If Tombstones Could Talk

I’ve never feared cemeteries. As a child I wandered the small cemetery where my relatives were buried, imagining the stories of so many of the people buried there. Last night I got to walk through Green Bay’s Woodlawn Cemetery and talk with its residents, hear their stories.

There was nothing creepy about visiting a cemetery as the sun went down and the air cooled off. The 100+ people at the Brown County Historical Society’s If Tombstone Could Talk cemetery walk talked quietly while they were sorted into groups and waiting for the walk to begin. It was a very relaxed atmosphere.

During the walk we stopped at about a half dozen tombstones where the very talented Heritage Players gave first person accounts of the movers and shakers in 1800s Brown County. Our county’s pioneer families came to life as they talked about old neighborhoods, illness and death, trades, schools, libraries and pioneer life. Nature provided its own background music. Birds, crickets and cicadas trilled in the background. Geese flew over adding the sound of their familiar honking. You could even see a bat or two if you were paying attention.

Stories included those of the Titanic and the Lost Dauphin as well as less well known stories of scarlet fever and establishing schools. Happily, many of the stories featured influential women of early Brown County and their important roles in our early history. The songs and stories of the Yankee Daughters certainly underlined how influential women were in the founding and preserving of our county.

I have to admit I have a little crush on Hazelwood Historic House and the Brown County Historical Society these days. Now that I’ve discovered the cemetery walks I love them just a little bit more.

For more information about future If Tombstones Could Talk events visit the Brown County Historical Society’s website.