The Ordinary, Extraordinary Cemetery

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How have the people of Venice, Italy buried their dead over the centuries? Founded in the 5th century and spread over 118 small islands, Venice became a major maritime power in the 10th century. Some of these Ordinary Extraordinary Venetians were buried in a crypt beneath Basilica di San Marco, while others were relegated to burial grounds on two different islands; the Island of San Michele and the Jewish cemetery on the Lido. Join Jennie and Dianne as they delve into the history of Venice and and their burial grounds.

Resources used to research this episode include:
Toth, Susan Allen. "Venice's Isle of the Dead." https://www.nytimes.com/. 16 May 1993. www.nytimes.com/1993/05/16/travel/venice-s-isle-of-the-dead.html. Accessed 28 Aug. 2022.

, New World Encyclopedia contributors. "Venice, Italy ." https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/. 7 May 2020. www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Venice,_Italy. Accessed 28 Aug. 2022.

"Venice and the East." http://www.basilicasanmarco.it/. www.basilicasanmarco.it/storia-e-societa/venezia-e-loriente/?lang=en. Accessed 28 Aug. 2022.

Fund, World Monuments. "Jewish Cemetery on the Lido ." https://www.wmf.org/. 1 Oct. 2015. www.wmf.org/project/jewish-cemetery-lido. Accessed 28 Aug. 2022.

Venice, Save. "Old Jewish Cemetery on the Lido ." https://www.savevenice.org/. www.savevenice.org/project/old-jewish-cemetery. Accessed 28 Aug. 2022.

"Venetian Ghetto ." https://en.m.wikipedia.org/. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venetian_Ghetto. Accessed 28 Aug. 2022.

Szydlowski, Mike. "New Orleans was built above sea level, but the sinking city tries to weather Hurricane Ida ." https://www.columbiatribune.com/. 1 Sep. 2021. www.columbiatribune.com/story/lifestyle/2021/09/01/sinking-new-orleans-tries-weather-hurricane-ida/8254812002/. Accessed 28 Aug. 2022.

"Venice and its Lagoon." https://whc.unesco.org/. whc.unesco.org/en/list/394/. Accessed 28 Aug. 2022.

"Doge’s Palace https://palazzoducale.visitmuve.it/en/the-museum/doges-palace/the-doge/." https://palazzoducale.visitmuve.it/. palazzoducale.visitmuve.it/en/the-museum/doges-palace/the-doge/. Accessed 28 Aug. 2022.

Caravalho, Liah. "Understanding the Venetian Ghetto from a Historical and Literary Perspective ." https://blogs.loc.gov/. 21 Mar. 2017. blogs.loc.gov/law/2017/03/understanding-the-venetian-ghetto-from-a-historical-and-literary-perspective/. Accessed 28 Aug. 2022.

"FROM TRIUMPHANT VENICE TO THE PRESENT ." https://www.caffeflorian.com/. www.caffeflorian.com/en/heritage/venice-triumphantto-present.html. Accessed 28 Aug. 2022.

Vacations, Insight . "A GUIDE TO SAN MICHELE ISLAND ." https://www.insightvacations.com/. 9 Oct. 2017. www.insightvacations.com/blog/guide-san-michele-island/. Accessed 28 Aug. 2022.

Vermeulen, Marian. "Is The Body Of Alexander The Great Actually In Saint Mark’s Tomb? ." https://www.thecollector.com/. 15 Mar. 2021. www.thecollector.com/alexander-saint-marks-tomb-venice/. Accessed 28 Aug. 2022.

Editorial Staff, Insidecom. "HIDDEN TREASURES The Crypt of St. Mark's Basilica ." https://www.venetoinside.com/. www.venetoinside.com/hidden-treasures/post/the-crypt-of-st-marks-basilica/. Accessed 28 Aug. 2022.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballets_Russes. Accessed 28 Aug. 2022.

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New Orleans, Louisiana is famously known for its intricate above ground cemeteries, but what about the cemeteries that have been lost to time? In this episode Jennie and Dianne speak with returning guest, Ryan  Seidemann, about the Ordinary Extraordinary cemeteries that have disappeared beneath the streets and buildings of the Big Easy; including Caesars Superdome, home of the New Orleans Saints football team. From New Orleans' Very first cemetery, to Jewish cemeteries, to the Charity Hospital cemetery and many other burial grounds, Ryan delves in to what happened to them in the past and what is being done to help preserve them or at least recognize them now and in the future. 

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In this episode Jennie and Dianne learn about some of the craziest phenomenons that happen in cemeteries, such as exploding casket syndrome and what happens when a body is too big for a casket. They also discuss how the American civil war transformed traditional coffins to the more ornate caskets we see today and they delve into the fear of being buried alive. This fear of being buried alive led one man to design an ordinary extraordinary grave in Evergreen Cemetery in New Haven, Vermont and was often a subject of macabre author Edgar Allan Poe.  "To be buried while alive is, beyond question, the most terrific of these extremes which has ever fallen to the lot of mere mortality." 

Resources used to research this episode include:
Miller, T. (2022, January 8). Why Are Legs Covered In a Casket at a Funeral? [Mortician Explains] . https://afteryourtime.com/. Retrieved August 14, 2022, from https://afteryourtime.com/why-are-legs-covered-in-a-casket/#:~:text=Funeral%20directors%20and%20embalmers%20never,joint%20%E2%80%93%20but%20that's%20about%20it

Noel, A. (n.d.). Why Do They Cover the Legs in a Casket? The Answer . https://4funeral.com/. Retrieved August 14, 2022, from https://4funeral.com/why-do-they-cover-the-legs-in-a-casket/

Marcombe, A. (2021, October 8). Where Is The Headstone Placed On A Grave? . https://funeralcircle.com/. Retrieved August 14, 2022, from https://funeralcircle.com/headstoneplacement/

Hayes, S. (2017, July 26). From Coffins to Caskets: An American History. http://www.coffinworks.org/. Retrieved August 14, 2022, from http://www.coffinworks.org/from-coffins-to-caskets-an-american-history/

 People Feared Being Buried Alive So Much They Invented These Special Safety Coffins . https://www.smithsonianmag.com/. Retrieved August 14, 2022, from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/sponsored/people-feared-being-buried-alive-so-much-they-invented-these-special-safety-coffins-180970627/

Alexander , W. (2011, August 4). Was a Man Buried Alive in Vermont or Simply a Dead Ringer? . https://vermonter.com/. Retrieved August 14, 2022, from https://vermonter.com/premature-burial-in-vermont/

Marquard, B. (1982, May 27). Beating The Grim Reaper . https://voca58.org/. Retrieved August 14, 2022, from https://voca58.org/Feature_Timothy_Smith.html

Poe, E. A. (n.d.). The Premature Burial. https://etc.usf.edu/. Retrieved August 14, 2022, from https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/147/the-works-of-edgar-allan-poe/5360/the-premature-burial/

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Dianne and Jennie chat about their upcoming fundraiser, Beyond the Grave: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Dianne also gives an update about the raising and resetting of many of the old military stones that have sunk at Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs. A casual cemetery chat for cemetery lovers everywhere on this episode of the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast.

To learn more about the restoration work at Evergreen cemetery, visit them on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/EvergreenCemeteryBenevolentSociety/
Or or their website: https://www.evergreenheritagecs.com/?m=1https://www.evergreenheritagecs.com/?m=1

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Jennie and Dianne learn about Francis Scott Key and his gravesite at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Frederick, Maryland. Francis Scott Key was a complicated man who opposed war, but believed in the freedom of the nation. He fought for the freedom of black people while at the same time owning slaves himself that he never intended to offer freedom. He was a poet, a father, a lawyer. In an Ordinary Extraordinary moment of jubilation after witnessing a victorious battle in the war of 1812, Key penned a poem that would one day become America's national anthem. 

Resources used to research this episode include:
Editors, Biography.com. "Francis Scott Key Biography." https://www.biography.com/. 23 Apr. 2021. www.biography.com/writer/francis-scott-key. Accessed 31 July 2022.

Service, National Park. "Fort McHenry." https://www.nps.gov/. 30 July 2020. www.nps.gov/fomc/learn/historyculture/francis-scott-key.htm. Accessed 31 July 2022.

Gelb, Norman. "Francis Scott Key, the Reluctant Patriot ." https://www.smithsonianmag.com/. 1 Sep. 2004. www.smithsonianmag.com/history/francis-scott-key-the-reluctant-patriot-180937178/. Accessed 31 July 2022.

https://www.encyclopedia.com/. www.encyclopedia.com/history/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/ex-parte-bollman. Accessed 31 July 2022.

Editors , History.Com. "War of 1812." https://www.history.com/. 6 Oct. 2021. www.history.com/topics/war-of-1812/war-of-1812. Accessed 31 July 2022.

, Battlefields.Org. "Fort McHenry ." https://www.battlefields.org/. www.battlefields.org/learn/war-1812/battles/fort-mchenry. Accessed 31 July 2022.

"Baltimore to repair defaced Francis Scott Key monument ." https://mahdc.org/. 16 Sep. 2017. mahdc.org/baltimore-to-repair-defaced-francis-scott-key-monument/. Accessed 31 July 2022.

Goldberg , Barbara, and Nathan Frandino. "‘Reckoning’ with slavery: toppled Francis Scott Key statue replaced by African figures ." https://www.reuters.com/. 12 June 2021. www.reuters.com/world/us/reckoning-with-slavery-toppled-francis-scott-key-statue-replaced-by-african-2021-06-11/. Accessed 31 July 2022.

Baker-Katz, Ben. "A HISTORY OF TREASON LAW IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE QUESTIONS IT FAILS TO ANSWER," Rice Historical Review , 2022, pp. 71-82, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/francis-scott-key-the-reluctant-patriot-180937178/ . Accessed 31 July 2022.

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Jennie and Dianne are joined by special guest Jan MacKell Collins, author of The Good Time Girls book series to discuss the Ordinary Extraordinary lives of dancehall girls and ladies of the night who made their living during the days of the Wild West into the early 20th century. They visit the gravesites of some of these sporting women across Colorado, Arizona, California, Alaska and more! Jan shares stories of their ingenuity, courage, and sometimes tragic endings. Jan is a storyteller at heart and she has spent years documenting the truth versus legend of these Ordinary Extraordinary women.

Jan's books are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, and Walmart, as well as your local book retailer. If you would like to support some local book retailers, here are some of Jan's favorites:
Cripple Creek District Museum, Cripple Creek, Colorado https://cripplecreekmuseum.com/BookStore.htm

Victor Lowell Thomas Museum, Victor, Colorado https://victormuseum.com/

Sharlot Hall Museum, Prescott, Arizona https://www.sharlothallmuseum.org/museum-gift-shop/

Mesilla Book Center, Las Cruces, New Mexico https://bookshop.org/shop/mesillabookcenter

Fast Fanny's Place, Oatman, Arizona https://www.facebook.com/Etueart/

Publishers:

Rowman.com https://rowman.com/Action/Search/_/MacKell

Arcadia Publishing https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Search?searchtext=MacKell&searchmode=anyword&searchoption=allbooks

University of New Mexico Press https://www.unmpress.com/books/brothels-bordellos-and-bad-girls/9780826333438

To learn more about Jan MacKell Collins, visit her website: https://www.janmackellcollins.com/

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Jennie and Dianne explore Evergreen Cemetery in Juneau, Alaska. Founded in 1891, Evergreen Cemetery has become the final resting place to many of Juneau's pioneers. They share the ordinary extraordinary stories of two Tlingit women who were instrumental in preserving and continuing their native heritage, the stories of the co-founders of Juneau, and Joseph Juneau and Richard Harris, and a love story that ended in tragedy with the sinking of the S S. Princess Sofia also called The “Unknown Titanic of the West Coast”.  As poet Robert Service wrote, "Let us journey to a lonely land I know. There's a whisper on the night wind, there's a star agleam to guide us, and the Wild is calling, calling... Let us go."

Resources used to research this episode include:
Ritter, Harry. Alaska's History The People, Land and Events of the North Country . 1st ed., Alaska Northwest Books, 2020, pp. 62-65.

 "Evergreen Cemetery (Juneau, Alaska) ." https://en.m.wikipedia.org/. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evergreen_Cemetery_(Juneau,_Alaska). Accessed 17 July 2022.

Arauz Peña, Pablo. "Local voices share Juneau’s lesser-known stories through downtown audio history project ." https://www.ktoo.org/. 2 Feb. 2021. www.ktoo.org/2021/02/02/local-voices-share-juneaus-lesser-known-stories-through-downtown-audio-history-project/. Accessed 17 July 2022.

Stone, David B., and Charles C. Hawley. "Joseph Juneau (1833 - 1899) ." https://alaskamininghalloffame.org/. alaskamininghalloffame.org/inductees/juneau.php.
Stone, David B., and Charles C. Hawley . "Richard Tighe Harris (1833 - 1907) ." https://alaskamininghalloffame.org/. alaskamininghalloffame.org/inductees/harris.php. Accessed 17 July 2022.

Lattka, Anne. "The Princess Sophia Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park ." https://www.nps.gov/. 1 Dec. 2016. www.nps.gov/articles/khns-princess-sophia.htm. Accessed 17 July 2022.

Juneau-Douglas City Museum , and CBJ Community Development . Evergreen Cemetery . Juneau .

Southeast , Discovery . People of the Land.

Service , Robert . The Spell of the Yukon. 1907. New York , Dodd, Mead & Company , 1965, p. 15.18.22.39.

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 "And those who have undergone [life in Alaska] claim that in the making of the world God grew tired, and when He came to the last barrowload, just dumped it anyhow, and that was how Alaska happened to be." - Jack London - Jennie is joined by special guest co-host Dave Johnson to discuss their recent visit to Gold Rush cemetery in Skagway, Alaska. Gold Rush Cemetery is Skagway’s oldest and most well-known cemetery   and it is where you will find the Ordinary Extraordinary stories of many of the town’s first citizens including it's most infamous resident, Jefferson "Soapy" Smith. Join us for the first in our series on the last frontier and its cemeteries, Alaska!

Sources used to research this episode include:

Service , National Park . "Gold Rush Cemeteries ." https://www.nps.gov/. 2 Oct. 2019. www.nps.gov/klgo/learn/historyculture/cemeteries.htm. Accessed 10 July 2022.

Service , National Park . "Klondike Gold Rush." http://npshistory.com/. 16 Aug. 2021. npshistory.com/publications/klgo/index.htm. Accessed 10 July 2022.

Lundberg , Murray . "The Gold Rush Cemetery at Skagway, Alaska ." https://explorenorth.com/. explorenorth.com/cemeteries/skagway-gold_rush_cemetery.html. Accessed 10 July 2022.

Lundberg , Murray . "Captain William Moore: Founder of Skagway, Alaska ." https://explorenorth.com/. explorenorth.com/library/bios/moore-william.html. Accessed 10 July 2022.

"Skagway History ." https://www.skagway.com/. www.skagway.com/plan-your-trip/about-the-area/history/. Accessed 10 July 2022.

Indian Tribes Of Alaska , Tlingit & Haida. "Our History ." http://www.ccthita.org/. www.ccthita.org/about/history/. Accessed 10 July 2022.

Dirlam, Sharon. "The last outpost on the way to the Klondike, SKAGWAY is full of the ghosts and spirits of Gold Rush Days--that final, frantic push of desparate souls with impossible dreams. ." https://www.latimes.com/. 30 June 1985. www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-06-30-tr-395-story.html. Accessed 10 July 2022.

James, David. "Saloons, Prostitutes, and Temperance in Alaska Territory ." https://alaskamagazine.com/. 31 Mar. 2022. alaskamagazine.com/authentic-alaska/saloons-prostitutes-and-temperance-in-alaska-territory/. Accessed 10 July 2022.

Barnard , Charles . "New Gold Rush In Old Skagway ." https://travelclassics.com/. travelclassics.com/travel-classics-archive/new-gold-rush-in-old-skagway/. Accessed 10 July 2022.

Tours, M & M. "SKAGWAY STORIES WHO WAS FRANK H. REID? ." https://www.skagwayalaskatours.com/. www.skagwayalaskatours.com/blog/skagway-stories-who-was-frank-h-reid/ . Accessed 10 July 2022.

Sleuth , Skagway. "Frank H. Reid ." https://www.skagwaystories.org/. 19 July 2010. www.skagwaystories.org/2010/07/19/frank-h-reid/ . Accessed 10 July 2022.

Alexander , Kathy. "Committee of 101 – Protecting Skagway, Alaska ." https://www.legendsofamerica.com/. 1 Apr. 2022. www.legendsofamerica.com/committee-of-101/ . Accessed 10 July 2022.

Alexander , Kathy . "Soapy Smith – Bunko Man of the Old West ."  https://www.legendsofamerica.com/. 1 Nov. 2021. www.legendsofamerica.com/we-soapysmith/ . Accessed 10 July 2022.

Alexander , Kathy. "Shady Ladies of the Klondike ." https://www.legendsofamerica.com/. 1 July 2021. www.legendsofamerica.com/shady-ladies-klondike/ . Accessed 10 July 2022.

Ritter, Harry. Alaska's History The People, Land and Events of the North Country . 1st ed., Alaska Northwest Books, 2020, pp. 62-65.

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Jennie and Dianne discuss the many cemeteries Jennie was able to visit while in Alaska. From the coastal town of Ketchikan to the center of the state in Fairbanks, learn about how life on the final frontier helped to create unique burial grounds and monuments to those ordinary, extraordinary souls who were brave enough to face harsh weather, extreme wildlife, and so much more in search or riches or glory or sometimes a fresh start on this episode of the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast.

Books and Bookstores mentioned in this episode:

 https://www.facebook.com/Parnassus-Books-in-Ketchikan-177164382679/

 https://www.hainesbookstore.com/
https://www.heatherlende.com/find-the-good/

https://www.janmackellcollins.com/books

Good Time Girls: Of the Alaska/Yukon Gold Rush https://a.co/d/2rs7lEO

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Dianne and Jennie share news of Oakland Cemetery in Little Falls, Minnesota, and how residents and the cemetery board are clashing when it comes to its care and maintenance. They also share some ordinary tales and extraordinary stories of Oakland's permanent residents: From relatives of Charles Lindbergh; to a lumber company lawyer; to a two-time Superbowl champion. Join them for this episode of the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast.

Resources used to research this episode include:
Hacker, Zach. "Community members frustrated over cemetery upkeep ." https://www.hometownsource.com/. 11 June 2022. www.hometownsource.com/morrison_county_record/news/community-members-frustrated-over-cemetery-upkeep/article_b33a5ed8-e886-11ec-b6b4-ef53f7b579da.html. Accessed 19 June 2022.

Winger , Jan & Woody. "Letter: Oakland Cemetery needs attention ." https://www.hometownsource.com/. 18 Mar. 2022. www.hometownsource.com/morrison_county_record/opinion/letter-oakland-cemetery-needs-attention/article_bc901fd6-a673-11ec-a0ca-3f0d72296f3b.html . Accessed 19 June 2022.

Little Falls, City Of . "History." https://www.cityoflittlefalls.com/. www.cityoflittlefalls.com/community/history . Accessed 19 June 2022.

, FBI.Gov. "Lindbergh Kidnapping ." https://www.fbi.gov/ . www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/lindbergh-kidnapping. Accessed 19 June 2022.

 "Christian Rosenmeier ." https://en.m.wikipedia.org/. edited by RFD, 11 June 2022. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Rosenmeier. Accessed 19 June 2022.

"BURTON-ROSENMEIER HOUSE / LITTLE FALLS VISITOR CENTER ." https://www.littlefallsmn.com/. www.littlefallsmn.com/listings/burton-rosenmeier-house-little-falls-visitor-center/ . Accessed 19 June 2022.

S., C. "Gale Gillingham ." https://www.findagrave.com/. 11 Oct. 2011. www.findagrave.com/memorial/78834695/gale-gillingham. Accessed 19 June 2022.

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