St. Hedwig Cemetery

09/03/2026

Coming Soon... Stay Tuned For More Details...

08/27/2026

With many recent celebrity deaths like Dolly Parton and Tim Curry, the world is abuzz and grieving. We in St. Bonaventure are also grieving the loss of a giant of our Province.

Bro. Martin SCHMITZ was visited by Sister Death at the Little Sisters of the Poor - St. Joseph Home for the Elderly, on Monday, August 24, 2026, at around Noon. He was the last of the original Marytown pioneers and it's first vocation. He was 96 years of age, and had been a professed member of the Order for over 75 years. He worked hard and prayed hard his entire life, and his faithful witness and deep devotion to Our Blessed Mother will be forever remembered.

VISITATION
Thursday, August 27, 2026, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
Little Sisters of the Poor - St. Joseph Home for the Elderly
80 W. Northwest Hwy., Palatine, IL 60067
-AND-
Thursday, August 27, 2026, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
National Shrine of St. Maximilian Kolbe (Marytown)
1600 W. Park Ave., Libertyville, IL 60048
Recitation of the Holy Rosary at 6:30PM
followed by a Franciscan Wake Service at 7:00 PM.
-AND-
Friday, August 28, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM.

FUNERAL
The Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 AM immediately after the visitation. Bro. Martin will be interred in a private ceremony at St. Adalbert Cemetery in Milwaukee, WI.

08/26/2026

For many years, the former Director of Operations, David Zielinski posted various motivational quotes on the wall near where our associates come to work every day. I have been proud to continue this wonderful tradition since joining the St. Hedwig team. Some quotes are humorous, some are spiritual, some are serious, but all are intended to be thought provoking and motivational. In light of the great Dolly Parton's passing yesterday, it only seemed appropriate that this week's post be one of her many, many wonderful quotes.
May her soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, Rest in Peace. And may her family and her millions of adoring fans find consolation in the knowledge that she is in the warm embrace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

+In Him,

Rick Davis, General Manager

08/21/2026

OH MY!!! Strolling through St. Hedwig one cannot miss the amazing POPPING colors throughout the cemetery. God's beautiful creations are in full view!

08/18/2026

We're just TWO MONTHS out from National Cremation Placement Day. If you or anyone you know has the ashes of a loved one at home, and are not quite sure what your options are, then view the flier here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DMsAXHP_Z5GmwoRHZIR4hSK1CB000HdV/view?usp=sharing and call us for more details. We look forward to the honor of serving you!

08/05/2026

Did you know...
National Make-a-Will Month takes place every August. It serves as an annual reminder for adults of all ages and income levels to draft a new will or update an existing estate plan, ensuring their assets, digital accounts, and loved ones are protected. The Conventual Franciscans Midwest USA, St. Bonaventure Province has partnered with LifeLegacy https://app.lifelegacy.io/?partner=franciscan-community to provide you with free, easy to use tools to assist with your will and estate planning. Here at St. Hedwig Cemetery & Mausoleum we would like to encourage all of our families to be diligent with this important matter. As 501(c)(3) non-profit religious organizations, there may be valuable benefits to you including either the Conventual Franciscans or St. Hedwig in your estate plan, or both. Always check with your financial and tax planners for more information.

LifeLegacy empowers you to protect the people and causes you love all in one place.

07/22/2026

Then... and now!

What a difference six decades makes.

07/16/2026

Did you know that each year 436,000 Americans die from cardiac arrest, and that over 350,000 of heart attacks occur outside of the hospital annually?
Today and tomorrow, St. Hedwig staff are participating in CPR and AED training. These are life skills that everyone should have, and yet we all hope that we never need to use. Making sure that our staff are always equipped with important skills, both at work and in the outside world, is a top priority for us! We are happy to be bringing in professionals to ensure that all of our staff, full-time, part-time and seasonal, are well armed with the tools that they need to face the various challenges that life can present.
There are very many organizations ready to teach you this important skill. Perhaps even your employer provides this as a training option. Wherever you obtain the training, the most important thing is simply to obtain it! Check with your employer, the National CPR Foundation, the American Red Cross, or the American Heart Association to learn more.