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Step into the historic Montgomery Cemetery in Norristown, Pennsylvania, with Jennie and Dianne as they're joined by returning guest and U.S. Civil War historian MJ Henion to uncover the story of Major General Winfield Scott Hancock, whose life was marked by both triumph and tragedy. Often remembered as a hero at the battle of Gettysburg, MJ covers not only the facts mentioned in the history books, but shares the stories of what made him human - his passions, his heartbreaks, and his triumphs, reminding us that even the most celebrated war heroes are more than just their exploits on the battlefield.

View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XDrSM8PuDEU

To learn more about Hancock, follow MJ Henion on social media

• on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087492832959
• on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hancockhistorian_mjhenion/
• on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mjhenion?lang=en

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

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

Known for her books 199 Cemeteries to See Before You Die and 222 Cemeteries to See Before You Die, Author Loren Rhodes has spent years visiting the dead around the globe and joins Jennie and Dianne on this episode to chat about some of her serendipitous moments among the graves. In 2017 the second edition of Loren's book Wish You Were Here: Adventures in Cemetery Travel was released. Part travel memoir, part cemetery history, the book contains 35 graveyard travel essays and visits more than 50 cemeteries, churchyards, and gravesites across the globe. Now Loren is near to releasing a second book of essays entitled Still Wish You Were Here: More Adventures in Cemetery Travels. These essays are more personal as Loren shares stories of how the little moments in life and in the cemetery come to mean so much over the years. From the poignant to the peculiar, Loren's stories will inspire you to plan your next Ordinary Extraordinary cemetery adventure!

To learn more about Loren Rhoads or purchase any of her books, visit her website: https://lorenrhoads.com/

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

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

Situated on a hill overlooking the James River and the city of Richmond, Virginia is the iconic Shockoe Hill Cemetery founded in 1820. Over its rolling hills, along its winding paths and beneath the arches of its historic trees, you will find a mix of ornate mausoleums, obelisks, and headstones, reflecting various architectural styles and funerary art. On this latest episode of The Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast, Jennie and Dianne are joined by one of Shockoe Hill's long-time guardians, Jeffry Burden, a recently-retired attorney in Richmond, Virginia, and a longtime student of American history, particularly the Civil War and Reconstruction eras. Since 2006, he has been a member of the “Friends of Shockoe Hill Cemetery”, a volunteer citizens group that helps the City of Richmond maintain, improve and interpret the cemetery. Jeffry shares some of the fascinating stories of those who made Shockoe Hill their final resting place and tells of the efforts that go into preserving and maintaining this treasured burial ground. From the graves of Civil War soldiers to the monuments of Richmond's elite, Jeffry's insights bring the history of Shockoe Hill Cemetery to life.

To learn more about Shockoe Hill Cemetery or get involved as a volunteer, visit them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1E9D9a9L2B/

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

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

Passion, dedication, and a love for history! Join Jennie and Dianne on this episode of the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast as they welcome David and Jenny Carr, a remarkable couple who have made it their mission to preserve history. From their early days of documenting gravestones (they’ve documented over 171,000 gravestones across 348 cemeteries in three countries!) to founding Gravestone Guardians, a non-profit dedicated to cemetery restoration, meet the couple who's making a mark on history...literally!

View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qL3H7ETiOxk

To learn more about Gravestone Guardians or to get involved, visit their website: https://gravestoneguardians.org/

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

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

Gravestones are more than just stones... They hold the stories of our past and are considered sacred objects by many including this week's guest, Rachel Meyer from Epoch Preservation. Join Jennie and Dianne as they learn of Rachel's mission to outlaw the selling of gravestones in Massachusetts that have been removed from cemeteries. She shares Ordinary Extraordinary stories of gravestones that have been recovered and returned over the years and how her bill aims to protect these precious monuments.

Read Bill SD.2426 (An Act Relative to the Theft of Graves) in full here:

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/SD2426?fbclid=IwY2xjawIRR65leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHRyKlANg3F-Ytusr7k-aM9KHAMRvmXqajTbgKvQznE86jsC7ykDXMixUdw_aem_iFMI8E3fRyRGE0lLRXxmcg

If you want to help pass this bill, begin here: https://malegislature.gov/StateHouse/Contact

If you would like to contact Rachel regarding cemetery preservation/ conservation, you can reach her through Epoch Preservation's website:

https://epochpreservation.com/contact/

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

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, Dianne and Jennie welcome Kurt Jordan, a.k.a KC Cemetery Man, a champion of cemetery preservation. Kurt's chance discovery of his 2X Great Grandfather's marker sparked a passion for cemetery preservation. From surprising discoveries to heartwarming encounters, Kurt's Ordinary Extraordinary stories have helped to spark preservation fever across his home state of Missouri and beyond.

View this episode on YouTube!
https://youtu.be/r393wR09vEQ?si=hnu6KN6doKgT9hj_

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

To contact Kurt, you can reach him through the email link on his website:
https://kccemeteryman.com/

You can also follow Kurt and his adventures on social media:
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/share/1Nqg9NKGAv/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/kccemeteryman?igsh=MTF2ZXA5bWZ4Nndoaw==

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

Don't miss the latest episode of the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast, where Jennie and Dianne are joined by special guest Charles Johnson to chat about fictional cemeteries and ghost towns in the virtual world of video games and the real-life counterparts that inspired the game creators. Sometimes Ordinary Extraordinary history can be found in the most surprising places!

View this episode on YouTube!
https://youtu.be/XS9KnxrIBGQ?si=QKI2CG_Mc0g_ttOE

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

Resources used to research this episode include:

Staff Reporters. "Crumptonia’s Long History ." https://www.selmatimesjournal.com/. 13 Aug. 2007. www.selmatimesjournal.com/2007/08/13/crumptonias-long-history/. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.

"Fielding Vaughan Family Cemetery ." https://www.findagrave.com/. 28 Mar. 2018. www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2662791/fielding-vaughan-family-cemetery. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.

"Crocheron Columns at Old Cahawba ." https://www.ruralswalabama.org/. www.ruralswalabama.org/attraction/crocheron-columns-at-old-cahawba/. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.

"Cochran House at Crumptonia near Orrville, AL (built c. 1855) ." https://www.ruralswalabama.org/. www.ruralswalabama.org/attraction/cochran-house-crumptonia/. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.

"The grave of John A. Bell in the “New” Cemetery at Old Cahawba ." https://www.ruralswalabama.org/. www.ruralswalabama.org/attraction/john-bell-grave-old-cahawba-park/. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.

"St. Roch Cemetery #2 ." https://nolacatholiccemeteries.org/. nolacatholiccemeteries.org/st-roch-cemetery-2. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.

, Mordy. "Helltown, Ohio ." https://www.atlasobscura.com/. 5 Oct. 2016. www.atlasobscura.com/places/helltown-ohio. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.

"Boston Mills - Hell Town ." https://www.ghostsofohio.org/. www.ghostsofohio.org/lore/ohio_lore_36.html. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.

Dimuro, Gina. "Why Helltown, Ohio Actually Lives Up To Its Name." https://allthatsinteresting.com/. edited by Austin Harvey , 2 Oct. 2021. allthatsinteresting.com/helltown-ohio. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.

"Pleasance." https://reddead.fandom.com/. reddead.fandom.com/wiki/Pleasance. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.

"Shady Belle." https://reddead.fandom.com/. reddead.fandom.com/wiki/Shady_Belle. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.

"Shady Belle Graveyard ." https://reddead.fandom.com/. reddead.fandom.com/wiki/Shady_Belle_Graveyard. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.

"Saint Denis Cemetery ." https://reddead.fandom.com/. reddead.fandom.com/wiki/Saint_Denis_Cemetery.

"Saint Roches Cemetery ." https://left4dead.fandom.com/. left4dead.fandom.com/wiki/Saint_Roches_Cemetery. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.

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

Join Dianne and Jennie for a trip down memory lane! This week's episode of The Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast is a Colorado-themed throwback, featuring snippets from their favorite homestate episodes, PLUS, an exciting announcement! You'll have to listen (or watch) to find out what's in store!

View this episode on YouTube!

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

Colorado Cemeteries: Full Episodes include:
Episode 2 - The champions and Central City, Colorado

Episode 3: Bald Mountain Cemetery and the Poet P.E. Redmond

Episode 23: Riverside Cemetery in Denver, Colorado

Episode 25: The Mysterious Grave of Miss Princess Nucassee Malloniii Johan Sun Bow Wooton

Episode 31: Last Great Mining Boom Cripple Creek, Colorado and Mount Pisgah Cemetery

Episode 44: A Gold Mine, a Pocket Watch and a Heart of Gold

Episode 45: The Irish Miners of Leadville, Colorado and Their Forgotten Graves

Episode 68: In Remembrance of Joe Arridt at Greenwood Cemetery in Cañon City, Colorado

Episode 101: "Operation Sacred Rescue" the Rebarial of the Sisters of Loretto near Denver, Colorado

Episode 127: A Tale of Two Women: Molly Brown and Louise Sneed Hill

Episode 131: Under the Stone: Early Women Doctors in Evergreen Cemetery: A Discussion with Doris McCraw

Episode 138: Beneath the Rockies part 1: Visiting Colorado's Historic Cemeteries

Episode 139: Beneath the Rockies part 2: Visiting Colorado's Historic Cemeteries

Episode 142: From Quaker Values to Railroad Empires: The Life and Legacy of William Jackson Palmer

Episode 143: Kindness in the Wild West: The Inspirational Life of Mary "Queen" Mellen Palmer

Episode 171: Madam with a Heart: Durango, Colorado's Bessie Rivers

Episode 177: Unveiling the True Legacy of Louise Sneed Hill

Episodes with some Colorado Cemeteries or Graves Include:
Episode 4: Coast to Coast Haunted Cemeteries

Episode 35: War stories, Buffalo soldiers and More

Episode 70: Till Death Do Us Part- True Love all the Way to the Grave

Episode 77: Three women of the Wild West