Spring Gymanfa Ganu
January 17, 2012 by · 1 Comment
Spring Gymanfa Ganu 2012 will be held at the Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church on Sunday (date TBA).
744 Fair Oaks Avenue, Oak Park, IL 60302, starting at 2:30 pm. Doors open at 1:30 pm.
We are delighted to announce that Trefor Williams of Milwaukee will be our music director for this event.
Te bach will follow - afternoon tea with cakes and sandwiches. All are invited.
There is no charge but donations are accepted and memorials may be made in memory of loved ones. Contact Gwilym Williams, Barbara Jones or Sue Stealey to have names included in the program.
As always, we hope that you will invite friends and family to come along with you. Bring Welsh hymnals if you have them*, for an afternoon of traditional song in which you are a key performer. This is not a spectator sport!
*Music sheets will be provided for those who need them.
Contact Gwilym (847) 991-0870, gwilym1@cs.com with questions
The Chicago Dragon
October 30, 2010 by · 1 Comment
The Chicago Dragon is the Newsletter of the Cambrian Benevolent Society of Chicago.
It is published twice a year for our members. If you would like to receive a copy via e-mail or regular post please contact our editor. (see below)
Editor: Barbara Jones, President, e-mail barbarajones7717@sbcglobal.net
Welsh Christmas Performance
October 21, 2010 by · Leave a Comment
Date: Saturday, December 4th, 2010
Time: 4:00PM
Location: Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60637
Come and join us for a performance of Welsh music and dance in celebration of ‘Christmas Around the World’ - an annual event at the museum. The Welsh Christmas tree will be on display in the rotunda.
Questions: Contact Janet Walquist or visit the museum website at www.msichicago.org
History of the Welsh in Chicago
January 26, 2008 by · Leave a Comment
History of the Welsh in Chicago
We are slowly wading through our society’s archives to piece together the history of the Welsh in Chicago since 1853. The society was originally founded at that time to meet a perceived need for those of Welsh descent who had settled in the Chicago area and had fallen on hard times. A flyer from 1912 recruiting new members states that the society “…was organized for the sole purpose of caring for the destitute Welsh, or those of Welsh descent…” Sometimes a family needed money for food, for a suit of clothes for a job, or for train fare to travel to another city where they had relatives who could take them in. It has been noted that no Welsh family requested assistance from the city following the Great Fire of 1871 though undoubtedly many were affected. Read more
Cemeteries and Graves Project
January 12, 2008 by · Leave a Comment
Welsh graves in Chicago
At its inception in 1853 the Cambrian Benevolent Society of Chicago determined to provide Welsh people in the city in indigent circumstances with a proper burial and place of rest. To this end they purchased plots in area cemeteries and contracted with a local undertaker, H. Sheldon.
The first graves were in the old Chicago City Cemetery (now part of Lincoln Park) which was later closed because of its proximity to living areas in a rapidly growing city. From 1866 Graceland Cemetery was used and later sites at Forest Home and Oak Ridge (details below).
Graceland Cemetery is on Chicago’s North Side and is situated between Montrose Ave and Irving Park Road east of Clark St. The Cambrian section is not far from the main entrance.
Forest Home Cemetery was once an Indian burial ground. It is situtated between the Eisenhower Expressway and Roosevelt Road and just east of the boundary between Maywood and Forest Park. The address is: 863 S. Des Plaines Ave, Forest Park.
Oak Ridge Cemetery can be found at 4301 Roosevelt Road, Hillside, IL. It is situated between Mannheim and S. Wolf Roads, south of Roosevelt Road.
We have recently begun a study of the records in our possession and hope, eventually, to have a complete listing of Welsh graves in the Chicago area. There is still much to be done and we have been working with cemetery staff to check for accuracy and to fill in the blanks. Our hope is that we will ultimately have a resource for those who may be searching for information about Welsh ancestors. The Board has also authorized funds to repair and restore a marker at Oak Ridge Cemetery, to straighten tilted headstones and, to generally tidy up the area. Read more