Resurrection Mary

Resurrection Mary is among the most renowned ghost stories of Chicago. According to the legend, she was a young lady who met her demise in a hit-and-run accident while making her way home from a ball during the 1920s. Since then, many individuals have reported sightings of a ghostly figure donning a white gown along Archer Avenue.

Who was Resurrection Mary?

There is a widespread belief that Resurrection Mary could be Anna "Majira" Norkus, who died in a car crash in 1927 after attending a party at the Oh Henry Ballroom. Her tale aligns quite closely with the existing myths.

The Legend of Resurrection Mary

The tale of Resurrection Mary originates from the Oh Henry Ballroom situated in Willow Springs, Illinois. At the dance, a lady named Mary accompanied by her partner became involved in a heated altercation, prompting Mary to leave and walk home alone in the rain, clad in her white dancing gown.

Unfortunately, Mary never arrived at her destination, as she was hit and killed by a car along Archer Avenue, somewhere between the Oh Henry Ballroom and Resurrection Cemetery.

The driver responsible for Mary's death was never identified, and it was believed to be a hit-and-run incident, with the driver abandoning Mary's lifeless body by the roadside.

Numerous individuals have reported spotting the ghost of a young woman hitchhiking down Archer Avenue since her death in the late 1920s. Although the tales differ, they typically share the same fundamental characteristics.

Mary always materializes at night, wearing her signature white gown and is typically sighted on Archer Avenue, at the ballroom, or in the cemetery. Some have even reported seeing her around various nightclubs and dance halls situated in Chicago's Southside.

Typically, Resurrection Mary can be seen walking along the roadside, searching for someone to offer her a ride home. Those who kindly give her a lift are often taken aback when she mysteriously vanishes into thin air before arriving at her intended location.

Several cab drivers have fallen for her trick, with one person claiming that she exited the car without ever opening the doors.

Alongside sightings on Archer Avenue, Resurrection Mary has also been observed in prominent dance halls located in Chicago's Southside. Men who have had the fortune of dancing with her have noted her ice-cold hands.

The name "Resurrection Mary" alludes to her supposed connection with the nearby Resurrection Cemetery, where she is believed to be interred.

It is said that she often requests a ride to or from the graveyard, only to disappear once she arrives at her destination.

The Mysterious Bent Bars at Resurrection Cemetery

The bent bars at Resurrection Cemetery. Photo: Wikipedia

Resurrection Mary has been associated with numerous ghost sightings and strange happenings. Over the course of many years, two bars located at the entrance of Resurrection Cemetery have been bent open, appearing as though someone attempted to create a gap.

Some individuals attribute this to the presence of Mary, with a handful of witnesses claiming to have seen it happen. Locals also point to what appear to be burned handprints on the bars as further proof of the occurrence.

Cemetery officials strongly reject any claims of paranormal activity and instead believe the bent bars were caused by a collision with a truck.

Sightings of Resurrection Mary

A video telling the story of Resurrection Mary and attempting to capture her on camera

Jerry Palus was the first person to report an encounter with Resurrection Mary. In 1939, while at a popular dance hall on the Southside, Jerry was enamored with a young blonde woman. After hitting it off and dancing together all night, Jerry gave her a ride home.

The woman asked to be taken down to Archer Avenue, which was in the opposite direction of where she claimed to live. When they arrived at Resurrection Cemetery, the woman suddenly disappeared before Jerry's eyes, leaving him perplexed. Jerry described the woman as having "cold hands but a warm heart."

Numerous individuals asserted to have had encounters with Resurrection Mary during the 1970s and 80s. In one such account, a cab driver in the 1970s reported seeing a young woman standing in front of Resurrection Cemetery one evening. He stopped to inquire if she required a ride, but as she approached the car, she vanished.

Another encounter with Mary took place in 1979 when a different cab driver named Ralph recounted picking up a young female hitchhiker, who seemed to be no older than 21 years old. While driving along Archer Avenue, the woman suddenly exclaimed, "Here! Here!" and pointed towards an abandoned hut on the left side of the road.

Though Ralph questioned whether it was the correct location, the woman disappeared without opening the cab's door, leaving him bewildered. The details of his encounter were published in a 1979 edition of Suburban Trip magazine.

While driving down Archer Avenue towards the Resurrection Cemetery in 1980, Clare Rudniki and her husband Mark came across an unusual sight. They spotted a young woman dressed in a white gown walking slowly along the roadside.

It became apparent to them that she was no ordinary person. The woman appeared partially transparent with a white aura surrounding her, almost as if she were radiating light. The Rudnikis were stunned and wondered if they had just witnessed a ghost, specifically the infamous Resurrection Mary.

They turned their vehicle around to verify what they had seen, but when they returned to the spot where Mary was walking, she had disappeared.

During an evening drive in 1989, Janet Kalal and her friend had a strange encounter near Resurrection Cemetery. As they passed by, a young woman dressed in a white gown suddenly jumped in front of their car.

Despite their efforts to stop, Janet hit the woman, but to their surprise, there was no impact or sound. The woman simply vanished into thin air. Upon inspection, Janet and her friend found no damage to their car and no sign of the woman. Despite both of them seeing the woman, she disappeared without a trace.

Resurrection Mary is another example of the vanishing hitchhiker type of ghost story similar to the reports of ghosts from the Japanese Tsunami. These stories commonly report a hitchhiker entering a vehicle and mysteriously disappearing before they reach their destination.

Sometimes they leave behind an item of clothing or an address that leads the driver to find the hitchhikers family who tell them that the hitchhiker died many years ago.

There are so many of these stories reported throughout the world that they must have some basis in reality. Which ones are true accounts and which ones are just fun stories is difficult to determine.

If you enjoyed this article you may also like to learn about California’s dark watchers or the story of the Vulcan Rose.