Due to airport expansion, in 1952 St. John's Evangelical Church was moved from Mt. Prospect Road and Lawrence Road (Orchard Place) to Route 83 and Foster Avenue. The church was actually put up on wheels on December 18, 1951, but a severe snowstorm prevented the journey. It was said that  Christmas services were held at the old location with people parking their cars under the "jacked-up" church. The move took three weeks and was finally completed in February of 1952.

        St John's retained its cemetery on airport property and continued to bury parishioners as late as 1981. It is very difficult to move a cemetery. Under common law, the permission of all the families of all the deceased must be obtained. The cemetery remains fenced off and preserved in the southwest corner of O'Hare airport.

          For more information and photos about St. John's, click here. Also, please visit the Bensenville Public Library and ask the Reference Librarian for Local History folder number 30. 

P4-3