Recommended Reading, Favorite Places, and Links
Ginger in infrared - Standing on a battlefield in Gettysburg.
Let's start with books, shall we? I am an avid reader of nearly anything (I try to avoid romantic paperbacks) so I'll list some must-reads here that pertain to history, Missouri, ghosts, haunted houses, death, and the like.
Stories in Stone - A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography by Douglas Keister
This is my absolute go-to book when cemetery wandering. Full glossy pages and images cover every headstone imagery you happen across. Includes an extensive index to search for a specific symbol. And it's available on Kindle!
Cemetery Stories by Katherine Ramsland
I had the pleasure of investigating beside Katherine in beautiful Savannah, Georgia and was star struck because of this book. I even brought my copy to be signed but failed to do so because I didn't want to be the adoring fan pestering for an autograph. Katherine blew me away with the amount of information presented in Cemetery Stories and it helped me better understand the business of burying the dead. I even loaned it to a funeral director friend who also loved reading it. If you adore cemeteries, are curious about what happens after death, or you are fascinated by anything post-mortem -- you must read this book.
Tainted Legacy by S. Kay Murphy
Written by a very dear friend, Kay's journey to learn about her great grandmother - Bertha Gifford, and ultimately about herself makes this book difficult to put down. A true account of arsenic, mystery, and murder in a rural Missouri community, Kay's quest to find the truth about her family is full of emotion and her writing style will make you feel as if you are with her on this sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes humorous search. It gives the reader that feeling of snooping through someone's private journal and you will develop a personal attachment as the story unfolds. If you love history, mystery, murder, and Missouri - please grab this one and you can thank me later.
Stories in Stone - A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography by Douglas Keister
This is my absolute go-to book when cemetery wandering. Full glossy pages and images cover every headstone imagery you happen across. Includes an extensive index to search for a specific symbol. And it's available on Kindle!
Cemetery Stories by Katherine Ramsland
I had the pleasure of investigating beside Katherine in beautiful Savannah, Georgia and was star struck because of this book. I even brought my copy to be signed but failed to do so because I didn't want to be the adoring fan pestering for an autograph. Katherine blew me away with the amount of information presented in Cemetery Stories and it helped me better understand the business of burying the dead. I even loaned it to a funeral director friend who also loved reading it. If you adore cemeteries, are curious about what happens after death, or you are fascinated by anything post-mortem -- you must read this book.
Tainted Legacy by S. Kay Murphy
Written by a very dear friend, Kay's journey to learn about her great grandmother - Bertha Gifford, and ultimately about herself makes this book difficult to put down. A true account of arsenic, mystery, and murder in a rural Missouri community, Kay's quest to find the truth about her family is full of emotion and her writing style will make you feel as if you are with her on this sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes humorous search. It gives the reader that feeling of snooping through someone's private journal and you will develop a personal attachment as the story unfolds. If you love history, mystery, murder, and Missouri - please grab this one and you can thank me later.
Links
(Want your site included here? Send me an email with the link and tell me why it would fit in nicely on this page.)
I'm not just a history nerd, I also talk to the dead! You can find out more about my spirit communication here.
http://www.psychicpartyplanners.com/ Need to get away from it all? I highly recommend a visit to YMCA's Trout Lodge. History and nature abound in this quiet retreat just 90 minutes from Saint Louis. The grounds hold two historic cemeteries, for my fellow taphophiles. Also, I do classes here on occasion about ghosts, graveyards, and meditation. http://www.ymcaoftheozarks.org/ A lovely little community just a short train ride from STL where I spend a lot of time. Washington, Missouri is the ideal location for a day trip or weekend getaway. It's beautiful and one of my favorite places to visit. www.washmo.org | My love of historic structures and the desire to preserve them led me to this group. Truly a wonderful bunch of hard working people who are dedicated to saving Missouri's history. From the website: "The Missouri Alliance for Historic Preservation, (Missouri Preservation) is Missouri's only statewide, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, supporting, and coordinating historic preservation activities throughout the State."
I adore MoPres. http://www.preservemo.org/index.html Looking for a unique location to host your reception or party? Let me introduce you to the Washington Brewery Banquet Hall. This beautiful venue is located on the top floor of the historic Busch Brewery in Washington, Missouri. Conveniently located just 50 miles west of Saint Louis with Amtrak service within walking distance. Washington Brewery Banquet Hall | One of the websites I visit most often is Environmental Graffiti. Posts written by people with a love for exploration. They include history, nature, science, technology, and my favorite - bizzare. There are many more subjects, this is just a small list I've shared here. Go on, visit!
www.environmentalgraffiti.com When I'm working on a genealogy project one of the first places I look online is Find a Grave. Wonderful tool to use when searching for someone's burial place. Content added by volunteers, and you can sign up for free to add your own research. The first photos I ever looked at of my great x2 grandparents are posted on their memorial pages. LOVE! Even if you aren't into genealogy, this is a very interesting site. www.FindaGrave.com |
