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

"Fear and grief are not just inevitable — they are sacred rites of passage. A catalyst for transformation and resilience. And they belong to all of us." On this episode of the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Jennie and Dianne chat with the creators of a live performance that blends comedy, storytelling, and poetry; Life: A Delightful Show About Fear and Grief. Special guests Andrea Sodergren, Elaina McMillan and Katie Mason share what happens when darkness meets humor, and how that unlikely pairing can lead to profound insights and healing as they all explore the messy, beautiful intersections of humor, heartache, and human connection.

To learn more about the show or to purchase tickets, visit: https://fearandgrief.com/

*Photos by Paul Winner and Jeff Stonic and shared with permission.

View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/psd1OBKz9_E

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.

Join Jennie, Dianne and favorite guest Ryan Seidemann for the latest installment of Death and Dying 101: a new reoccurring feature on the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast where they answer and discuss questions from Ryan's students at Arizona State University. Some of the questions addressed in this episode include:

What is the typical legal/compensational responsibility of graveyards in the event of a natural disaster?

Is there any burial insurance that covers the reinterment of bodies after natural disasters, or is it largely covered by state/federal funds?

Do bones ever completely decompose?

They also discuss how the military began setting provisions for the return of the dead beginning in WWI through the present. Tune in to learn the answers to all this and more!

View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8uJBA4pI020

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.

Join Jennie and Dianne for an Ordinary Extraordinary conversation as they dig up the truth with special guest Bob Perry, aka the Bone Finder! With his expertise in cemetery geophysics and ground-penetrating radar, Bob has uncovered secrets in historic cemeteries and helped law enforcement crack cold cases. The graves are about to get a whole lot more interesting on this episode of the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast!

Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/AM1P7CXPA3A?si=QxXr889E6t5mthgQ

To learn more about the services Bob provides or his many unique adventures, visit his website: https://topographix.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.

"Grief is forever. It doesn't go away; it becomes a part of you, step for step, breath for breath - That's just how it is. Grief and love are conjoined, you don't get one without the other." - Jandy Nelson, The Sky is Everywhere -- Grief is a universal experience, but it's unique to each individual. On this episode of The Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast Jennie and Dianne tackle the tough topic of grief, exploring different types of loss and the emotional, physical, and psychological impact of mourning. They also share ways to offer meaningful support to those who are grieving, offer some online resources and discuss how cemeteries can be places of solace, comfort and even healing.

View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/E7ObFxO1tPw?si=YxVKopbnm2iRcb3l

If you or someone you know is grieving and looking for additional support here some local resources that may be able to help: hospitals, public libraries, religious institutions, schools, and community centers. There are also many online resources including: https://good-grief.org/resources/

https://www.missfoundation.org/

https://www.opentohope.com/

https://willowhouse.org/

https://whatsyourgrief.com/

Are you a cemetery or a cemetery volunteer? Please take a moment to take the "Cemetery Tourism Survey" https://6y8fuazgsp8.typeform.com/cemeterytourism The survey is created by Liz Clappin, host of Tomb With a View Podcast, and Ashlynn Rickord Werner. They are collecting data from cemeteries across the country to understand the challenges and varied ways they approach tourism. They hope this data will help better inform historic cemeteries how to best use tourism as a tool for long term preservation. The survey takes approximately 7 minutes to complete.

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.

Discover the untold stories of two Ordinary men who became Extraordinary unsung heroes. This week on the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast, Jennie and Dianne share the stories of George Wasinger and John Wysowatcky Jr., two young soldiers who embodied the Army's motto: "This We'll Defend" during WWI. They defended freedom by giving their lives in return. As Memorial Day approaches, we remember the sacrifice made by all the men and women who have died in combat and acknowledge the debt we owe to those who gave everything in hopes of creating a more peaceful and prosperous tomorrow for future generations.

View this episode on YouTube! https://youtu.be/ir__mji6srU?si=VzlLT8-HfDNgm3Qw

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, records, and newspaper articles found at www.ancestry.com and www.newspapers.com in addition to the following:

"Obituary Record by the Olinger Mortuary." The Rocky Mountain News [Denver], 62nd ed., 21 Oct. 1921, p. 9.

"Services Will Be Held for George Wassinger." The Rocky Mountain News [Denver], 62nd ed., 13 Jan. 1921, p. 7.

Sullivan , Evan P. "“Considerable Grief”: Dead Bodies, Mortuary Science, and Repatriation after the Great War ." https://nursingclio.org/. 18 Apr. 2019. nursingclio.org/2019/04/18/considerable-grief-dead-bodies-mortuary-science-and-repatriation-after-the-great-war/. Accessed 18 May 2025.

Finn, Tara. "The war that did not end at 11am on 11 November ." https://history.blog.gov.uk/. 9 Nov. 2018. history.blog.gov.uk/2018/11/09/the-war-that-did-not-end-at-11am-on-11-november/. Accessed 18 May 2025.

Persico, MHQ, Joseph E. "Nov. 11, 1918: Wasted Lives on Armistice Day ." https://www.armytimes.com/. 9 Nov. 2017. www.armytimes.com/veterans/salute-veterans/2017/11/10/nov-11-1918-wasted-lives-on-armistice-day/. Accessed 18 May 2025.

Stewart , Richard W. "Blood, Mud, Concrete, and Barbed Wire: The Meuse-Argonne Offensive ." https://www.armyheritage.org/. www.armyheritage.org/soldier-stories-information/blood-mud-concrete-and-barbed-wire-the-meuse-argonne-offensive/. Accessed 18 May 2025.

"The Soldier's Burden." http://www.kaiserscross.com/. www.kaiserscross.com/40312/42469.html. Accessed 18 May 2025.

"Globeville Neighborhood History ." https://history.denverlibrary.org/. history.denverlibrary.org/neighborhood-history-guide/globeville-neighborhood-history. Accessed 18 May 2025.

"History of Germans from Russia ." https://library.ndsu.edu/. library.ndsu.edu/grhc/research-history/history-germans-russia. Accessed 18 May 2025.

Wiese, Owen. "The 89th Division, A Great Accomplishment ." https://www.garretsongazette.com/. 29 Apr. 2020. www.garretsongazette.com/the-89th-division-a-great-accomplishment/. Accessed 18 May 2025.

English Jr, George H. History of the 89th Division, U.S.A.. 1st ed., 1920. Denver, The War Society of the 89th Division , 1920, pp. 1 - 544.

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

What's cooking in the cemetery? Jennie and Dianne are dishing up a treat with Rosie Grant, the creator behind the viral @GhostlyArchive, where gravestones become recipe cards! Rosie shares her journey of uncovering her first recipe on a tombstone at Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC, and how that led to serving up not just the recipes, but the stories behind them and how food has the power to bring families, communities and history together in the most Ordinary Extraordinary ways, including from beyond the grave!

View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fGzQWbUcewU?si=8D0rtyL7X5yzXBTu

Follow Rosie on Tik Tok and Instagram:

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ghostlyarchive

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ghostly.archive/

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.

May is Cemetery Appreciation Month, and Jennie and Dianne are celebrating by sharing three Ordinary Extraordinary stories buried beneath the soil of three Colorado cemeteries. Hear the tragic tale of a young woman who lost her life to 'consumption' in a rural community, the complex and incomplete story of a woman institutionalized at the Colorado State Hospital for the Insane, and the gold prospector who left his family behind forcing his widow to seek justice on his behalf several years after his passing. Sometimes the most compelling stories are the ones buried in plain sight. As you walk through your own local cemeteries this month, look beyond the headstones and imagine the lives that once were. You might just uncover an Ordinary Extraordinary story waiting to be told.

View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ox2JHkyC-L0

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 these stories include various documents and records found at www.ancestry.com and news articles printed in multiple historical newspapers on www.newspapers.com.

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

Join Jennie and Dianne of the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast as they kick off Cemetery Appreciation Month (May) by exploring the dos and don'ts of cemetery etiquette and safety. With spring in full bloom, cemeteries are coming alive with visitors and furry friends - but what are the unwritten rules to follow? We dive into the importance of respecting graveside services and share valuable tips on how to navigate these sacred spaces. Did we miss something crucial? Let us know - what other cemetery etiquette tips should visitors keep in mind?

View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/A8tdHFG7aT0?si=Cv5rshEhQ75zEWmv

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

Looking for advice on cemetery preservation? Here are some of our recommendations:

Epoch Preservation: https://epochpreservation.com/

Atlas Preservation: https://atlaspreservation.com/pages/gravestone-restoration-monument-installation

Jason Church & the National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/ncptt/staff.htm