Episodes

  • Episode 214 - Episode 213 - Winter Wonderland on the Frontier Part 2: Libbie Custer's Christmas Legacy
    Dec 26 2024

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    This week on the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast Jennie and Dianne continue their fascinating discussion with author Pamela McColl about Elizabeth "Libbie" Custer, the resilient wife of General George Armstrong Custer. In part one, they explored her pioneering experiences living with Custer in the West. Now, they're diving deeper into the incredible changes she witnessed during her lifetime - from the Civil War to the dawn of the 20th century, through World War I, and into the Great Depression. They examine how Libbie's own experiences as a widow fueled her mission to support others navigating life after the death of a beloved husband. They also discuss how Christmas evolved into a cherished tradition after the Civil War, bringing people together during an Ordinary Extraordinary time of great change not only for America, but much of the world navigating new found identities.

    View this episode on YouTube!
    https://youtu.be/663DRer_nFk?si=V6gbPOpNJ5GVBobz

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

    Links to Libbie Custer's books:
    "Boots and Saddles"; Or, Life in Dakota with General Custer
    And
    "Tenting on the Plains"; or, General Custer in Kansas and Texas
    Can both be ready for free on Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/40799

    Physical Copies can be purchased here:
    https://www.abebooks.com/book-search/author/custer-elizabeth-bacon/

    Resources used to research this episode include:
    Monnett, John H. "Christmas With the Custers: In Bitter Cold and Battles, Libbie Custer Fought for Holiday Cheer ." https://www.historynet.com/. 24 Dec. 2016. www.historynet.com/frontier-christmas-custers/. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

    Enright, Gary. "The Life of Libby Custer ." https://www.sdpb.org/. 3 Oct. 2017. www.sdpb.org/images-of-the-past/2017-10-03/the-life-of-libby-custer. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

    , Mandan Historical Society . "Elizabeth Clift [Bacon] Custer (1842-1933)." http://www.mandanhistory.org/. www.mandanhistory.org/biographiesac/elizabethcuster.html. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

    Hufford, Deborah . "Elizabeth Custer—The Great Woman Behind the Man ." https://www.notesfromthefrontier.com/. 18 Aug. 2020. www.notesfromthefrontier.com/post/elizabeth-custer-the-great-woman-behind-the-man.

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    42 mins
  • Episode 213 - Winter Wonderland on the Frontier: Libbie Custer's Christmas Legacy
    Dec 19 2024

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

    Get ready for Part One of a holiday treat! Join Jennie and Dianne on the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast as they welcome Christmas aficionado and author Pamela McColl back to experience the "spirit of Christmas" through the memories of Elizabeth "Libbie" Bacon Custer, wife of the legendary (and controversial) George Armstrong Custer. As Libbie so eloquently put it, "Sometimes I think our Christmas on the frontier was a greater event to us than to anyone in the States. We all had to do so much to make it a success."

    View this episode on YouTube!
    https://youtu.be/L0a1pXcIQP0?si=1mz_XomKEtHDZ-W4

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

    Links to Libbie Custer's books:
    "Boots and Saddles"; Or, Life in Dakota with General Custer
    And
    "Tenting on the Plains"; or, General Custer in Kansas and Texas
    Can both be ready for free on Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/40799

    Physical Copies can be purchased here:
    https://www.abebooks.com/book-search/author/custer-elizabeth-bacon/

    Resources used to research this episode include:
    Monnett, John H. "Christmas With the Custers: In Bitter Cold and Battles, Libbie Custer Fought for Holiday Cheer ." https://www.historynet.com/. 24 Dec. 2016. www.historynet.com/frontier-christmas-custers/. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

    Enright, Gary. "The Life of Libby Custer ." https://www.sdpb.org/. 3 Oct. 2017. www.sdpb.org/images-of-the-past/2017-10-03/the-life-of-libby-custer. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

    , Mandan Historical Society . "Elizabeth Clift [Bacon] Custer (1842-1933)." http://www.mandanhistory.org/. www.mandanhistory.org/biographiesac/elizabethcuster.html. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

    Hufford, Deborah . "Elizabeth Custer—The Great Woman Behind the Man ." https://www.notesfromthefrontier.com/. 18 Aug. 2020. www.notesfromthefrontier.com/post/elizabeth-custer-the-great-woman-behind-the-man.

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    45 mins
  • Episode 212 - Crimes, Clues and Christmas Cheer!
    Dec 12 2024

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    Resting peacefully in graves across the United Kingdom are some of the 20th century's best mystery writers who set the standard for the detective stories we know and love today. Get ready for a whodunit of an episode! We're "investigating" the fascinating story of the 94 year old "Detection Club", formed by a group of renowned detective fiction authors including Agatha Christie, Anthony Berkeley Cox, Dorothy Sayers, and others who came together to socialize and elevate the genre. In recent years, these stories along with new works, have become especially popular during the holidays with many of them taking place during Christmas or other winter holidays. Grab your magnifying glass and Fedora as we "inspect" the Ordinary Extraordinary world of the founding members of the Detection Club, with a dash of holiday cheer!

    View this episode on YouTube!
    https://youtu.be/Sj5W8kn3CJA?si=kCCo2pi8NtFN5pBQ

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

    Images: *Photos of Agatha Christie, G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy Sayers and The Detection Club - Public Domain
    *Agatha Christie's grave: UFT, 10/30/2019 posted to www.findagrave.com
    *G.K. Chersterton's grave: Iain McFarlaine, 11/01/2004 posted to www.findagrave.com
    *Dorothy Sayers grave: David Conway, 07/24/2001 posted to www.findagrave.com

    Resources used to research this episode include:
    Westron, Carol. "Anthony Berkeley Cox (1893-1971) ." https://promotingcrime.blogspot.com/. 3 Feb. 2017. promotingcrime.blogspot.com/2017/02/anthony-berkeley-cox-1893-1971.html?m=1. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.

    Garcia - Bosque, Jose Ignacio Escribano . " Berkeley, Anthony (1893 – 1971) ." https://jiescribano.wordpress.com/. 26 Feb. 2022. jiescribano.wordpress.com/2022/02/26/berkeley-anthony-1893-1971-updated-26-02-2022/. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.

    , agathachristie.com. "Detection Club." https://www.agathachristie.com/. www.agathachristie.com/stories/detection-club. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.

    Edwards, Martin. "The Detection Club." https://martinedwardsbooks.com/. martinedwardsbooks.com/home/about-martin/martins-writing/the-detection-club/. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.

    , mydearhastings.com. "The Detection Club — A Dream Team of Mystery Writers ." https://www.mydearhastings.com/. www.mydearhastings.com/home/agatha-christie-amp-the-detection-club. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.

    , Gladstone Library . "The Records of the Detection Club ." https://www.gladstoneslibrary.org/. www.gladstoneslibrary.org/reading-rooms/the-collections/archives/the-records-of-the-detection-club. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.

    Wade, Francesca . "No Divine Revelation, Feminine Intuition or Mumbo Jumbo’: Dorothy L Sayers and the Detection Club ." https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/. 4 Feb. 2020. www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/books/2020/feb/04/dorothy-l-sayers-and-the-detection-club. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Members_of_the_Detection_Club.


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    56 mins
  • Episode 211 - A Prophet of His Own Demise
    Dec 5 2024

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    What if you knew the exact date of your own death? For Samuel P. Golden, a series of prophetic dreams foretold his passing...or so he believed! Join Jennie and Dianne as they uncover the Ordinary Extraordinary life and death of Samuel P. Golden, a charismatic man whose obituary described him as one who "dressed nicely and was a fine specimen of physical manhood." His short life on earth was anything but boring!

    View this episode on YouTube!
    https://youtu.be/RqS47Y-N_LQ?si=xz-cqz4n6eXC0hFR

    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:

    Various documents available through www.ancestry.com

    "Believes in a Dream." Western Newspaper Union [Wichita ], 3 Nov. 1900, p. 3.

    "Verdict for a Carpenter ." The Freehold Transcript [Freehold], p. 1 13 Jan. 1899.

    "Given Hope by Health." The Freehold Transcript , 31 May 1901, p. 1.

    "Chronic Bright's Disease ." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle [Brooklyn ], 18 June 1901, p. 4.

    "Trouble of the Golden Family ." The Daily Standard [Red Bank], 6 Dec. 1902, p. 2.

    "Golden Family Troubles ." The Daily Register [Red Bank], 18 Feb. 1903, p. 1.

    "Samuel P Golden Dies on Saturday ." The Daily Standard [Red Bank], 11 Apr. 1903, p. 1.

    "Samuel P Golden Burned Out and the Building Destroyed ." The Daily Register [Red Bank], p. 1 20 Aug 1890.

    "Monmouth Courts." Monmouth Democrat [Freehold ], p. 3 19 Jun 1879.

    "Golden Farm Sold." Long Branch Record [Long Branch], 25 Jan. 1905, p. 10.

    "A Big Profit Being Made in the Peter S Golden Place." The Daily Register , 16 Mar. 1904, p. 1.

    , Department Of Public Information . "Middletown’s Fairview Cemetery is featured in video series Latest installment features historic resting place ." https://www.co.monmouth.nj.us/. 9 Oct. 2009. www.co.monmouth.nj.us/PressDetail.aspx?ID=413. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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    58 mins
  • Episode 210 - A Homecoming at Life Forest Whistle Ridge Cemetery
    Nov 21 2024

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    Join Jennie on this week's Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast as she explores the incredible story of William R. Harland, whose cremains were discovered 85 years after his death in an Oregon hospital's 'Room of Forgotten Souls.' Learn how Life Forest Whistle Ridge, a conservation cemetery in Maine, provided Harland's final resting place among the trees. Chelsea Eaton and Michelle Melaragno share the mission behind this innovative cemetery, where nature and remembrance intertwine.

    Available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lBEiZyKNG9k?si=w0ZhY5ytVCOCEnwu

    Learn more about both Life Forest Cemeteries here:
    https://www.thelifeforest.com/

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


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    56 mins
  • Episode 209 - Italy's Cemeteries with Tui Snider
    Nov 14 2024

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

    Step into the enchanting world of Italian cemeteries with Jennie, Dianne, and special guest Tui Snider who shares her adventures as a tour guide in Italy's iconic Monumental Cemeteries, visiting Milan, Genoa, Bologna, and Florence. From 19th-century widow sculptures to groundbreaking Jewish burial grounds, Tui helps uncover the treasures hidden within Italy's Ordinary Extraordinary cemeteries. "Tra lapidi e leggende!" Join in "among tombstones and legends!"

    Watch this episode on YouTube:
    https://youtu.be/PYEHcIiGsBY?si=w5yKDYYui3uB5De-

    Learn more about Tui and her travels here: https://tuisnider.com/

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

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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • Episode 208 - The Forgotten Crash: Uncovering the Story of St. Martin-in-the-Woods Cemetery
    Nov 7 2024

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    In the stillness of a dense Newfoundland forest, a hidden cemetery whispers a tale both tragic and triumphant. This week on the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast Jennie and Dianne explore the St. Martin-in-the-Woods Cemetery, a plane crash site turned burial ground in the autumn of 1946.
    Among the victims were refugees who had endured the Holocaust, seeking a new beginning, only to face another devastating loss. This November, we reflect on gratitude amidst tragedy, honoring those who came to the rescue of survivors and remembering those whose lives were ended.

    To see photos of the cemetery, view this episode on YouTube:
    https://youtu.be/G1c1uAPmUdg?si=EC2eO-P_0k2E5un4

    Cemetery Photos taken by Anan Sahadi 05/12/2022 and posted to www.findagrave.com

    Photos of survivor being transferred to a raft and Gander rescue helicopter team: U.S. Coast Guard on file in the Public Domain

    Photo of Dr. Samuel Martin and rescue crew published in The Denver Post, September 24, 1946

    Follow this link to view additional photos and listen to broadcast footage:
    http://www.ganderairporthistoricalsociety.org/_html_4658/Sabena_crash.htm

    Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast merch now available! https://oecemetery.etsy.com

    Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast special tea blend, Cemetery Story, can be purchased here:
    https://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=231274

    Resources used to research this episode include:
    Historical Society, Gander Airport. "Sabena Crash 1946." http://www.ganderairporthistoricalsociety.org/. www.ganderairporthistoricalsociety.org/_html_4658/Sabena_crash.htm. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.

    Arklie, Bob. "St. Martin-in-the-Woods 26 OF 44 PASSENGERS WERE KILLED ." http://www.ganderairporthistoricalsociety.org/. 12 Nov. 1975. www.ganderairporthistoricalsociety.org/_html_4658/stMartins.htm. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.

    O’Leary, USCG (Ret), Warrant Gunner R.J. "The Day I Was Ten Feet Tall." http://www.ganderairporthistoricalsociety.org/. www.ganderairporthistoricalsociety.org/_html_4658/TenFeetTall.htm. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.

    , National Air & Space Museum . "The Evolution of the Commercial Flying Experience ." https://airandspace.si.edu/. airandspace.si.edu/explore/stories/evolution-commercial-flying-experience#:~:text=gum%20at%20all!-,1941%2D1958,travel%20surged%20to%20new%20levels. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.

    , Gander International Airport . "Our History ." https://ganderairport.com/. ganderairport.com/about-giaa/our-history/. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.

    , Associated Press. "At Least 5 to 7 Survive Plane Crash." The Sun Times [Ontario ], Last ed., 19 Sep. 1946, p. 1.

    Cross, United States Coast Guard (Retired), Captain Sean M. "18 September 1946 ." https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/. 18 Oct. 2024. www.thisdayinaviation.com/18-september-1946/. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.

    Death certificates scanned and uploaded to www.ancestry.com

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    52 mins
  • Episode 206 - Beyond the Grave: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
    Oct 24 2024

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

    Join Jennie and Dianne for the annual "Beyond the Grave" episode of the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery, just in time to put you in a spooky mood for Halloween! Wrap yourself cozy, dim the lights and let Mary Shelley's haunting masterpiece envelop you as you venture into 'Frankenstein's eerie world. The tale begins with an introduction from Percy and Mary Shelley before transporting you to 19th-century Geneva, Switzerland. Witness Victor Frankenstein's doomed experiment, the creature's awakening and the devastating consequences for the Family Frankenstein and the monster himself.

    Mary Shelley's classic novel was adapted and performed by phenomenally talented actors live at Evergreen Cemetery on October 4th & 5th, 2024 in order to help raise funds for the preservation of Colorado Spring's historic cemeteries and now we bring it to you for your listening pleasure.

    Find this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/sJ1E2Zr62oU?si=ePU8xCt3U8Ynf1K-

    Script adaptation written by
    Jennie Johnson

    Thank you so much to all the actors who lent their time and talent to bring this classic tale to life. The actors are, in order of appearance:

    ⚡Percy Shelley... Charles Johnson
    ⚡Mary Shelley... Casper Johnson
    ⚡Justine Moritz...Karol Gates
    ⚡Elizabeth Lavenzo... Holly Haverkorn
    ⚡Victor Frankenstein... Chris Scarciotta
    ⚡The Monster... Tim Gates
    💀Beyond the Grave Spirits💀
    💀Quinn Malmstrom
    💀Kass Allen
    💀Chloe Wilkins
    💀Rebecca Weber
    💀Asha Hart
    💀Ni Riggs
    💀Vicente Guzman

    Music: "The Dark Castle" by David Fesliyan courtesy of FesliyanStudios
    Sound effects provided by www.pixabay.com
    Photography by: Jeffery Heizer, Chloe Wilkins & Jennie Johnson

    Produced by Evergreen Heritage, Front Range Theatre Company & The Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast

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    1 hr