The Ordinary, Extraordinary Cemetery

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

Whitehall cemetery, also called Whitehall burial ground or Whitehall graveyard, is the oldest burial ground in Mystic, Connecticut being set aside for the purpose in 1644. This cemetery contains many excellent examples of 17th and 18th century stone carving tradition including death's heads, soul effigies, willow trees and more! Many Ordinary Extraordinary stories are buried beneath the stones, including the story of a man who was supposed to have been a minister but became a doctor and tavern owner instead, an enslaved man who did become a minister and was emancipated 70 years before the American Civil War began, 13 Revolutionary War soldiers; one of those soldiers being killed in a bloody battle headed by one of America's most hated traitors, Benedict Arnold, and a much more recent story of a man and his love for sailing, history, philanthropy and the mark he left in the hearts of so many people around the world.

Resources used to research this episode include:

Mitchell, Chelsea . "A History of Whitehall Mansion and its Cemetery ." https://www.stoningtonboroughct.com. 1 Aug. 2022. www.stoningtonboroughct.com/blog/0822/history-of-whitehall-mansion-and-cemetery. Accessed 22 Jan. 2023.

Explored, Connecticut. "Benedict Arnold Turns and Burns New London ." https://connecticuthistory.org. 4 Nov. 2006. connecticuthistory.org/benedict-arnold-turns-and-burns-new-london/. Accessed 22 Jan. 2023.

Editors, History.Com. "Benedict Arnold." https://www.history.com. 3 Aug. 2022. www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/benedict-arnold. Accessed 22 Jan. 2023.

Harris, William W. The Battle of Groton Heights. New London, 1870, pp. 15-148.

New England Family , and Karlynn Gustafson. "Thomas Wheeler." https://www.findagrave.com. 3 Dec. 2003. www.findagrave.com/memorial/8152245/thomas-wheeler. Accessed 22 Jan. 2023.

, Findagrave.Com. "White Hall Graveyard Memorials." https://www.findagrave.com. www.findagrave.com/cemetery/714945/memorial-search?page=1#sr-211474867. Accessed 22 Jan. 2023.

, CRD. "Henry Hill “Harry” Anderson Jr. ." https://www.findagrave.com. 20 June 2020. www.findagrave.com/memorial/211474867/henry-hill-anderson. Accessed 22 Jan. 2023.

Support the show

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

Dianne and Jennie continue to answer your questions in this second Q and A installment of the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast. They discuss an old-wives tale regarding burial of those who die by suicide, answer questions about how they do their research for each episode, and share some of their favorite cemetery book recommendations. To round out the episode, they discuss Boston's Granary Burying Ground and how many souls rest beneath its soil. Jennie and Dianne are so happy to begin another year of learning all about cemeteries and the Ordinary Extraordinary stories buried within and they are grateful to have you along for the journey.

Resources used to research this episode include:

Johnson, Sherrie. "Why Do Some Graves Face East or West? ." https://www.joincake.com. 29 Aug. 2022. www.joincake.com/blog/why-do-graves-face-east/. Accessed 9 Jan. 2023.

"GRANARY BURYING GROUND ." https://www.boston.gov. www.boston.gov/cemeteries/granary-burying-ground. Accessed 9 Jan. 2023.

Foundation , Freedom Trail . "GRANARY BURYING GROUND ." https://www.thefreedomtrail.org. www.thefreedomtrail.org/trail-sites/granary-burying-ground. Accessed 9 Jan. 2023.

Support the show

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

Jennie and Dianne kick off 2023 by answering many questions posed by their listeners over the course of the previous year. They begin this two-part episode by covering the legal definition of an abandoned cemetery and how this definition determines either the survival or removal of a burial ground. They delve in to what to do should you accidentally excavate a burial site, especially if that site belongs to Native Americans. And finally, they cover the topic of cemetery grants including those provided by the Veterans Association (VA) to ensure that US military veterans receive a respectful burial.

Resources used to research this episode include:

National Legislation , Friends Committee On . "Reclaiming Identity: The Repatriation of Native Remains and Culture ." https://www.fcnl.org. 29 Sep. 2015. www.fcnl.org/updates/2016-09/reclaiming-identity-repatriation-native-remains-and-culture#:~:text=The%20grave%20protection%20section%20of,to%20immediately%20contact%20federal%20authorities. Accessed 9 Jan. 2023.

"Section 31-25-708 - Abandoned burial sites - right to reclaim." https://casetext.com. 8 Nov. 2022. casetext.com/statute/colorado-revised-statutes/title-31-government-municipal/powers-and-functions-of-cities-and-towns/article-25-public-improvements/part-7-cemeteries/section-31-25-708-abandoned-burial-sites-right-to-reclaim. Accessed 9 Jan. 2023.

"TITLE XXVI CEMETERIES; BURIALS; DEAD BODIES." https://www.nhcemetery.org. 7 Aug. 1993. www.nhcemetery.org/nh-state-law. Accessed 9 Jan. 2023.

"Abandoned Cemeteries ." https://www.mdah.ms.gov. www.mdah.ms.gov/historic-preservation/archaeology/abandoned-cemeteries. Accessed 9 Jan. 2023.

Law Students, Washington College Of. "STATE BURIAL LAWS PROJECT ." https://www.wcl.american.edu. www.wcl.american.edu/burial/. Accessed 9 Jan. 2023.

Administration , National Cemetery . "Veterans Cemetery Grants Program ." https://www.cem.va.gov. www.cem.va.gov/grants/. Accessed 9 Jan. 2023.

Wasley, Paula. "Press Release NEH Announces $28.1 Million for 204 Humanities Projects Nationwide ." https://www.neh.gov. 10 Jan. 2023. www.neh.gov/news/neh-announces-281-million-204-humanities-projects-nationwide. Accessed 11 Jan. 2023.

Support the show

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

Jennie and Dianne have made a tradition of sharing classic Christmas stories each year and have chosen an especially lovely to share as we say goodbye to 2022 and hello to the new year. This year the ladies pay a quick visit to the grave of Harriet Beecher Stowe whose novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin" made her a household name prior to the American Civil War. She was a woman who stood up for her beliefs her entire life and worked to better the lives of those less fortunate. She was a wife, mother, abolitionist, suffragette, and writer. In addition to "Uncle Tom's Cabin", Harriet Beecher Stowe published more than 30 other books, articles and short stories; including several about Christmas, many with themes of helping others and being thankful for what one has. Dianne and Jennie are grateful for each and every listener this past year. They wish everyone a safe and happy 2023.

Resources used to research this episode include:

Ralston, Gail. "A little cemetery -- a lot of history ." https://www.andovertownsman.com. 5 Dec. 2013. www.andovertownsman.com/news/local_news/a-little-cemetery----a-lot-of-history/article_615c393a-75e0-5e66-8b77-9ed1dc2aeaf7.html. Accessed 26 Dec. 2022.

Stowe Center, Harriet Beecher. "Life." https://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/. www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/harriet-beecher-stowe/harriet-beecher-stowe-life/. Accessed 26 Dec. 2022.

Beecher Stowe, Hariett. "Christmas; or, The Good Fairy ." https://americanliterature.com/. americanliterature.com/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/short-story/christmas-or-the-good-fairy. Accessed 26 Dec. 2022.

Support the show

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

"Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse." Opening lines to one of the most well-known and well-loved Christmas poems of all time, but how did they come to be? In this episode Dianne and Jennie have a delightful chat with Pamela McColl author of the newly released book, "Twas the Night: The Art and History of the Classic Christmas Poem". They discuss Moore's Ordinary Extraordinary life as a scholar, loving father, and a man devoted to helping others and Pamela tells of a very special Christmas tradition that has taken place at Clement C. Moore's graveside for more than 100 years. From Dianne, Jennie and the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast crew, "Happy Christmas to all!"

Clement C. Moore spent much of his adult life living in New Port, Rhode Island. Pamela McColl's book "Twas the Night: The Art and History of the Classic Christmas Poem" can be purchased from the following local New Port bookstore:
Charter Books:
https://www.charterbookstore.com/book/9781927979303

Or be sure to check your local bookstores!

You can also purchase the book from Barnes & Nobel:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/twas-the-night-pamela-mccoll/1140942646

Or from Amazon: Twas the Night: The Art and History of the Classic Christmas Poem
https://a.co/d/eLZNb9G

Photo of book cover, Clement C. Moore, and Pamela McColl provided by Pamela McColl and shared with permission.

Photo of Clement C. Moore grave provided by: https://audubonparkperspectives.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/0ddc4-ccmooregrave.jpg

Support the show

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

Hanukkah has become a part of the Jewish-American experience that was essentially brought about by two Rabbis who worked tirelessly during the mid 1800s to improve Jewish life and beliefs in America. Dianne and Jennie pay a virtual visit to Walnut Hills Jewish Cemetery in Evanston, Ohio where the graves of Rabbi Issac Mayer Wise and Rabbi Max Lilienthal are located. These two Ordinary Extraordinary men were instrumental in the Jewish Reform movement in the countries of their births, but even more so once they emigrated to American soil.  And it was through their efforts that Hanukkah became a more mainstream celebration within Jewish communities across the country.

Resources used to research this episode include:
Palmer, Joanne. "Chanukah in America ." https://www.google.com/amp/s/jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com. 22 Dec. 2016. www.google.com/amp/s/jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com/chanukah-in-america/amp/. Accessed 11 Dec. 2022.

Brody, Seymour . "Isaac Mayer Wise ." https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org. 1 Jan. 1996. www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/isaac-mayer-wise. Accessed 11 Dec. 2022.

Suess, Jeff. "Our history: Cincinnati rabbis to thank for popularizing Hanukkah ." https://www.cincinnati.com. 7 Dec. 2018. www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2018/12/07/hanukkah-how-cincinnati-rabbis-popularized-jewish-holiday/2222127002/. Accessed 11 Dec. 2022.

Judaica, Encyclopedia. "Max Lilienthal ." https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org. 1 Jan. 2008. www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/lilienthal-max. Accessed 11 Dec. 2022.

Central , History . "Max Lilienthal ." https://ohiohistorycentral.org. ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Max_Lilienthal. Accessed 11 Dec. 2022.

John, Timothy . "Rabbi Max Lilienthal ." https://www.findagrave.com. 15 Apr. 2020. www.findagrave.com/memorial/181225331/max-lilienthal. Accessed 11 Dec. 2022.

"Walnut Hills Jewish Cemetery ." https://www.findagrave.com. www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2200619/walnut-hills-jewish-cemetery. Accessed 11 Dec. 2022.

Guy, K. https://www.findagrave.com. 14 Mar. 2007. www.findagrave.com/memorial/18414795/isaac-mayer-wise. Accessed 11 Dec. 2022.

Hackett-Silberman, Lou. "Talmud and Midrash ." https://www.britannica.com. www.britannica.com/topic/Talmud. Accessed 11 Dec. 2022.

Hoguet, David. Cincinnati’s Jewish History.

Kolatch, Alfred J. The Jewish Book of Why. New York , Penguin Books, 2003.

Photos of Rabbi Max Lilienthal & Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise are Public Domain

Photo of Rabbi Max Lilienthal grave site by Timothy John 4/15/2020 and posted to www.findagrave.com

Photo of Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise grave site by K. Guy 3/14/2007 and posted to www.findagrave.com

Support the show

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

Jennie and Dianne pay homage to a man whose legacy has held much sway over the world for more than 150 years when he stipulated in his will that his fortune was to be "deposited in a fund, the interest of which should be divided into five parts and to be used for Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Literature and Peace." This of course was the Ordinary Extraordinary Alfred Nobel who lies at rest in one of Stockholm, Sweden's oldest and most prestigious cemeteries. Alfred Nobel was a quiet man of great intelligence; he was a chemist, engineer, inventor, businessman, philanthropist, and even a bit of a romantic. As he once said, "If I have a thousand ideas and only one turns out to be good, I am satisfied."

Resources used to research this episode include:

NobelPrize.org, . "Alfred Nobel’s life." https://www.nobelprize.org. www.nobelprize.org/alfred-nobel/biographical-information/. Accessed 4 Dec. 2022.

NobelPrize.org, . "Alfred Nobel’s life and work.." https://www.nobelprize.org. www.nobelprize.org/alfred-nobel/alfred-nobels-life-and-work/. Accessed 4 Dec. 2022.

Ringertz, Nils. "Alfred Nobel – his life and work ." https://www.nobelprize.org. edited by NobelPrize.org, www.nobelprize.org/alfred-nobel/alfred-nobel-his-life-and-work/. Accessed 4 Dec. 2022.

Ringertz, Nils. "Alfred Nobel’s health and his interest in medicine ." https://www.nobelprize.org. edited by NobelPrize.org, www.nobelprize.org/alfred-nobel/alfred-nobels-health-and-his-interest-in-medicine/. Accessed 4 Dec. 2022.

Erlandsson, Áke. "Alfred Nobel and his interest in literature ." https://www.nobelprize.org. edited by NobelPrize.org, www.nobelprize.org/alfred-nobel/alfred-nobel-and-his-interest-in-literature/. Accessed 4 Dec. 2022.

NobelPrize.org, . "Alfred Nobel’s will ." https://www.nobelprize.org. www.nobelprize.org/alfred-nobel/alfred-nobels-will/. Accessed 4 Dec. 2022.

Nobel, Lectures. "Bertha von Suttner ." https://www.nobelprize.org. edited by Frederick W Haberman, www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1905/suttner/biographical/. Accessed 4 Dec. 2022.

"Alfred Nobel's grave ." https://travel.sygic.com. travel.sygic.com/en/poi/alfred-nobel-s-grave-poi:9161854. Accessed 4 Dec. 2022.

"Remembering Alfred Nobel: All about the 'Merchant of Death' ." https://www.indiatoday.in. edited by Tanya Saighal, 10 Dec. 2016. www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/alfred-nobel-facts-356673-2016-12-10. Accessed 4 Dec. 2022.

Nobel, Alfred. "Poem 118 - The Nobel Museum ." https://thehaplessneoromantic.wordpress.com. edited by The Hapless Romantic , thehaplessneoromantic.wordpress.com/tag/you-say-i-am-a-riddle/. Accessed 4 Dec. 2022.

Andrews , Evan. "Did a Premature Obituary Inspire the Nobel Prize? ." https://www.history.com. 9 Dec. 2016. www.history.com/news/did-a-premature-obituary-inspire-the-nobel-prize. Accessed 4 Dec. 2022.

CoolCrab, . "Alfred Nobel's Grave ." https://www.atlasobscura.com. edited by Fredengren, 1 Nov. 2019. www.atlasobscura.com/places/alfred-nobels-grave. Accessed 4 Dec. 2022.

Photos of Alfred Nobel are in the Public Domain - Photo of Alfred Nobel's grave taken by Andra Upplösningar and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution: https://sv.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fil:Nobel_grav_2009.jpg

Support the show

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

Jennie and Dianne continue to explore Old Burial Hill cemetery in Plymouth, Massachusetts. They recount a love story that took a very long time to come true. They also visit the grave of the first American casualty of a foreign war, and they clear up some myths and misconceptions about two of the stories that were shared in the previous episode. They also learn about an Ordinary Extraordinary American author whose fame during her lifetime has been lost to obscurity in modern times.

Resources used to research this episode include:

Burbank, Theodore P. A Guide to Plymouth's Old Burial Hill . Mills, Salty Pilgrim Press, 2006.

Lennox, Sandra. "John Watson." https://www.findagrave.com. 2 Nov. 2011. www.findagrave.com/memorial/79776837/john-watson. Accessed 27 Nov. 2022.

Clsk22, . "Priscilla Thomas Hobart." https://www.findagrave.com. 5 Sep. 2011. www.findagrave.com/memorial/76012450/priscilla-hobart. Accessed 27 Nov. 2022.

Lennox, Sandra. "Col Isaac Lothrop Jr. ." https://www.findagrave.com. 11 Nov. 2011. www.findagrave.com/memorial/80289132/isaac-lothrop. Accessed 27 Nov. 2022.

Shurtleff Stevens, Anne. "Grace Hayman Otis Goddard." https://www.findagrave.com. edited by Sandra Lennox, 15 June 2012. www.findagrave.com/memorial/91957745/grace-hayman-goddard. Accessed 27 Nov. 2022.

Monticello.Org, . "First Barbary War ." https://www.monticello.org. www.monticello.org/research-education/thomas-jefferson-encyclopedia/first-barbary-war/. Accessed 27 Nov. 2022.

Support the show

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

Happy Thanksgiving! Dianne and Jennie explore Old Burial Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts. This is Plymouth's second oldest burial ground and the possible final resting place to some of the Mayflower passengers as well as many of their descendants. They delve into the true story of the relationship between the Wampanoag tribes and the settlers who came from Europe who in time became known as the Pilgrims. They also share the Ordinary Extraordinary stories of those who rest in the cemetery; stories of lost love, a cursed man who acted out of selfishness and even America's first school teacher.

To donate $5 to the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Historic Fund, please click here:
https://gofund.me/062c87d8

Resources used to research this episode include:

Melville, Greg. Over My Dead Body Unearthing the Hidden History of America's Cemeteries. 1st ed., 2022. New York , Abrams Press, 2022, pp. 23-35.

Burbank, Theodore P. A Guide to Plymouth's Old Burial Hill . Mills, Salty Pilgrim Press, 2006.

Brooks, Rebecca Beatrice . "Burial Hill Cemetery in Plymouth, Mass ." https://historyofmassachusetts.org. 12 Feb. 2021. historyofmassachusetts.org/burial-hill-plymouth/. Accessed 20 Nov. 2022.

Plymouth , Town Of. "Burial Hill Cemetery." https://www.plymouth-ma.gov. www.plymouth-ma.gov/cemetery-and-crematory-management/pages/burial-hill-cemetery. Accessed 20 Nov. 2022.

"Cole's Hill." https://en.m.wikipedia.org. 21 Aug. 2022. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cole%27s_Hill. Accessed 20 Nov. 2022.

Legacy , Plymouth 400. "“OUR”STORY: 400 YEARS OF WAMPANOAG HISTORY ." https://www.plymouth400inc.org. www.plymouth400inc.org/our-story-exhibit-wampanoag-history/#:~:text=The%20Wampanoag%20have%20lived%20in,Plymouth. Accessed 20 Nov. 2022.

Harrison, Michael R. "Biographical Sketch of Joseph W. Plasket ." https://nha.org. nha.org/research/nantucket-history/history-topics/biographical-sketch-of-joseph-w-plasket/. Accessed 20 Nov. 2022.

Support the show

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

Jennie and Dianne delve into the spiritual beliefs of the Puritans and how those beliefs made them fear death, but also brought comfort in times of grief. We discuss how these beliefs affected their dress, daily living, death rituals and burial. These Ordinary Extraordinary were constantly preached to about death being as much a part of their life as living. As Puritan minister Cotton Matther once wrote, "Let us look upon everything as a sort of Death’s Head set before us, with a memento mortis written upon it.”

To donate $5 to the Sleepy Hollow Historic Cemetery Fund, please follow this link:
https://gofund.me/062c87d8

To learn how to become involved with Wreaths Across America, please follow this link: https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/

Resources used to research this episode include:
Editors, History.Com. "The Puritans ." https://www.history.com/. 30 July 2019. www.history.com/topics/colonial-america/puritanism#:~:text=Puritans%3A%20A%20Definition,-The%20roots%20of&text=Although%20the%20epithet%20first%20emerged,a%20state%20Church%20of%20England. Accessed 13 Nov. 2022.

Mueller, Jennifer. "Why the Puritans Didn't Like the Roman Catholic Church ." https://classroom.synonym.com. classroom.synonym.com/puritans-didnt-like-roman-catholic-church-9303.html. Accessed 13 Nov. 2022.

Kizer, Kay. "Puritans." https://www3.nd.edu. www3.nd.edu/~rbarger/www7/puritans.html. Accessed 13 Nov. 2022.

Funerals, Phaneuf. "FUNERAL TRADITIONS IN COLONIAL NEW ENGLAND ." https://phaneuf.net. 19 June 2015. phaneuf.net/blog/funeral-traditions-in-colonial-new-england#:~:text=In%20an%20effort%20to%20turn,to%20be%20gathered%20and%20published. Accessed 13 Nov. 2022.

Present , The Historic . "When did “Puritan New England” die out? ." https://thehistoricpresent.com. 3 Jan. 2012. thehistoricpresent.com/2012/01/03/when-did-puritan-new-england-die-out/. Accessed 13 Nov. 2022.

Melville, Greg. Over My Dead Body Unearthing the Hidden History of America's Cemeteries. 1st ed., 2022. New York , Abrams Press, 2022, pp. 23-35.

Stannard, David E. The Puritan Way of Death a Study in Religion, Culture, and Social Change . 1977. New York , Oxford University Press, 1979, pp. 33-60.

Fury, Daniel . If These Stones Could Speak The History and People of the Old Salem Burying Point. 1st ed., Salem, Black Cat Tours Press, 2021, pp. 23-25.

Support the show