ST. AUGUSTINE CEMETERY

Union Township, Fulton Co, IL. (St. Augustine Town is in Knox Co, IL)

      The St. Augustine Cemetery is one of the oldest Catholic burial grounds in Illinois. The St. Augustine & Babbitt Cemetery, located nearby, are the oldest cemeteries in Union Township, Fulton Co., IL. Old Town St. Augustine was listed as one of the “paper towns” of Fulton County. The town moved over the line into Knox County to be on the railroad line, but the cemetery is still in Union Township, Fulton County, Illinois.

      Deed #278818: The Catholic bishop of Chicago, grantor, to the Catholic bishop of Peoria, grantee, ½ acre SW cor E ½ NE ¼ Sec 5, 8N 1E (Union Twp); date of instrument, July 23, 1877; filed Sept 16, 1938; Bk. 461, page 70.

A later deed for almost two acres was recorded in 1891:

      Deed #104362: Mrs. Mary Hectorne and Justin Hectorne, grantors, to J.L. Spauling (Catholic bishop and his successors in office) of Peoria, grantee, 1 and 97/100 acres NW ¼ sec. 5, N 1E; date of instrument Sept 15, 1891; filed Sept 17, 1891; Bk. 181, p 473.

      One of the most interesting burials in St. Augustine’s Cemetery is that of Father James Griffith, whose monument is an alter with a bronze crucifix, erected in 1927 through the generosity of Mary Sailer Condon:

      “Sacred to the memory of Rev. James Griffith, died April 5, 1849, in the 30^th year of his age and the 4^th of his Priesthood, late pastor of St. Patrick’s and St. Simon’s church, Hancock Co, and St. Augustine, Fulton Co. A native of the Archdiocese of ___ Ireland.”

      Rev. Father Griffith caught malarial fever on Christmas day, trying to give double service at distant points, and died suddenly. Beloved by his people, there was a rivalry as to which congregation would have the honor of his body in their midst. Nauvoo people buried him there but members of St. Augustine’s congregation, together with others from McDonough County, disinterred his body by force and brought it back to St. Augustine where it remains today.