En route back from Joliet on Sunday, there was one more sight to see, just off I-355 in southeast suburban Lemont: The Danish Cemetery. It’s a small patch of land, sparsely populated by the dead — or at least their stones — and it hasn’t seen a burial in more than 50 years.

As far as I know, ghost stories aren’t told about this place, especially compared with boneyards that are more remote. The only story I know about the Danish Cemetery involves this memorial off to one edge of the grounds.

UNKNOWN SOLDIER
Served the U.S. in time of need
Found dead July 1, 1919
Buried by Legion Post 243

“The body of the unknown soldier was taken out of the Sag Canal at Sag Bridge on July 9 [sic], 1919,” Patch says. “He was found by bargemen working on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal… the funeral home believed the body had been in the water for about 10 days. The remains were brought to Lemont, and they tried to identify the body. Besides the uniform, there were no identifying papers on the body.

“The Lemont Historical Society said no one came forward in Lemont to identify the body and the Lemont American Legion buried him with full honors in the Danish Cemetery.”