The Ordinary, Extraordinary Cemetery

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Just in time for Halloween, the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast invites listeners everywhere to experience Beyond the Grave: Gothic Tragedies of the Gilded Age.

Recorded with the same actors who performed live at Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs, this audio experience features five classic tales of the strange and supernatural: Edgar Allan Poe's haunting poem Annabel Lee, Edith Nesbit's John Charrington's Wedding, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper, Amelia B. Edwards' In the Confessional, and Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart, plus a visit with Queen Palmer, a founding citizen of Colorado Springs and this year's ghostly mistress of ceremonies.

Cast In Order of Appearance:  

Annabel Lee’ by Edgar Allan Poe ... Performed by Charles Johnson

Mary “Queen” Palmer ... Welcome to Evergreen Cemetery ... Performed by Jordan Kaplan 

Warden Roy Best ... ‘In the Confessional’ by Amelia B. Edwards ... Performed by Bob Pemberton

Cyril Bishop ... ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ by Edgar Allan Poe ... Performed by Solomon Abell

Fred Bishop ... ‘John Charrington’s Wedding’ by Edith Nesbit ... Performed by Joshua Raine

Cora Rose ... ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ by Charlotte Perkins Gilman ... Performed by Casper Johnson

Script Written & Arranged by: Jennie Johnson & Casper Johnson

Photography By: Jeffery Heizer

Produced by The Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast & Evergreen Heritage: ©MMXXVI

Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun merch here: https://oecemetery.etsy.com

Family Tales: A free printable is now available! Gather 'round the table and dig into your roots! This interactive family history game is perfect for holidays, reunions, or just because. Ask, listen, and laugh your way through generations of stories and secrets. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UT_R56qEwNTIxIBrTy8KFyVmGnFOe7g8/view?usp=sharing

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Dominating the small Buck family cemetery in Bucksport, Maine is a tall granite obelisk honoring Colonel Jonathan Buck, founder of the town in 1762. On its pedestal is a strange, foot-shaped outline that has drawn the curious for over 130 years. Is it a supernatural curse, or simply a flaw in the granite that the legend was built to fit?

In 1898, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that according to local legend, it was left there by a woman he condemned as a witch, who swore with her dying breath that her footprint would mark his stone forever.

Of course, Jennie and Dianne dig into Colonel Buck's Ordinary Extraordinary story from his birth in 1719, his service as colonel in Maine's 5th militia during the American Revolution, and the 1852 erection of the obelisk by his great-grandchildren, 57 years after his death.

 Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun merch here: https://oecemetery.etsy.com

Family Tales: A free printable is now available! Gather 'round the table and dig into your roots! This interactive family history game is perfect for holidays, reunions, or just because. Ask, listen, and laugh your way through generations of stories and secrets. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UT_R56qEwNTIxIBrTy8KFyVmGnFOe7g8/view?usp=sharing

Resources used to research this episode include the following historical newspaper articles, as well as various additional articles from Newspapers.com and documents from Ancestry.com.

"The Witch's Curse and the Stone Foot." Philadelphia Inquirer [Philadelphia ], p. 26.

Burnham, Emily. "The real story of Bucksport namesake Jonathan Buck has nothing to do with a witch’s curse ." https://www.bangordailynews.com/. 16 July 2019. www.bangordailynews.com/2019/07/16/news/the-real-story-of-bucksport-namesake-jonathan-buck-has-nothing-to-do-with-a-witchs-curse/. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

"The mystery of the Johnathan Buck monument: was it really cursed by a witch? ." https://enchantednewengland.com/. 25 Mar. 2023. enchantednewengland.com/stories-all/johnathan-buck-monument-cursed-by-witch. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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Jennie and Dianne are once more joined by Ryan Seidemann to explore death and remembrance through a cross-cultural lens. Drawing from questions posed by students in Ryan's fall course at Arizona State University, "Death and Dying in Cross-Cultural Perspective," the three discuss whether burial archaeology reveals past beliefs or modern projections, whether respect for the dead is universal, and how public memorials and preserved bodies shape collective memory.

They also examine the ethical line between honoring a historical leader and stripping them of personal rights after death, whether sites like the French Catacombs should remain tourist attractions, and whether equality in death is a new idea. 

Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun merch here: https://oecemetery.etsy.com

Family Tales: A free printable is now available! Gather 'round the table and dig into your roots! This interactive family history game is perfect for holidays, reunions, or just because. Ask, listen, and laugh your way through generations of stories and secrets. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UT_R56qEwNTIxIBrTy8KFyVmGnFOe7g8/view?usp=sharing

Support the show

Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email.

Support the show

Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email.

Support the show

Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email.

This week, our favorite forensic anthropologist Ryan Seidemann joins us to discuss his Ordinary Extraordinary role in one of the first repatriations of its kind in the United States.

In 1871-1872, nineteen men and women of African descent died at New Orleans' Charity Hospital. What happened next should never have happened. Their remains were removed and sent to Germany, where they became part of a collection built for racially biased phrenology research.

In 2023, Leipzig University contacted the City of New Orleans to initiate repatriation. On May 15, 2025, the ancestors were carefully packed and flown home, and on May 31, 2025, Dillard University, the City of New Orleans, and community partners held a memorial service and traditional jazz funeral to lay them to rest.

Join Jennie, Dianne and Ryan for this especially moving episode.

To see the full event "Honoring the Nineteen", click here: https://www.dillard.edu/about/history-traditions/honoring-the-nineteen/

Beyond the Grave 2026: Gothic Tragedies of the Gilded Age Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beyond-the-grave-presents-gothic-tragedies-of-the-gilded-age-tickets-1997269261125?aff=oddtdtcreator

Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun merch here: https://oecemetery.etsy.com

Family Tales: A free printable is now available! Gather 'round the table and dig into your roots! This interactive family history game is perfect for holidays, reunions, or just because. Ask, listen, and laugh your way through generations of stories and secrets. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UT_R56qEwNTIxIBrTy8KFyVmGnFOe7g8/view?usp=sharing

Support the show

Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email.

This week on the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery, Jennie and Dianne unearth a love story gone wrong in Southeastern Colorado that left more than one heart broken. Listen along as they learn about the Bishop brothers: one ended up six feet under, while the other began adulthood behind the walls of the Colorado State Penitentiary in Cañon City.

What started as jealousy and a rumored affair led to a tragedy that shocked a small prairie town where everyone knew everyone else's business. Who was the woman in the middle? What led to that fateful August evening? And where do the brothers rest today?

Join Dianne and Jennie as they piece together newspaper archives, prison records, and gravestones to uncover a century-old story of family, love, and loss.

Beyond the Grave 2026: Gothic Tragedies of the Gilded Age Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beyond-the-grave-presents-gothic-tragedies-of-the-gilded-age-tickets-1997269261125?aff=oddtdtcreator

Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun merch here: https://oecemetery.etsy.com

Family Tales: A free printable is now available! Gather 'round the table and dig into your roots! This interactive family history game is perfect for holidays, reunions, or just because. Ask, listen, and laugh your way through generations of stories and secrets. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UT_R56qEwNTIxIBrTy8KFyVmGnFOe7g8/view?usp=sharing

Resources used to research this episode include the following historical newspaper articles, as well as various additional articles from Newspapers.com and documents from Ancestry.com.

"Brother Slays Brother Southwest of Campo Love for Latter's Wife." The Democrat-Herald [Springfield ], 31 Aug. 1923, p. 1.

"Trinidad, Colo.." Fort Collins Coloradoan [Fort Collins], 24 Sep. 1923, p. 2.

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This week on the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery, Jennie and Dianne are joined by guest host Ryan Seidemann for a round of thought-provoking questions from his summer semester students at Arizona State University. Several of these questions are especially timely given the recent case of a cemetery being bulldozed unknowingly and heartbreakingly to descendants in Hickman County, Tennessee.  

Why do companies push so hard to develop over cemeteries in urban environments when the legal and ethical ramifications seem to outweigh any benefit? How do cemeteries tied to marginalized communities keep getting erased or ignored — and what would true community control actually look like? How can communities and policymakers protect historic cemeteries when there are no living descendants and no funding for preservation? And should there be more robust legal requirements for documentation and preservation before any ground is broken near a cemetery?

Join Jennie, Dianne, and Ryan as they discuss how to balance progress with respect for the dead and their descendants.

Beyond the Grave 2026: Gothic Tragedies of the Gilded Age Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beyond-the-grave-presents-gothic-tragedies-of-the-gilded-age-tickets-1997269261125?aff=oddtdtcreator

Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun merch here: https://oecemetery.etsy.com

Family Tales: A free printable is now available! Gather 'round the table and dig into your roots! This interactive family history game is perfect for holidays, reunions, or just because. Ask, listen, and laugh your way through generations of stories and secrets. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UT_R56qEwNTIxIBrTy8KFyVmGnFOe7g8/view?usp=sharing

Support the show

Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email.

This week on the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast, Jennie and Dianne cover three difficult cases of desecration and loss.

In Pennsylvania, a man is facing 496 counts after allegedly stealing over 100 sets of human remains from historic Mount Moriah and at least two other cemeteries in nearby counties. In Florida, three suspects are wanted nationwide for breaking into mausoleum niches and stealing heirloom jewelry. Maybe you can help identify them and bring them to justice.

And finally, Jennie and Dianne share an update on Lafayette Cemetery in Lafayette, Colorado. After the city discovered that more than 150 years of inconsistent record-keeping has left the historic city-owned cemetery much fuller than records showed, families who purchased plots are now facing heartbreaking decisions. 

If you would like to read the full articles on each of these cases, here are the links:

Pennsylvania Case: https://courthousenews.com/judge-pauses-hearing-for-man-accused-of-stealing-100-corpses-remains-from-historic-cemetery/

Florida/Nationwide Case: https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/3-suspects-wanted-cemetery-thefts-across-florida-other-states

Lafayette, CO Case: https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/lafayette-cemetery-records-reveal-bodies-empty-plots/73-b3f6c35a-e7ce-44b3-932e-137010a1c19d

Beyond the Grave 2026: Gothic Tragedies of the Gilded Age Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beyond-the-grave-presents-gothic-tragedies-of-the-gilded-age-tickets-1997269261125?aff=oddtdtcreator

Purchase your tickets for the 37th annual Central City Cemetery Crawl on August 22, 2026, here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gilpin-historical-society-37th-annual-cemetery-crawl-tickets-1992231897234?aff=oddtdtcreator

Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun merch here: https://oecemetery.etsy.com

Family Tales: A free printable is now available! Gather 'round the table and dig into your roots! This interactive family history game is perfect for holidays, reunions, or just because. Ask, listen, and laugh your way through generations of stories and secrets. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UT_R56qEwNTIxIBrTy8KFyVmGnFOe7g8/view?usp=sharing

Support the show

Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beyond-the-grave-presents-gothic-tragedies-of-the-gilded-age-tickets-1997269261125?aff=oddtdtcreator

October 2nd and 3rd at Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Tours depart every 30 minutes. Follow the link above for times and full details. 

For generations, people have gathered after dark to tell stories of restless spirits, mysterious houses, promises that reach beyond death, and guilty hearts that refuse to remain silent. This year, we bring that tradition to the historic grounds of Evergreen Cemetery with four unforgettable tales of the strange and supernatural.

Throughout the evening, guests will encounter:

John Charrington’s Wedding by Edith Nesbit: A wedding day approaches, and John Charrington has made one thing very clear: nothing will keep him from meeting his bride at the altar. Nothing.

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman: Behind the locked doors of a quiet room, a woman becomes increasingly fascinated by the strange yellow wallpaper surrounding her—and by what she believes may be moving behind it.

In the Confessional by Amelia B. Edwards: A mysterious encounter, a dark secret, and a confession lead us into one of Victorian literature’s wonderfully unsettling supernatural tales.

The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe: A man insists that he is perfectly sane. But beneath the floorboards, something refuses to remain silent.

And no visit Beyond the Grave would be complete without a stop at Evergreen’s historic chapel, where Queen Palmer will be waiting to receive her guests.

Come experience an evening where literature, history, and the atmosphere of Evergreen Cemetery meet.

Bring your curiosity. Bring your courage.

And remember—some stories were never meant to stay buried. 

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