RESURRECTION MARY

Both aliens and ghosts occupy the realm of the unexplained. Reports of ghost sightings and alien encounters often share similar features. People report seeing strange lights, feeling unexplained presences, or experiencing other anomalies that could be attributed to either phenomenon. With this in mind, I’d like to direct our attention to ghosts this spooky season. Let’s explore these cases through the lens of our cosmic curiosities.

Resurrection Mary is considered to be Chicago’s most famous ghost, haunting the Resurrection cemetery of Justice, Illinois. Sightings of her occur along Archer Avenue, specifically along a 3.7 mile stretch of it.

THE LEGEND

Mary spent an evening dancing with her boyfriend at the Oh Henry Ballroom. After a disagreement, she left the ballroom upset and began walking along Archer Avenue. Unfortunately, she hadn’t gone far before being struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver, who fled the scene and left Mary to die. Her devastated parents discovered her body. It’s said they buried her in Resurrection Cemetery, dressed in a beautiful white dancing dress and matching shoes.

Mary now haunts Archer Avenue, seeking rides from unsuspecting drivers. But she never gets far, always vanishing at the gates of Resurrection Cemetery, leaving the drivers baffled and frightened.

RESURRECTION MARY ENCOUNTERS

In 1939, Jerry Palus met a girl who he came to believe was Resurrection Mary at the Liberty Grove and Hall. They danced and even kissed. But something was off. According to Jerry, her hands were as cold as ice. He described her as having “cold hands but a warm heart.” Later that evening, Palus offered her a ride home with him and his brother. She accepted, directing him to drive up Archer Avenue. In front of the gates of Resurrection Cemetery, the young woman said she had to leave him, and that he could not follow her. She left the car, disappearing at the main gate, leaving Jerry and his brother speechless.

In a 1979 issue of ‘Suburban Trib,’ Bill Geist interviewed a man who only wanted to be known by “Ralph the Taxi Drive.” Ralph explained that he had picked up a strange young woman in a white dress, who had directed him to drive down Archer Avenue. The girl was mostly silent, except to say that the snow had come early this year. She then abruptly requested that he stop in front of Resurrection Cemetery, so Ralph slammed on the brakes. He told Bill, “When I turned she was gone. Vanished! And the door never opened. May the good Lord strike me dead, it never opened.”

Numerous eyewitness accounts of Resurrection Mary continue to emerge each year. And a remarkable consistency runs through these encounters, from her haunting appearance to the precise location where she vanishes, fueling the legend’s legitimacy with locals.

UFOs & Ghosts

Just as UFOs are described with enigmatic features like strange lights or shapes, encounters with Resurrection Mary involve ghostly manifestations that are equally elusive and hard to define. A common element in both UFO sightings and ghost stories is the sudden disappearance of the phenomenon. UFOs might vanish into the sky without a trace, while Resurrection Mary is known for her abrupt disappearance. Both ghosts and UFO encounters tend to become part of local lore. The stories of Resurrection Mary are tied to Archer Avenue and Resurrection Cemetery, similar to how UFO sightings often become associated with particular areas or landmarks.

While UFO sightings and the tales of Resurrection Mary differ in their specifics—one involving potential extraterrestrial phenomena and the other ghostly apparitions—they share similarities. Both involve enigmatic, unexplained encounters that challenge our understanding and become deeply embedded into our local folklore. Maybe aliens and ghosts are more alike than we realize.