Rodgers’ burial part of Evergreen Cemetery’s prolific history

Posted on May 8, 2017

By Howard Packowitz

BLOOMINGTON – The solemn and patriotic events of recent days provided another chapter in the rich history of Bloomington’s Evergreen Cemetery.

Fallen U.S. Army Ranger Josh Rodgers was laid to rest there on Saturday. Local historian Greg Koos said Evergreen was the scene of a huge military funeral in September of 1862. Colonel Harvey Hogg had been killed in Tennessee during the Civil War, and his body was brought back here.

“The ceremony would be familiar to us today,” said Koos. “There’s a large funeral cortege, in this case, 55 carriages. Many accompanied the funeral on foot, and there were also military units present,” Koos added.

Evergreen is also the final resting place for Gov. Adlai Stevenson and his relatives, and U.S. Supreme Court justice David Davis, who was a close friend of Abraham Lincoln.

Koos, who’s writing a book on McLean County history, suggested Rodgers’ death is a stern reminder for the community that the U.S. is still at war, and many young people remain in harm’s way.

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected].

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