sunday, January 23 at Klas Restaurant, 5734 W. Cermak Rd, Cicero, IL 60804 Frank Magallon, author of Chicago's Little Village, presented a program on the Czech California neighborhood of Chicago return to list	return to list

Saturday, September 25, 2010 On Saturday, September 25, 2010, Friends of Bohemian National Cemetery sponsored a morning and afternoon walking tour of the cemetery led by tour guide extraordinaire, Albert Walavich. Of particular note were the restored art glass windows and the vibrant colors of the Pilsen Butcher's window. Czech refreshments in the historic gatehouse followed each tour. return to list

Sunday, August 22, 2010 On Sunday, August 22, 2010, the Friends of Bohemian National Cemetery Summer Member Meeting and program "BNC - Then and Now & was given by Carol Jean Smetana. The 45 minute presentation traced the development and growth of the cemetery from its beginnings in 1877 to the current day. The meeting was in the large upper ceremony hall of the columbarium building. Czech refreshments were served afterwards in the gatehouse. return to list

Sunday January 25, 2009 The winter meeting of Friends was held at Klas Restaurant and featured a screening of the new movie "Accidental Army: The Amazing True Story of the Czechoslovak Legion". The Czech Legion volunteer groups fought in WW I on several fronts. The Legion in Russia had to fight their way out of Russia after the end of the war in Europe. Their story is a fascinating tale. You can find more at The Czech Legion from the makers of the film, and Czech Legion (wikipedia) a wikipedia article. return to list

Sunday, September 21, 2008 Friends of BNC membership meeting and elections were held on Sunday, September 21, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. in the Columbarium/Crematorium chapel. Our program, "Chicago Rocks: Geology of Bohemian National Cemetery" presented by Jean Hemzacek Laukant, was an informative, illustrated talk about the rocks that make up our beautiful monuments. After viewing the images, we took a short walk on our way to the gatehouse to actually view some of them. Jean is a geology professor at our neighboring Northeastern Illinois University. All were welcome to this free event. Refreshments were served in the gatehouse. return to list

Sunday, January 28, 2007 On Sunday, January 28, 2007, at 1:00 p.m., Friends of BNC hosted a free program, open to all, about Jens Jensen and Ossian C. Simonds, contemporary architects of naturalistic landscape design. Jens Jensen (1860-1951) created the landscape design for Columbus Park, located on west edge of Chicago. He redesigned the landscaping in Humboldt, Garfield, and Douglas Parks, as well as for several North Shore private estates. Ossian C. Simonds (1855-1931) is known for his design of Graceland Cemetery, as well as other rural cemeteries. Barbara Geiger, our presenter, is a landscape historian and design consultant. She is an instructor at I.I.T., Northwestern University and the Chicago Botanic Gardens, and a lecturer and landscape tour guide at Graceland Cemetery. The program, along with the Friends' winter meeting, took place in the Columbarium. return to list	Jens Jensen, 1943

Sunday, November 12, 2006 The vocal ensemble Con Spirito and cellist Mara Leonard, sponsored by the Bohemian National Cemetery Association, presented "Anthems of a Life's Journey ", a short program of music for All Souls Day, on Sunday, November 12, 2006, in the Columbarium. The music, devoted to sacred and secular anthems on the themes of death and hope, included works by Maurice Greene, Samuel Barber, John Bennet, J.S. Bach, and Randall Thompson, as well as a hymn from The Sacred Harp.

	Members of Con Spirito, all current or former church musicians, were drawn together by their love of great choral music. They have sung works ranging from large symphonic pieces to chamber music, and many have performed as vocal soloists. Featured cello soloist Mara Leonard performs actively in the Chicago area. She has appeared with the Illinois Philharmonic and Civic Orchestra of Chicago and is the music director at St. James Lutheran Church in Western Springs.
Con Spirito's music director Rebecca Patterson led the Chicago Bar Association Chorus in rehearsals for its recent performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony at Navy Pier. She has served as music director for Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church in Oak Park and for the Chapel of the Holy Spirit at Divine Word International in Northbrook. As a concert artist, Patterson has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Music of the Baroque and sung a variety of opera roles. return to list

Saturday, October 7, 2006 At 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 7, 2006, Friends of Bohemian National Cemetery sponsored a 2 hour walking tour of Bohemian National Cemetery. Tour guide and historian, Albert Walavich, who has led our tours in previous years, is an expert in mortuary art. His narratives are informative and entertaining. On this general highlights tour, Mr. Walavich discussed the founding of the cemetery and its unusual features as he walked participants through the highlights, including the Victorian gatehouse, the Columbarium and Chapel, Masaryk Mausoleum, Mayor Anton Cermak's Mausoleum, the war memorials and other special and unique turn-of-the-century monuments, focusing on their cultural, social and historical significance. Refreshments were served in the Gatehouse after the tour. return to list

	Sunday, August 27, 2006 On Sunday, August 27, 2006, at 1:00 p.m. in the Columbarium Chapel, Tony Jandacek spoke about Albin Polasek, using a slide presentation to illustrate the scupltor's works. Albin Polasek was born in Moravia and came to the United States in the early 1900's. He sculpted the Mother and Pilgrim monuments at Bohemian National Cemetery. Large public commissions brought him world attention. Retiring to Winter Park, Florida, at the age of 71, he began gathering much of his life's works and set up a foundation opening his estate to the public. Brochures for the museum and sculpture garden were available at the meeting. return to list

Saturday, May 6, 2006 On Saturday , May 6, 2006, Friends of Bohemian National Cemetery sponsored a walking tour of Bohemian National Cemetery. Tour guide and historian, Albert Walavich, who has led our tours in previous years, is an expert in mortuary art. His narratives are informative and entertaining. 10:00 A.M. Tour - Special Veteran's Tour During this tour Mr. Walavich discussed and walked us through various veteran's statues and monuments describing the cultural, social and historical significance of these funerary art forms in the cemetery and how the cemetery honors its veterans. The cemetery has memorials to the Civil War, Spanish-American War, WWI, and WWII veterans. 1:00 P.M. Tour - General Highlights Tour Mr. Walavich discussed the founding of the cemetery and its unusual features as he walked us through the highlights, including the Victorian gatehouse, the Columbarium and Chapel, Masaryk Mausoleum, Mayor Anton Cermak's Mausoleum, the war memorials and other special and unique turn-of-the-century monuments, focusing on their cultural, social and historical significance. return to list

	Sunday, February 26, 2006 On Sunday, February 26, 2006, at 2:00 p.m. Friends of BNC hosted a free program presented by the Eastland Disaster Historical Society about the tragic capsizing of the S.S. Eastland on July 24, 1915. Told through story, video, and slides, this multi-media presentation explained the problems that the ship encountered and the human stories of heroism and suffering that were all part of that summer day excursion turned to tragedy. This presentation took place at the Westchester Library, Westchester, IL.
Chicago Daily News negatives collection, DN-0064932. Courtesy of the Chicago Historical Society.		Chicago Daily News negatives collection, DN-0064944. Courtesy of the Chicago Historical Society.

December 10, 2005 The Internment of of Captain Vladimir M. Sasko. Captain Sasko's ashes were interred at Bohemian National Cemetery on December 10, 2005, 61 years after he was killed in action while serving his country in the South Pacific during World War II. The crash site of army surgeon Sasko's aircraft was found in New Guinea in 1978. You can read the newspaper article on the ceremony using this link Captain Sasko article return to list

	Sunday, September 18, 2005 On Sunday, September 18, 2005, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m., Friends of Bohemian National Cemetery sponsored a walking tour of the cemetery led by tour guide extraordinaire, Albert Walavich. Mr. Walavich led a general features tour that highlighted the monuments, some with pictures, of the Eastland victims and their histories. Those taking the tour were amazed at the variety of beautiful angel and "littering lady" monuments plus the historic buildings. Special ethnic refreshments and an Eastland Disaster exhibit of photos in the historic gatehouse followed the tour. return to list


	Sunday, August 21, 2005 On Sunday, August 21, 2005, Friends of BNC hosted a free program about John Anton Mallin, the church decorator and artist who designed and applied the decoration for the upper and lower chapels, lobby and hallways of the Crematory-Columbarium building. This presentation was given by Kathy Mallin, granddaughter of the artist, in the lower Marble Room of the Columbarium at 2:00 p.m. Ms. Mallin discussed the gold leafing techniques used by her grandfather. Our newly published "Introduction to Bohemian National Cemetery Columbarium/Crematorium" 24-page booklet with colored illustrations became available that day.

Saturday May 7, 2005 On Saturday, May 7, 2005, Friends of Bohemian National Cemetery sponsored a walking tour of Bohemian National Cemetery. Tour guide and historian, Albert Walavich, who has led our tours in previous years, is an expert in mortuary art. His narratives are informative and entertaining. 10:00 A.M. Tour - Introduction to the Cemetery During this tour Mr. Walavich discussed the founding of the cemetery and its unusual features as he took us to the highlights, including the Victorian gatehouse, the main building, Mayor Anton Cermak's mausoleum, the war memorials, the monuments at the graves of the Eastland Disaster victims, broken tree monuments, and many other unique monuments. 1:00 P.M. Tour - East Section and Laying of Wreath at Mother Statue This tour began with the laying of a wreath in honor of Mother's Day at noted sculptor Albin Polasek's statue Mother, located in front of the Columbarium. This is the only known statue in a U.S. cemetery dedicated to recognizing mothers. This tour, led by Mr. Walavich, then visited the Madonna statue and many of the important bronze monuments and statues in the east section of the cemetery. Refreshments were served in the Gatehouse at 9:15 a.m. before the morning tour and after the 1:00 p.m. tour. Cost for members was $10.00 and for non-members $15.00. Photograph courtesy of Eastland Disaster Historical Society return to list