The Ordinary, Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast By Jennie Johnson & Dianne Hartshorn cover art

The Ordinary, Extraordinary Cemetery

The Ordinary, Extraordinary Cemetery

By: Jennie Johnson & Dianne Hartshorn
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The Ordinary, Extraordinary Cemetery is a podcast for cemetery lovers, preservationists, and even those who've never walked among the graves. Join hosts Jennie and Dianne as they explore old cemeteries and learn the stories of those buried within their walls. After all, every death had a life, and every life had a story.

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Episodes
  • Episode 235 - The Weight of Loss: Navigating Grief and Finding Peace
    Jun 5 2025

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    "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

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    1 hr and 10 mins
  • Episode 234 - Freedom's Cost. A Memorial Day Tribute
    May 22 2025

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    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.


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    31 mins
  • Episode 233 - Dishes from the Dearly Departed with Rosie Grant
    May 15 2025

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    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


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    1 hr and 11 mins
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