Seldom will I sit to write a review, but after much thought, I felt the need to write this one…read more I stepped into the office of Elm Lawn Cemetery, to speak about my sisters Headstone and met with Jacklyn Rodriguez. I had so many questions and felt that I may overwhelm her and not get the answers I needed. However, this thankfully, was not the case. Jacklyn, provided answers for all my concerns and took as much time necessary, ensuring I did not leave without being fully informed. She was really helpful in advising me of future needs as well, prior to a price increase which would go into effect within the next few days. Within my time in the office with her, we shared a few stories about family and loss. We laughed about some of our stories and helped make time go with ease. I also learned that she had a second job at a care center, giving care and compassion to patients that can't care for themselves. It takes a big heart to give that form of care. I found Jacklyn to be, personable, warm and professional, with a great understanding of ones needs in the midst of a grieving. She seemed more like family by the time we completed our business. Thank you Jacklyn, for your kindness. It was a pleasure to meet you. H Ware

When my father passed away last year, I was dreading making the funeral arrangements. What started…read moreas an unnecessarily complicated and confusing process caused by others, turned out to be a comforting experience thanks to Kenn. A LITTLE BACKGROUND: My dad was supposed to be buried in the Muslim section of the Elm Lawn cemetery. The plots in that section are assigned by the Albanian-American Mosque Foundation in Berkeley, Ill.--not Elm Lawn Cemetery. However, when my dad died, I was told that by a manager at the Mosque that the Muslim section was totally "reserved." When my mother died years earlier, I tried to reserve the spot next to hers for my father through the mosque foundation but they told me at the time that they don't allow reservations. That wouldn't be fair, they said. The Berkeley mosque decided to change that policy so they could reserve graves for their own large and extended family and friends ... and it did so without notifying ALL mosque members that they opened up reservations. (The plots were not all full, mind you ... just RESERVED for many people who likely would not die for another 30 to 50 years, maybe more; some of the reserved plots were for little kids who have very long lives ahead of them.) As a result, even though we had family members buried at Elm Lawn, we were told by a mosque official that my dad would have to go to a cemetery in Lemont, Ill., to get a reduced-rate plot that is included with membership in the mosque. So I was distraught when I called the Elm Lawn Cemetery office just to see if there was anything they could do for us. THAT'S WHEN KENN K. SAVED THE DAY!!! I spoke with Kenn and to my surprise, he told us that they actually did have some plots available in the Muslim section. I had to pay $4K for the plot but I was relieved that we didn't have to separate my dad from his family members. Dealing with Kenn K. was an absolute pleasure. I am not one who trusts people easily but with Kenn, I immediately felt at ease. Anyone can see that Kenn is honest, respectful, sincere and truly caring. He treated us like family. He's a wonderful person who goes the extra mile. I later ended up ordering a grave marker. He was wonderfully supportive during that whole process as well. In early March of this year, the day the grave marker came in, Kenn had it placed in the ground and sent me a picture of it by email with a lovely encouraging note that made me smile. From start to finish, Kenn made the process as pleasant as it could possibly be. Others at the office were very nice as well. If you find yourself in need of Elm Lawn Cemetery's services, don't hesitate to call Kenn. He is a great comfort, and you will be in great hands!

I would like to express how satisfied we were with Pedersen Ryberg. Jessica gave us peace of mind…read moreand covered every detail from start to finish. Everything they said they were going to do was done on time and with compassion. The wake, procession and burial all done beautifully and with transparent communication. We are so thankful that everything turned out perfect for our loved one.

Thank you Stacey Lynn at PRF for being so kind to our family while we navigated our way through our…read moreloss. You were an amazing pillar of strength and valuable information when we needed this guidance the most. I will highly recommend you to anyone who will (unfortunately) need assistance in the future.

I have attended many wakes and services there. They are…read morecompassionate and caring during a difficult time. They accomidate in every way possible from time of service to extra space if needed using two parlors for one wake or service if needed. I told my wife when my time comes to use Ahlgrims's services. PEACE Deacon Mike Iozzo

Ok, I'll admit it's weird that I'm reviewing a funeral home, but this is where a lot of my family…read morehas been laid out over the years and it's sadly become a regular place for us to visit. I have never dealt directly with the owners except in conversation here and there and am in no hurry to make my funeral arrangements, but it's a part of life, so here it is.... This is where I would want my wake/funeral to be held. The employees/owners are nothing but professional. When people are here, it's not for anything good, but they make it their top priority to make sure everything is handled in a professional manner. They realize that it's not supposed to be a good time, but they don't make you feel uncomfortable for crying in their hall ways, if necessary. People pass on and this is where we will see them for the last time. It's nice to know that they care. They have recently remodeled their kitchen area and it's very nice. This is where the boys tend to hang out when we're here. There is a small fridge, sink, plenty of counter space, coffee/tea, etc. We are usually here for 6+ hours when we are here and you have to eat, so it's nice to have a place to do so. They have two rooms. We have been in the main room for most of our needs that I can recall. It's very clean, doesn't smell funny like some other places (yes, I'm putting that out there because they deserve credit for that), and comfortable. They have the ability to put the obituary on their webpage along with all arrangements and we have found that sending out that link is the fastest/easiest way to pass the info along to friends/family that need the details. Technology is wonderful, isn't it? There are plenty of nearby restaurants for a bite before or after you are here and I have a tendency to end up across the street at my fave bar in Elmhurst: Spring Inn. And after years of spending time at Spring, I can tell you that many people make their way over there from the funeral home at some point. Who doesn't need a cocktail after being here?

My parents were buried in 1986 at Mt. Emblem. I have never had any issue with them. When a…read moreheadstone needs to be lifted, they are on top of it. The has always been helpful and kind.

Several of my family members are buried here. One of my uncles wants to be buried here as well…read more Mom wants to be cremated, so I'll probably hold on to her ashes. I'm not sure about my brother's plans. We haven't talked to each other in six years.

We have family members here and visited recently and we were dismayed to see many headstones not…read moreonly sinking, but some were toppled over. It doesn't look like routine maintenance is a priority here. I will be following up with a phone call to the office. We noticed this in section 14.

I don't usually turn to social media with complaints, but this is completely unacceptable. I went…read moreto the cemetery to clean my sister's headstone and decorate her grave for her birthday this week. Google listed the opening time as 8 AM, so I arrived around 8:30, only to find different hours posted. Fine--I waited until 9:30, but the gates were still closed. Since my sister's passing, I have never missed the tradition of cleaning and decorating her grave before her birthday. Anyone who knew her knows how much her birthday meant to her, and I wanted to honor that. For the cemetery to take that moment away from me today hurt me deeply.

As long-time residents of the Villa Park and Elmhurst area, our family has trusted Steuerle Funeral…read moreHome with several services over the years. When it came time to honor our mother, we weren't sure whether the new building and ownership would provide the same level of care we had come to expect. Any uncertainty disappeared the moment we met Ema, the funeral director, and Toni, the office manager. The space is bright, modern, and beautifully designed while still feeling warm and deeply comforting. More importantly, Ema and Toni guided us through every step with compassion, professionalism, and remarkable attention. They executed countless moving pieces on a very short timeline with grace and precision, exceeding even our highest expectations. One of the most touching moments was discovering a special gift they created to honor two of our mother's hobbies, a gesture inspired simply by reading her obituary. That level of thoughtfulness speaks volumes about the kind of people they are and the care they bring to their work. During one of life's most difficult moments, Steuerle Funeral Home provided steadiness, dignity, and heartfelt support. My family and I recommend them without hesitation to anyone seeking a funeral home that leads with compassion and handles every detail with extraordinary care.

Ok so, my Dad is dead. Not just regular dead... the kind of dead that leaves everyone either in…read moreutter shock or in a horrified recoil type of reaction and the extra kicker is that I live over 2000 miles away from everyone in my family and somehow I'm the only one sane enough to put together this whole post-life thing for the one person who was MY person in life. It's ok. I mean it's not "okay". At all. But, it is... what it is (hate that phrase) and it really is as bad as you think. But it's worth finding a place with people who are honest and well-versed in these things to help you carry the weight of grief and won't pounce at your disadvantage. Several years ago I was involved in a rather turbulent argument with a local funeral home (not this one) and because of that we could no longer use them (and just for the record, the only way I would go back there is *literally* over my dead body) and because I was the person who was engaged in the battle with them (supported by my Dad, though), when my Dad, aka my favorite person to ever exist took his life, I was the person tasked with finding a new family funeral home and planning all the arrangements. My best friend's mom helped me find Steuerle as she'd gone to high school with Hank, the owner, and his wife, about 45+ years ago and they'd kept in touch and I'd also been here on several occasions for funerals as I grew up in this town and my grandma (my Dad's mom) lives about a mile from here so I figured it was a good central location for most and while it is on the older side and not fancy at all, it would do just fine for my Dad, whose wishes were clear that he didn't care what we did as long as he was cremated. When I was a kid he'd say he didn't care if we threw him in the trash, just get his body cremated first. I loved his dark humor... of course, I didn't know at the time how soon I'd have to access that information. Hank and Brian helped me from beginning to end and even let me conference in from across the country while my poor mother sat in shock and signed where I told her. They were not only kind and compassionate but they made us feel like we were family that they just hadn't seen in a while. The whole process was something that seemed daunting at first, from having conversations with the county coroner to city detectives, and then of course, the part where you're warned your whole life that the funeral is where you're really taken for your money and emotions, but that wasn't the case here. They walked me through everything and all our options. They were frank yet compassionate and didn't question or push through any of my decisions, based on what I thought would be a safe compromise between my Dad's wishes and my families emotional needs. There's a small parking lot and plenty of street parking as well as a divey dive bar (Ardmore Lounge) right next door if you need to pop out for a noble drink. It's not a huge place and there's only one room for a service but I like that you're not at a place where multiple services are happening at once. The place is the opposite of modern and for as many funerals as I've attended here, the thing that sticks out the second most are the worldly (and maybe a bit homely) ceramic dolls in the back glass cases (not my fave but boy will I never forget them), and the thing that sticks out the most is the hometown comfort and blue-collar nature of the place. It's not for everyone, but it was for us and while my Dad may have rolling over in his proverbial grave over our insistence of having a to-do over him, it meant so much to have this space that was able to welcome our friends and loved ones and our family. Oh! And the one last major favor they allowed us since there were two days where they weren't booked after my Dad's service, was that we were able to leave a lot of the floral arrangements there so we could come back in trips since we were not prepared for the amount that people would send. That was a huge relief for me who was in town without a car and having to borrow what I could from family to take trips back and forth to grab everything and donate. Life is hard for everyone and losing someone you love (more than anything in the entire world x infinity) certainly doesn't help that, but one thing that matters and makes a difference is when people show up. Especially when those people are strangers. I can't thank Steuerle enough for working with us to honor my Dad and give us a place for so many people who were previously strangers to become family. ps- hug your Dad(s) if you got 'em.

I cannot express enough gratitude for the care and compassion we received from Russo's Funeral Home…read moreespecially Joe Russo. He welcomed my sibling and cousin as if they were his own family. We were never rushed, never pressured, and every single detail we asked for no matter how unique or emotional was handled with patience, respect, and understanding. Joe didn't just guide us through arrangements... he truly mourned alongside us as we said goodbye to our beloved mother. His kindness, attentiveness, and warm Italian hospitality brought comfort to our entire family during the most painful time of our lives. He understood how difficult it would be for me to let go, and thoughtfully found ways for me to participate at the end of the service so I could endure the heartbreak of saying goodbye with love and strength. That level of compassion is something I will never forget. I will forever be thankful.

In a time of need , Russo's is there unconditionally. I'm impressed with the care in which they…read moretreat the guests.

When I came to Chicago years ago, Mt. Carmel was the cemetery I most wanted to visit (if…read moreinterested, check out my review). Following that visit, I crossed the street and entered Queen of Heaven, a more modern (consecrated in 1947) resting place consisting of 470 acres. As I've noted in other reviews, I've always been fascinated by organized crime history, and Chicago's organized crime is an integral and prominent (if often unwanted) part of that city's history. I always try to conduct myself respectfully and discreetly in cemeteries, knowing these are holy places where people come to mourn. The overwhelming majority of the "permanent residents" of Queen of Heaven were honest, hard-working people who tried their best to make their way in the world. The cemetery boasts the largest Catholic mausoleum in the world, and it's indeed an impressive structure, a work of architectural splendor. Inside, I found the vaults of Tony Accardo, perhaps the most successful and powerful Mafia boss in history; Paul Ricca; Sam Battaglia; and Fiore Buccieri. I had a camera with me but I didn't take any pictures. Why? Because there were security cameras everywhere and I didn't want anyone to misinterpret my purpose, and think I was being "disrespectful." The Chicago mob was unique in being surprisingly egalitarian, a meritocracy (a large number of its reps in top positions were Jews, Irishmen, Greeks, Bohemians, a Welshman, etc.; their abilities counted more than their ethnicity), but they were also known for a countless number of savage "hits." I didn't actually think anyone was going to take a blowtorch to me for snapping a photo of Joe Batters' private vault. Still, I wasn't about to press my luck. Outside, it was more relaxed. I found the grave of "Mad Sam" DeStefano, a figure of particular fascination for me. Physically a cross between Fred Flintstone and John Belushi, reading about some of his "antics" had caused me to laugh out loud. He forced a court hearing for a $10 traffic ticket, had himself carried into court on a stretcher, shouting through a bullhorn, "Birmingham, Alabama, here I come...We are living in a Gestapo country...Hello to all the stool pigeons in the witness quarters..." It wasn't all laughs. FBI Agent Bill Roemer called him "the worst torture-murderer in Chicago's history." When Sam's wife Anita angered him, he kidnapped a black man walking on the street at gunpoint, and forced the man to rape his wife as punishment for his wife, who now lies buried beside him. Does she rest in peace, or does she dread the thought of the coming "Day of Judgment" when the dead rise from their graves and she has to see Mad Sam's ugly face once again? Hopefully, if there is a God, He'll spare her that. Mad Sam was shotgunned to death in 1973 while sweeping out his garage. The man believed to be wielding that shotgun is buried across the street, literally a stone's throw away. Tony Spilotro, the hitman portrayed by Joe Pesci in "Casino." The man who once squeezed a man's head in a vise until the man's eyes popped out of his head in order to extract information. On "Judgement Day," will Mad Sam see him, ignore Anita, and shout out, "You, you're the dirty ______ who shot me!" In another direction is the impressive monument to James Torello. If you read "The Exorcist," Blatty quoted a surreptitiously recorded conversation where Torello described torturing a 300-pound loan shark to death: "Jackson was hung up on the meat hook. He was so heavy he bent it. He was on that thing 3 days before he croaked...We tossed water on him to give the (cattle) prod a better charge, and he's screamin'..." I'm a non-Catholic, and Yelp is not the place to argue theological issues such as faith, grace, redemption, etc. But I couldn't help thinking about such issues as I walked around this beautiful, peaceful cemetery. Did the Catholic hierarchy really think Mad Sam "made his peace" with God in the seconds before that fatal shotgun blast? He's lying in sacred, consecrated ground. Supposedly, Spilotro asked to say a prayer (and was denied) before he was beaten to death, but does that transform a serial-killing monster into someone worthy of Heaven? As another, non-Catholic example-- "Tex" Watson, Manson's chief killer, has his own prison ministry and claims to be "saved." Is he sincere? What if he is? Someone who can stick a knife 30-something times into an 8-month pregnant woman permanently severs whatever tenuous links he may still have to humanity, as far as I'm concerned, and obviates any possibility of redemption or forgiveness. To me, that's a spiritual brokenness that can never be fixed, whether it's Tex, or Charlie, or Mad Sam, or Tony the Ant. I don't mean to sound overly harsh in discussing this cemetery...other cemeteries, religious and non-sectarian alike, have evil people buried in them...but these were the thoughts occupying me as I wandered about these peaceful acres. Maybe that's the reason I still identify as an agnostic.

My mom has been buried in this cemetery since 2023. Every time we place a decoration, such as…read moreflowers, they end up disappearing. According to the rules, ground staked solar lights are permitted but when we added them to surround my mother's grave along with some artificial flowers, they were DESTROYED (a few graves nearby also had them like this and their's were untouched). They were piled up and broken and some of the stake vases with the artificial flowers were also destroyed, it seemed like they had been kicked and tossed around. Some of the flowers were missing too. I really wish I took a picture of the mess because it was TRULY DISRESPECTFUL. What made me and my family so angry was that it seems to only happen to us in our section. Everybody else around us have their decorations perfectly placed and not touched. We called to complain and they did absolutely nothing, only said some of the things were removed because they didn't meet the requirements when none of the decorations went past the size limit or were glass!