Send us a Text Message. Happy Birthday America, or as Americans say, "Happy 4th of July!" Jennie and Dianne celebrate America's birthday with author and presidential historian Kurt Deion as he recounts his adventures in his book "Presidential Grave Hunter: One Kid's Quest to Visit the Tombs of Every President and Vice President". From sneaking past…

Send us a Text Message. In this episode of the "Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery" podcast, Jennie chats with Sandra K. Doyle, a former deathcare industry professional turned author. Sandra's book, "MY LIFE AT THE CEMETERY: IT'S NOT AS DEAD AS YOU THINK", is a heartwarming and sometimes humorous collection of stories from her fourteen years working i…

Send us a Text Message. “Cemeteries are for the living. They’re there for us, they’re there to comfort us, they’re there to educate us, they’re there to provide peaceful meditative places to contemplate our own mortality and our own life." This is what Tui Snider told Dominic Genetti of the Midland Daily News and she said it again on this week's ep…

Send us a Text Message. Join Jennie and Dianne on the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast as they delve into the hidden histories of Charleston, South Carolina's iconic graveyards. This week, they're joined by Patrick Harwood, a man who's spent his career uncovering the truth. From his days as an investigative journalist to his current work as …

Send us a Text Message. Ask and ye shall receive! This episode was made possible because several listeners reached out to this week's guest letting him know that Jennie and Dianne were eagerly hoping to speak with him. Get ready for a journey through history as Jennie and Dianne welcome Ed Breen, a descendant of the incorrigible Maurice Breen, whos…

Send us a Text Message. Join Jennie and Dianne on the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast as they welcome Mel Bennett, founder of Life Forest cemetery, for a heartwarming and insightful conversation. Mel shares the personal story of how Life Forest was born out of her desire to give her mother a better burial after a long and painful battle wit…

Send us a Text Message. Just in time for Memorial Day, Jennie and Dianne are honored to be joined in this episode by Major General Mari K. Eder (U.S. Army, Retired) to discuss her amazing book, 'The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line'. These Ordinary Extraordinary women are "heroes of the Greatest Generation whom you have most likely never heard about. …

Send us a Text Message. In this episode of the ordinary extraordinary cemetery podcast, Jennie and Dianne are joined by returning guest Hugh Yemen as he shares a tale that in many ways is truly stranger than fiction! The story begins with a tornado that left tragedy and death in its wake in Fort Smith, Arkansas in January 1898. However, it is event…

Send us a Text Message. Join Jennie and Dianne as they continue their conversation with Lynette Webber, Cousin Jennies: Cornish Women of Mining Country Cemeteries, probing deeper into the surprising connections she unearthed between the graves of Colorado and Michigan during her exploration of Gilpin County's picturesque mountain cemeteries. Lynett…

Send us a Text Message. This week, buckle up for part one of a riveting tale as Jennie and Dianne team up with Lynette Webber, an expert who has dedicated years to researching the cemeteries and their residents in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula. Picture this: a time machine back to the 1800s when tin miners and their kin from Cornwall, Great Britain…

Send us a Text Message. "I hope the adventures in this book inspire you to explore a cemetery. It’s good for the cemetery—and I promise it will be good for you." This is how Loren Rhoads welcomes readers to indulge in her latest cemetery book, 'Death's Garden Revisited: Personal Relationships with Cemeteries'. Loren, who is the editor, says the boo…

Send us a Text Message. Get ready for an unforgettable journey into the heart of mystery and romance with Jennie and Dianne in the latest episode of the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast featuring author Roy Widing and his captivating book "Whispers From The Tomb: A True Love Story Discovered In A Century Old Mausoleum." Join them as they unr…

Send us a Text Message. Dianne and Jennie are thrilled to continue their conversation with Rachel Meyer from Epoch Preservation. Join them for part 2 of an insightful two-part series delving into the fascinating world of cemetery conservation and preservation. In this episode, they discuss crucial topics like advocating for saving cemeteries, secur…

Send us a Text Message. Dianne and Jennie are thrilled to welcome Rachel Meyer from Epoch Preservation as this week's special guest. Join them for part 1 of an insightful two-part series delving into the fascinating world of cemetery conservation and preservation. Discover the remarkable journey of Epoch Preservation, a leading gravestone conservat…

Send us a Text Message. Join Jennie and Dianne on an enlightening journey through history with the author of "The Queen of Denver: Louise Sneed Hill and the Emergence of Modern High Society" Shelby Carr. In this captivating follow-up to Episode 127, Shelby, who is the leading historian on Louise Sneed Hill, joins us to set the record straight and c…

Send us a Text Message. Join Jennie and Dianne, along with returning guest Avrohom Krauss, as they continue their exploration into the world of Ordinary Extraordinary Jewish cemetery sites. This week, they delve deeper into the topics of desecration and preservation of these sacred spaces, shedding light on the importance of honoring the memory of …

Send us a Text Message. In this episode of the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery, Jennie and Dianne, along with special guest Avrohom Krauss, an educator, genealogist, and speaker specializing in Jewish resources and cemetery research, delve into the Ordinary Extraordinary Jewish immigrant cemeteries of New York. These cemeteries hold the final resti…

Send us a Text Message. Jennie and Dianne dive into history with special guest Tim Smith, the Director of Education for the Adams County Historical Society and town historian at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This week, Tim unfolds captivating tales of the battlefield, revealing how the citizens of Gettysburg coped with the historic battle including the…

Send us a Text Message. Jennie and Dianne return to Dayton Ohio's Calvary Cemetery, this time to visit the grave of Maurice Breen, an Irish immigrant who spent some of his early years in America helping those who were enslaved to escape to freedom on the Underground Railroad. Maurice Breen was a man who worked hard but always made the best of life.…

Send us a Text Message. This episode is part one of at least two episodes covering one of Dayton, Ohio's largest green spaces, Calvary Cemetery. Founded in 1872 to accommodate three Catholic parishes that grew out of the German, Irish, Polish, Hungarian, Italian and Lithuanian immigrants who flocked to the area in the mid 1800s, it replaced the ove…

Send us a Text Message. Love is in the air this week as Jennie and Dianne share the story of a woman who led, shall we say, an alternative life as madam Bessie Rivers, and despite her unconventional path, found love and respect among many in her community and her final resting place has not been forgotten in lovely Greenmount Cemetery in Durango, C…

Send us a Text Message. Jennie and Dianne relate a gripping yet heart-wrenching chapter of circus history that led to the first burials at Showmen's Rest in Chicago's beautiful Woodlawn Memorial Park. Listen in as they spotlight the Hagenbeck-Wallace circus train wreck of 1918 – a tragic event that claimed over 80 lives and left many injured. In th…

Send us a Text Message. Jennie and Dianne delve into the remarkable tale of James and Olivia Tate, enslaved in Georgia prior to the American civil war but united by love. This February, they kick off a month-long celebration of love and honor Black History with the Tate's inspiring story at Atlanta's historic Oakland Cemetery. True love knows no bo…

Send us a Text Message. Join Jennie and Dianne as they unravel the remarkable life of Margaret Ann Harvey Neve in this episode of the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast! This latest episode delves into the story of the first recorded female supercentenarian, the second person to reach 110 (after Geert Boomgaard), and the first to span three ce…

Send us a Text Message. Jennie and Dianne ride into the Wild West in this latest podcast episode! 🤠 Together they cover the unique story of Cattle Annie and Little Britches, two adventurous young girls who defied the norms of their time by becoming outlaws in the vast Oklahoma territory of the 1890s. 🌵 Explore their journey, the challenges they fac…

Send us a Text Message. Jennie and Dianne uncover the remark ble legacy of Irene Lentz – a trailblazing fashion designer turned Hollywood costume innovator during the 1930s and 40s. Delve into the Ord nary Extraordinary story of how she not only took the reins as MGM's chief designer in 1942 but also managed an exclusive fashion line for over 20 de…

Send us a Text Message. As we bid farewell to 2023, the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast team wishes you a Happy New Year! Don't miss this final episode of the year, weaving history, literature, and friendship into an Ordinary Extraordinary story. Jennie and Dianne are joined by author Pamela McColl as they explore the charming friendship be…

Send us a Text Message. Embark on a heartfelt yuletide journey with Jennie and Dianne as they uncover the remarkable story of James J. Brady at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Detroit, Michigan. Despite humble beginnings, Brady's life is etched in the unadorned markers beside his wife, a testament to a life lived in simplicity and generosity. From a runaway…

Send us a Text Message. Join Jennie and Dianne as they unravel a tale of light from darkness in Landsberg am Lech, Germany. From the city's historical significance to the Jüdischer Friedhof, a small Jewish cemetery containing about 600 victims of the Nazi terror that were killed in one of the nearby concentration camps, discover the poignant journe…

Send us a Text Message. Uncover the rich history of the second oldest rural cemetery in America on "The Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery" podcast! Join Jennie and Dianne alongside Laurel Hill Cemetery's President & CEO Nancy Goldenberg, Arboretum Manager Aaron Greenberg, and Volunteer & Tour Guide Sarah Hamill as they share Ordinary Extraordinary st…

Send us a Text Message. On this episode of "The Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery" join Jennie as she journeys to the picturesque Toledo Cemetery in Lincoln County, Oregon to discover the history of this charming seven-acre resting place, founded in the 1880s by the generous donation of a local citizen. Uncover tales of early settlers, relocated grav…

Send us a Text Message. Dive into a remarkable journey through time on the latest episode of "The Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery" podcast with Jennie and Dianne. This Thanksgiving, we're especially thankful for the wit and humor of Will Rogers. Join us as we celebrate the laughter-filled legacy of this iconic figure, along with the high-flying adv…

Send us a Text Message. Jennie and Dianne share three captivating stories of headstones found in unusual places and how they were restored to the cemeteries where they belong. They begin with the story of a WWII veteran's headstone discovered in a backyard in St. Petersburg, Florida. Next they journey to Pennsylvania to visit the oldest narrow gaug…

Send us a Text Message. In this episode Jennie and Dianne honor Veterans Day and celebrate National Native American Heritage Month along with guests Charlie Johnson and Connie Kellwood Pitt. Connie's father, Joe Hosteen Kellwood was one of the renowned Navajo Code Talkers of WWII. Connie has made it her mission to share not only her father's person…

Send us a Text Message. Happy belated 3rd anniversary to the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast! In this episode Jennie and Dianne take a stroll down memory lane, celebrating three years of stories and inspiring discussions. They reminisce about how far the podcast has come, discuss some of their favorite episodes and guests from this past yea…

Send us a Text Message. Join Jennie and Dianne for this very special Halloween edition of the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast. Grab your favorite warm beverage, turn the lights down low, and curl up with a cozy blanket as we delve into the enigmatic world of Bram Stoker, the genius behind the legendary novel "Dracula." Prepare to be transpo…

Send us a Text Message. Just in time to help kick off the third annual Beyond the Grave: An Evening with Bram Stoker, Dianne and Jennie engage in a captivating conversation with Stanley Stepanic, an Assistant Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Virginia who teaches a VERY popular course called "Dracula". With his vast…

Send us a Text Message. It's officially October which means many of us are feeling a bit spookier than usual! In this episode Jennie and Dianne unravel some of the secrets of omens and taboos lurking in the shadows of our minds. They delve into the Ordinary Extraordinary world of cemetery lore, uncovering eerie omens and ancient taboos that have st…

Send us a Text Message. "Hang down your head, Tom Dooley Hang down your head and cry Hang down your head, Tom Dooley Poor boy, you're bound to die." The murder ballad, 'Tom Dooley', made famous by the Kingston Trio in 1958, is the tale of a twisted love triangle that culminated in two sensational trials that both captivated and disgusted the people…

Send us a Text Message. "Come all good people, I’d have you draw near, A sorrowful story you quickly shall hear; A story I’ll tell you about Omie Wise, How she was deluded by Lewis’s lies." From the ballad Omie Wise. This week Jennie and Dianne begin a two part series exploring three folk songs that originated out of North Carolina. Each song relat…

Send us a Text Message. In this episode Jennie and Dianne are joined by the delightful Kathleen Maca who shares the stories of the Broadway District cemeteries on the island of Galveston off the gulf coast of Texas. Kathleen is a member of the Association for Gravestone Studies, a cemetery historian, cemetery restorationist, Certified Tourism Ambas…

Send us a Text Message. In this episode, Jennie and Dianne are joined by Annalisa Heppner, Cemetery Director of North Burial Ground in Providence, Rhode Island. North Burial Ground was officially recognized as a burial ground in 1700 and is the largest municipal cemetery in the region at around 110 acres and with more than 40,000 gravestones. From …

Send us a Text Message. Join Jennie and Dianne as they delve into the intriguing world of Fisk metallic burial cases, also known as Fisk coffins. Unearth the remarkable story of Almond Dunbar Fisk, the visionary behind the cast iron coffin, whose innovation forever changed the way we lay our loved ones to rest. From first lady Dolley Madison who ma…

Send us a Text Message. A Google search for Martha's Chapel Cemetery will lead you down a reportedly haunted road where any number of ghostly spirits and demons are said to roam unsettling the living who pass through this desolate corner of Eastern Texas. But what happens when a cemetery’s main attraction is only about its ghosts and otherworldly a…

Send us a Text Message. Children in many parts of the U.S. gathered their supplies and donned their backpacks, as they headed back to school. Many more will be doing so in the next coming weeks both here in the U.S. and around the world as summer comes to its official end. This inspired us to share the stories of some teachers from the past and som…

Send us a Text Message. On the western side of Paris, France, not far from the Eiffel Tower, is Cimetière de Passy, a small cemetery where a simple mausoleum whose doors are topped by an owl sits among its fellow graves in a most unassuming manner. Yet the story of the man who rests inside this mausoleum is one straight from the Gilded Age and had …

Send us a Text Message. Jennie and Dianne are joined this week by a favorite returning guest, Dr. Sharon Pajka, to discuss her new book being released on August 21st, The Souls Close to Edgar Allan Poe: Graves of his Family, Friends and Foes. In her book Sharon helps readers to visit the graves of the people with whom he worked and socialized, who …

Send us a Text Message. Jennie and Dianne are joined by first time guest Dr. Joy Giguere to learn how American burial grounds changed from merely Ordinary Extraordinary places of interment, to rural landscapes meant to appear natural and ease the burden of grief, to the streamlined lawn cemeteries we often see today. Dr. Joy M. Giguere is an associ…

Send us a Text Message. "Be kind, be kind because kindness may always help out someone who is suffering." These words of advice were written from a mother to her daughters when she feared that her time on earth was growing short, that mother was Mary "Queen" Mellen Palmer. She was mother to three daughters whom she adored and loving wife to the fou…

Send us a Text Message. The New York Times called him "the foremost citizen of Colorado." William H. Spurgeon said he was "the soldier, the builder of an empire, the philanthropist, the friend of the people, whose life was a blessing." At his funeral in 1909 Colorado College president William Slocum told more than 3,000 mourners that gathered in th…