Rock Island, Illinois: Rex the Loyal Grave Dog

Rex rests peacefully on Buford Drive at the top of the hill.

Two little children in one family died of diphtheria on the same day the family dog attended the funeral. The dog went to the cemetery every day afterwards and rested on the graves of his little companions each day for the rest of his life. His grateful owners erected a statue of him on the graves of their children in honor of his faithfulness. He was not allowed to be buried there. It is in Chippiannock cemetery on the Dimmick family plot.

I visited the cemetery and took their tour and was very moved at the monument for the dog. I took pictures of it and used it when I taught student nurses about giving injections to prevent diphtheria. They were moved to tears at the story of the children's death and the dog's faithfulness.

We have a historic cemetery that has a noble dog buried there. Chippiannock Cemetery is located at 2901 - 12th street, Rock Island, Illinois, and special permission was given for this dog to be buried there in 1878. O.J. and H.S. Dimick owned the dog and their children, Eddie and Josie, died of diphtheria on the same day, at the ages of five and nine ...October 22nd, 1878. After the death of the children, the dog came every day to the cemetery and sat by the grave from dawn to dusk, mourning for the children. After the death of the dog, a monument was erected next to the children's graves (and he may be buried there). There is no name of the dog on the marker, but the dog is known by cemetery employees as "Rex."