The Winnebago Cemetery originally surrounded the Old Stone Church, a congregational church dedicated in 1855 after the congregation had been organized in 1846 by later veteran D.W. Grippen, Luther Miller, and Reverend James Hodges. Many members of the church took an active part in the Underground Railroad helping escaped slaves to Canada. In 1863 the Cemetery Association was formed. Then in 1882 the church was torn down because it had become unsafe and the congregation moved to their new church, currently the Winnebago United Methodist Church on Elida. After the church was demolished the cemetery expanded into the area where the church once stood, taking up the land it does as of this page’s creation in 2021.

The veterans memorial statue depicts a Union Infantryman at rest, and has the symbol of the G.A.R. on one of its faces, and its dedication date, 1899, on another. The dedication ceremony was attended by many people from the local area as well as Illinois leaders such as Congressman Robert Hitt. In 1986 the monument was defaced by vandals, one hand and the soldier’s rifle were broken. The cemetery caretaker at the time, Dave Sitton (a veteran now buried in the cemetery) buried them below the statue with the reverence they deserved. The monument was then repaired a few years later in time for its rededication ceremony in 1999.

For Cemetery Plot Information: Call 815-985-7507

The Winnebago Cemetery is divided into 11 numbered sections with one odd ball section (Potter’s Field), all sections are separated North-South by the roads that run from front to back in the cemetery, some sections are separated East-West by the roads that run side to side in the cemetery, the front of the cemetery being Westfield Road as shown on the map. The one exception to this is that sections 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 7 and 8, 9 and 10 are all separated East-West by a tree line which is inline with the cemetery information sign on the north side of the cemetery.

Click to see the veterans in winnebago Cemetery

If you have any information to add or subtract to the Cemetery and Veteran webpages please contact James (J.J.) Huggins at : jamesjhuggins@gmail.com