The Ordinary, Extraordinary Cemetery

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"For most of history, Anonymous was a woman." — Virginia Woolf    

In this episode of the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery, Dianne and Jennie follow a single name etched on a simple marble stone in the Pioneer section of Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs - Lorenda Judd. She rests there alone. No husband, no children beside her. After Lorenda’s death, her family moved on, and the record of her life thinned to almost nothing. What we do know comes filtered through other people: a marriage certificate, a few lines mentioned through her youngest son, the bare facts of a woman who was born in New York in the early 1800s, migrated to Illinois, and later crossed into Colorado Territory as a wife and mother. We don’t have her letters, her opinions, or any account of how she felt about leaving home and building a life on the frontier.

This episode asks what’s lost when women’s stories are reduced to their relationships to the men in their lives, and why that loss matters. Lorenda’s missing narrative isn’t an anomaly; it’s the pattern. Throughout history, women’s lives slip out of the archive, and “ordinary” women become extraordinary precisely because we have to work to see them, and why preserving and amplifying their stories changes how we understand history itself. 

Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun much 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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What dessert would you eat in a cemetery? This week, we're sharing some of your wild and wonderful social media responses to that very question, inspired by the authors of "To Die For A Cookbook of Gravestone Recipes" and "Haunted Virginia Cemeteries"! We're unwrapping a brand new episode that also features classic clips from our chats with Rosie Grant and Sharon Pajka about their fascinating journeys to writing these books. And as if that's not sweet enough, we're giving away copies of both books! Be sure to tune in for all the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery fun!

To listen to the full episodes with Rosie and Sharon, follow these links: https://www.theordinaryextraordinarycemetery.com/episode-233-dishes-from-the-dearly-departed-with-rosie-grant/

https://www.theordinaryextraordinarycemetery.com/episode-243-haunted-history-exploring-virginias-cemeteries-with-sharon-pajka/

Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun much 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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In this episode of the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery, we're diving into a tale of wartime romance, enduring love, and a connection forged across continents. Dalhousie University, 1914. She was a music student, he was an athlete. They were just friends... until the Great War changed everything. Discover the captivating journey of Reg Roome and Helen Jones – a Canadian soldier fighting on the front lines and a brave 'bluebird' nurse – whose wartime letters unexpectedly blossomed into a passionate romance and a secret proposal. Tune in for this beautiful Ordinary Extraordinary true love story that defied the trenches and atrocities of the First World War. 

To read not only Reg and Helen's love story, but also those of others who experienced the Great War, check out "True Love Stories from World War One" by Amelia Kenton. https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/true-love-stories-from-world-war-one-wwi-inspiring-couples-from-back-in-time_amelia-kenton/39802706/?srsltid=AfmBOopf27MIIxxyJ069HImP1S_M6EOGXNPUzk1vO2h-RfA7y_WiCeQ9#edition=68156381&idiq=59204071

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All aboard! Join Jennie and Dianne this week as they "ride the rails" with the Pullman Porters, unsung heroes of American history! These men overcame unimaginable prejudice and racism; from being called "George" by passengers, regardless of their name, to working 400+ hours a month with little time off, their struggles were real. Yet, they persevered, forming the first all-Black labor union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, and paving the way for the Civil Rights Movement. Their legacy extends far beyond the railroad, influencing leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and shaping the course of American history. 

Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun much 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

*Images: Sleeping car, Pullman Porter portrait & Pullman Porter making the bed are in the public domain • Gates to The Haven of Rest Cemetery in Little Rock, Arkansas by Richard Theilig 3/2/2018 posted to findagrave.com • James William Warren Jr.grave by Mizzizzippy 10/24/2018 posted to findagrave.com • grave of Prince Albert Smith by Richard Theilig 4/23/2019 posted to findagrave.com

Resources used to research this episode include:

Dorsey-Burke, Ethelda. "Ordinary Men—Extraordinary History: A Proud Pullman Porter ." https://www.tacomaartmuseum.org/. 22 Dec. 2021. www.tacomaartmuseum.org/tamblog-proud-pullman-porter/ . Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

Hutchinson , Brittany. "The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters ." https://www.chicagohistory.org/. 4 Sep. 2020. www.chicagohistory.org/brotherhood-sleeping-car-porters/. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

Harris, Kathy Lynn. "Haven of Rest Cemetery ." https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/. 22 Oct. 2025. encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/haven-of-rest-cemetery-14603/. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

"Cemetery Map." https://friendsofhavenofrestcemetery.com/. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

Dover, Elicia. "Community Connections: Friends of Haven of Rest." https://katv.com/. 24 Feb. 2022. katv.com/community/community-connections/community-connections-friends-of-haven-of-rest. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

, Museum Of The American Railroad . "The Pullman Porter ." https://www.historictrains.org/. 24 Apr. 2025. www.historictrains.org/collection/philippe-9z32w. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

Demirel, Evin. "Cemetery holds 27 Pullman porter graves ." Editorial. Arkansas Democrat Gazette [Little Rock], 16 Aug. 2009, p. 17,22.

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Tune in this week to The Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast as Jennie and Dianne dive into the turbulent history of Kansas from 1854-1856, sparked by the New England Emigrant Aid Company's efforts to make Kansas a free state. What they uncover are eerie echoes of today's headlines. Don't miss this timely exploration of history's parallels to modern America. Join them to unearth the beginning of "Bleeding Kansas's" legacy, and why more than ever, it's important not to forget the stories of the past!

Learn more about Bleeding Kansas with this video: https://youtu.be/ASM1sel--d4?si=VLibuqP_q94ojesl

Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun much 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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This week on the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast Dianne and Jennie sit down with Ryan Seidemann for our first Death and Dying 101 episode of 2026. We discuss the Victorian morals of using ground up mummies for miracle cures, the burial practices of Neanderthals, the law regarding modern-day the grave robbing (specifically two very recent cases in the state of Pennsylvania), odor control in mausoleums and more. This is a conversation you don't want to miss!

Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun much 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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New year, new memories! Tune in to this week's Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast as Jennie and Dianne share heartwarming family stories from listeners who played our game "Family Tales" with us online as we closed out 2025 and ushered in 2026. It's not too late to play for yourself. Grab the free game on our website and start collecting your own family's stories!

Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun much 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

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What happens when medical progress clashes with public outrage? Body snatching, bloodletting, and a riot that shook America's founding fathers: join Jennie and Dianne on this latest episode of The Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery as they chat with writer Andy McPhee about his latest book "The Doctors' Riot of 1788". But the story starts earlier - at The African Burial Ground, where New York City's Black community had long been fighting against desecration. We'll explore the complex history of anatomy, ethics, and dignity in death, and why this 1788 riot still resonates today.

View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xbmtMzzJyeg?si=CkUAXc7IFn_EgTLg

To learn more, purchase Andy's book through your local bookstore by visiting: https://bookshop.org/beta-search?keywords=The+Doctors%27+Riot+of+1788

Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun much 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.

Kick off the new year with The Ordinary, Extraordinary Cemetery podcast! Join Jennie and Dianne for a delightful chat with Pamela McColl, author of "Wondrous Mrs. Claus: a Literary and Pictorial Review of the Christmas Character". As we bid farewell to 2025, let's take a moment to appreciate a true unsung hero of the holiday season, Mrs. Claus! Join us as we celebrate the woman behind the man in red and appreciate all the love and care she brings to this final festive season of the calendar year.

View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NeY4abu6j1Y?si=HfMC3MCoDyesM4LC

Purchase your copy of "Wondrous Mrs. Claus: a Literary and Pictorial Review of the Christmas Character" by Pamela McColl here: https://a.co/d/0eWM2Iw

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

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

Support the show