Kankakee State Hospital Research Project

This page documents an ongoing research project conducted by Memoria Manus Independent Researcher that is focused on the historical records and cemetery associated with the Kankakee State Hospital. The project involves a systematic review of tens of thousands of publicly available documents spread across multiple archival platforms. This work is done solo, carried out by a single researcher with occasional assistance and the source materials themselves range widely in legibility, completeness, and consistency. For those reasons, everything presented here should be understood as preliminary. Findings may contain errors or omissions, and they will be refined as the review continues. Alongside the burial index, this page may also include brief biographical notes for individuals where the records allow for a more complete picture.

Your input matters. If you spot an inaccuracy, recognize a name, or have information that could help fill in the gaps, please don't hesitate to reach out at mmresearchwork@gmail.com.

A Note on Inspiration

Dear Readers, good research often starts with someone else's passion. This project was directly inspired by TikTok creator @righttoberemembered whose dedication to the Kankakee State Cemetery sparked the work you'll find on this page. To learn more about her mission and what drives this research, visit the Memoria Manus blog at https://blog.memoriaresearch.com/.

The Kankakee State Hospital Cemetery Index is built from publicly accessible records found on platforms such as Ancestry, FamilySearch, and similar digitized archives. These sources are valuable but imperfect, and what is indexed here reflects what was available and recorded to the best of my ability.

It is worth noting that the historical record itself has gaps no amount of careful indexing can correct. Racial and demographic data was inconsistently recorded and subject to the biases of the institutions that created these documents. The near-absence of individuals in the index years almost certainly reflects those documentation failures rather than the reality of who was buried there.

With more than 44,000 documents requiring examination, this remains a work in progress. Entries will be updated as more records are reviewed, and some identities may be revised as new information comes to light. This index is a starting point for researchers, not the final word on anyone recorded here.

Those Behind The Records

Narative research profiles for the individuals that are index are coming soon!

1800s Index

Now Available (4-18-2026)

Numbers At A Glace - 1885 to 1899 Index

Total Individuals Index: 392 records across 15 years. | est. 60% are Males and 40% Females. | Average Age is 14 to 95

The youngest non-infant record in this index is Margaret E. Harkine, age 14, who died of Status Epilepticus in 1890. The oldest patient recorded is Margaret Knudson, age 95. Only one patient in this index is recorded as Black; Rilla Turner, who died in 1895. However there are several records with missing or has incomplete information.

Cause of Death Highlights: Tuberculosis (all variants) est. 29% | Neurological / Psychiatric est. 20% | Epilepsy-related, Heart / Cardiovascular, and Pneumonia / Respiratory est. 8% each.

Nearly 1 in 3 deaths involved tuberculosis recorded under a variety of period terms. Institutional overcrowding made TB a near constant presence. Roughly 1 in 5 deaths account for General Paralysis of the Insane, Paretic Dementia, or General Paresis. Majority of these deaths are likely now understood as late-stage neurosyphilis. Three patients cause of death is by drowning with one explicitly noting that the death occurred during an attempt to escape from custody.

Two notable deaths in this index stand apart as windows into 19th century medicine: William H. Moulder, a 28-year-old blacksmith, died in 1889 of exhaustion from use of cocaine; and Emma Sanford died in 1899 of exhaustion from morphinism. Both reflect an era when these substances were in common medical and commercial use with little understanding of addiction.

Numbers At A Glace - 1900 to 1910 Index

Total Individuals Index: 342 records across 11 years. | est. 55% are Males and 45% Females. | Average Age is 2 to 93

The youngest non-infant record in this index is William Stigall, age 2, who died by accidental drowning in 1902. The oldest is Thomas Cook, age 93, an English-born farmer who died of heart failure in 1903. This index contains at least 9 infant deaths. 19 individuals in this index is recorded as black or colored which accounts for roughly 5.6% of the total.

Cause of Death Highlights: Tuberculosis (all variants) est. 23% | Neurological / Psychiatric est. 14% | Epilepsy-related, Heart / Cardiovascular, and Pneumonia / Respiratory est. a 10%, 7%, and 6%.

Tuberculosis remains the leading cause of death from 1800s to this index. Heart disease moves into third place, overtaking epilepsy compared to the 1885–1899 period. One entry, Kittie Fitzgerald, is recorded with "Syphilis" listed directly as cause of death. Standing apart from illness-driven majority are the two drowning which are both recorded as accidental; Mannuel Carlton, age 19, and William Stigall, age 2. William Geary, age 43, died in 1903 of accidental scald by steam, and Gustovs Burk, age 51, died in 1909 after being kicked by a horse.

On notable death is of Henry Rochelle, age 76, with an occupation recorded as an Asylum Attendant. Listing under complications is Terminal Dementia with a duration of 14 years. It cannot be confirmed if he was an employee.

1900s Index

Now Available (3-21-2026)

1910s Index

Now Available (4-26-2026)

Numbers At A Glace - 1910 to 1919 Index

Total Individuals Index: 454 records across 10 years. | est. 63% are Males and 36% Females. | Average Age is 18 to 94

The youngest non-infant record in this index is Julia Sheppard, age 18, of Indiana, who died of epilepsy in 1918. The oldest is Elizabeth Spring, age 94 who died of chronic endocarditis in 1913 and also recording 3 infant deaths. 28 individuals are recorded as Black or Colored which accounts for 6.6% of this index.

Cause of Death Highlights: Heart / Cardiovascular est. 29% | Tuberculosis (all variants) est. 23% | Neurological / Psychiatric est. 20% | Pneumonia / Respiratory and Nephritis / Kidney Disease est. 7% and 5%.

This index indicated for the first time across all previous index that heart and cardiovascular disease overtakes tuberculosis as the leading recorded cause of death. This index record now records three suicides and two drowings. Tony Falco, age 30, died by self-strangulation in 1915. An unidentified male died by hanging in June 1919. As the name that is recorded, John Doe died by drowning in the Kankakee River in July 1919, explicitly noted as a suicide. Nick Illich, age 35, drowned in the Kankakee River in 1915 while attempting to escape from the hospital.

Regarding notable deaths, this index contains thus far one confirmed veteran - Seth M. Coutant, age 82 - through initial research. Enoch Van Vickle, age 50, a former politician and constable who was financially ruined by a grand jury investigation into vote buying around 1911.

Numbers At A Glace - 1920 to 1929 Index

Total Individuals Index: 433 records across 10 years. | est. 77% are Males and 23% Females. | Average Age is 19 to 97

The youngest non-infant record in this index is George Spencer, age 19, who died of Miliary Tuberculosis in 1926. The oldest is Tony Lallo, age 97, who died in 1929 and the oldest individual recorded across all index years previous. It should be noted that this index shifts significantly from the previous years regarding gender. This shift is an open question worth further researching to reflect changes in admissions practices, record survival, or institutional demographics. 73 individuals are recorded as Black or Colored which is roughly 17% of this index. This index only records now 2 infant deaths; Ruby Kreiss and Baby Bartucci. William L. Roland, age 35, is recorded occupation as a Hospital Attendant and it is unclear of his employment with an institution.

Cause of Death Highlights: Heart / Cardiovascular est. 32% | Neurological / Psychiatric est. 29% | Tuberculosis (all variants) est. 15% | Nephritis / Kidney Disease and Pneumonia / Respiratory est. 6% and 5%.

Tuberculosis, a once leading cause of death has now dramatically declines across four decades. This index shows an increase in 8 suicides or deaths with suicidal intent than previous index. General Paralysis of the Insane and its variants remain prominent, accounting for a large share of the neurological category.

Three records in this index stand apart. Massimino Bettini, age 44, died in January 1925 of exposure and insufficient nourishment after approximately three years at the hospital — one of the most direct suggestions of institutional neglect in this record series. Mary Roberts, age 57, died in February 1926 of acute accidental phosphorus poisoning from Stearns Electric Rat and Roach Paste, raising questions about what was accessible to patients on the grounds. Stella Koppe, age 25, died in March 1920 of general peritonitis after swallowing safety pins during an insane impulse; surgical intervention was attempted but failed.

1920s Index

Now Available (4-26-2026)

1930s Index

Records currently being reviewed and indexed.

1940s Index

1950s Index

Now Available (3-21-2026)

Numbers At A Glace - 1950 to 1951 Index

Total Individuals Index: 81 records from 1950 to 1951. | est. 69% are Males and 31% Females. | Average Age is 34 to 99

As this index moves into the mid-20th century, publicly available records become more limited and the ability to fully verify burial location and individual details is reduced. Some individuals in this index may have living family members. All entries reflect what is available through public records at the time of research and are presented as a starting point only. This index will be updated as additional records become accessible over time.