The Ordinary, Extraordinary Cemetery

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Howdy! This week on the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast, Jennie and Dianne are joined by award-winning author and historian Mary Ellen Pethel, who shares the Ordinary Extraordinary story of Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon, or as most of the world knows her, Minnie Pearl! Born in 1912 in Centerville, Tennessee, Sarah often recalled how her upbringing in a small town shaped her outlook on life. After moving to Nashville during the Great Depression to study theater, she joined a touring company and developed the iconic country girl persona we know today, inspired by her friend Mattie Burden. Her big break came in 1940 when she debuted at the Grand Ole Opry, making audiences laugh with her signature greeting and comedic style. Over her fifty-plus year career, she shared the stage with country music legends like Patsy Cline and Hank Williams, while also mentoring young artists like Elvis Presley and Garth Brooks, new to the industry. As Dolly Parton said, "Minnie Pearl became my friend in 1964. I was 18, new in town, and Minnie Pearl took me under her wing. She gave me good advice, the how to’s, the how not to’s, the when to’s, and the when not to’s. I learned a lot from her as a woman and as a professional entertainer but above all that, as a good, solid human being. Minnie was more than a big laugh. She was a big heart, and I will always love her."
Image Credit: By Denny-Moeller Talent, Inc. (management company) - eBay itemphoto frontphoto back, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16626755
You can read all about Minnie Pearl in "Howdy! The Minnie Pearl Story' by Mary Ellen Pethel and Don Cusic. https://utpress.org/9798895270585/howdy/
You can watch the PBS documentary, 'Facing the Laughter: Minnie Pearl" directed by Barbara J. Hall, here: https://www.pbs.org/show/facing-the-laughter-minnie-pearl/
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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On this episode of The Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast, Jennie and Dianne wander back in time to the wild west days of Old Colorado City, Colorado, to share the story of how "the dirty little coward who shot Mr. Howard" played a small part in that city's politics in 1891. Resting in a tidy grave at Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs is Mr. John Henry Holt, who was once marshal of Old Colorado City and was presented with a very special badge by one Bob Ford, an infamous outlaw during the heyday of the western frontier. 
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, inquiring minds want to know if sea burials of the past were just as solemn and religious as those on land, why post-mortem photos taken in the past were considered more respectable than in today's modern society, could cremated ashes added to tattoo ink harm the living person, and who wins when the law and religion collide after death? Ryan Seidemann joins Jennie and Dianne for another fascinating round of Death and Dying 101 as he answers these questions and many others!
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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250 years ago, America was an idea. Today, it’s millions of stories! This week, we go back to a few of them we've covered on the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast, beginning with Kurt Deion, who spent his childhood visiting presidential graves and now cares for the stories of thousands of Americans at Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC. We travel through the Wild West with "Bulldogging" Bill Pickett, one of our country's most famous black cowboys. Of course, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania plays a pivotal role in the American story, and so we revisit our conversation with Nancy Goldenberg and Sarah Hamill, Stewards of Laurel Hill Cemetery. You'll also hear some of Major Pauline Cushman's story, told by MJ Henion, as a spy for the Union during the American Civil War, and we cover the death of a Revolutionary War soldier buried at Whitehall Burial Ground in Mystic, Connecticut, whose death was brought about by the traitorous Benedict Arnold!

We wish you all a very safe and happy 4th of July! Happy birthday, America!
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
Links to the full episodes mentioned in this episode: 
Episode 191 - An Independence Day Chat with Presidential Grave Hunter Kurt Deion https://www.theordinaryextraordinarycemetery.com/episode-191-an-independence-day-chat-with-presidential-grave-hunter-kurt-deion/
Episode 162 - Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: A Conversation with Laurel Hill’s Stewards https://www.theordinaryextraordinarycemetery.com/episode-162-laurel-hill-cemetery-in-philadelphia-pennsylvania-a-conversation-with-laurel-hills/
Episode 49 - Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Massachusetts https://www.theordinaryextraordinarycemetery.com/episode-49-sleepy-hollow-cemetery-in/
Episode 72 - “Bulldogging” Bill Pickett: Cowboy, Wild West  Show Performer and Movie Star https://www.theordinaryextraordinarycemetery.com/episode-72-bulldogging-bill-pickett-cowboy-wild-west-show-performer-movie-star/
Episode 204 - From Stage to Spy: The Story of Major Pauline Cushman https://www.theordinaryextraordinarycemetery.com/episode-204-from-stage-to-spy-the-story-of-major-pauline-cushman/
Episode 119 - Whtehall Cemetery (Burial Ground) in Mystic, Connecticut https://www.theordinaryextraordinarycemetery.com/episode-119-whitehall-cemetery-burial-ground-in-mystic-connecticut/
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You’re walking through a 170-year-old cemetery and find a tombstone that’s… a desk? Welcome to Wyuka Cemetery in Nebraska City. The city itself was founded in 1855 after the U.S. Army abandoned Fort Kearny just eight years earlier. Thanks to its spot on the Missouri River, it became a boomtown before the turn of the 20th century, bringing in settlers, steamboats, and later the railroad.

One of those early families was the Hardings. Nehemiah and Mamie arrived that same year. He became the territory’s first insurance agent and opened Nebraska’s first bookstore. Together, they had 10 children and by the end of their lives were fondly remembered for their pioneering spirit. Their roll-top desk monument in Wyuka is a memorial to their family legacy, honoring their dedication to family and community. 
Read more about some of the other fascinating monuments at Wyuka Cemetery in Nebraska City on the Adventures in Cemetery Hopping Blog written by Traci Rylands here: https://adventuresincemeteryhopping.com//?s=nebraska+city&search=Go
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
Resources used to research this episode include various digitized records found on Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.com as well as various historical newspaper articles and advertisements found on newspapers.com. 
"Fort Kearny". nebraskastudies.org,                    https://nebraskastudies.org/en/1800-1849/forts-built/fort-kearny/. Accessed 21 June 2026.
"Nebraska Center for the Education of Children who are Blind or Visually Impaired". ncecbvi.org, https://www.ncecbvi.org/whoweare. Accessed 21 June 2026.
"Nebraska Cities by Population (2026)". nebraska-demographics.com, https://www.nebraska-demographics.com/cities_by_population. Accessed 21 June 2026.
"J. Sterling Morton: Founder of Arbor Day". nebraskastudies.org, https://nebraskastudies.org/en/1850-1874/j-sterling-morton-founder-of-arbor-day/. Accessed 21 June 2026.
"History of Nebraska City". nebraskacityne.gov, https://nebraskacityne.gov/community/history.php. Accessed 21 June 2026.
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