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Welcoming Those of All Faiths and Beliefs

Christian, Jewish, Muslim, atheist, agnostic and more — Springdale serves as the final resting place for individuals of all faiths and beliefs. That’s because it was formed as part of the Rural Cemetery Movement of the mid-1800s. A key piece of that movement was removing cemeteries from the control of churches and creating non-denominational burial places instead.

While individuals can choose to be buried anywhere at Springdale, no matter what their religious beliefs, several faith-based sections have been established over the years. One of the oldest is Mt. Sinai, which sits high on a hill overlooking the cemetery. It is home to many of Peoria’s Jewish families.

There, you’ll find the gravesite of Harry and Miriam Horwitz Goldstein, parents of Betty Friedan — author of The Feminine Mystique and founder and first president of the National Organization for Women. You’ll also discover a stone memorializing Leo Schwabacher, who was among the nearly 1,200 lives lost at sea in the sinking of the RMS Lusitania in May 1915.

To explore the Mt. Sinai section of Springdale, enter the cemetery from Prospect Road. After you pass the cemetery office building, follow the road around to your left.

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