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Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. It's time for a new addition of Death and Dying 101. Join Jennie and Dianne, along with regular contributor Ryan Seidemann, as they dig into the dirt on some heavy hitters: the environmental impact of cremation vs. full body burial, the tricky business of handling cemeteries discovered during construction projects, Civil War burials, and the fascinating world of bone identification. Grab your...

Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. Jennie and Dianne are thrilled to welcome Diana Kresnye, a passionate tour guide and historical interpreter at Lakeview Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio to the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast. Lake View Cemetery is a treasure trove of history, art, and nature, featuring a Level 2 Arboretum with thousands of trees, the final resting place of James A. Garfield (the 20th president of the Unit...

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 2025 "Beyond the Grave" episode of the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery, just in time to put you in a spooky mood for Halloween! Dim the lights, get cozy, and immerse yourself in Gaston Leroux's timeless masterpiece. With a special introduction by legendary silent film actor Lon Chaney, you'll be transported to 1880s Paris and the majestic Palais Garnier. Settle ...

Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. Get ready for a ghostly good time on this week's Ordinary Extraordinary podcast! Jennie and Dianne are joined by Nicole Beauchamp, author and paranormal researcher, to discuss the power of remembrance and the importance of preserving the Ordinary Extraordinary stories of the past. From the 'Veiled Woman' of Elmwood Cemetery to the value of visiting historic sites, Nicole shares her expertise ...

Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. On this episode of the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast, Jennie and Dianne are joined by Miles McCallum and Nick Brown, researchers and enthusiasts passionate about uncovering the stories behind Vermont's historic cast-iron grave markers. Miles, an M.A. in history student at the University of Vermont, and his colleague Nick, share their fascinating findings on two models of cast-iron g...

Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. Get ready for a haunting tale of love, obsession, and music that echoes beyond the grave! Join Jennie and Dianne on this week's episode of The Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast as they dive into the world of Gaston LeRoux's classic novel, The Phantom of the Opera, with special guest Professor Jerrold E. Hogle. This week’s episode is particularly special as it coincides with the sold-out...

Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. Get ready to confront the uncomfortable truths about death and dying in America, and discover how we can work towards a more equitable system for all. This week on the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast, Jennie and Dianne are joined by Staci Savattaro and Jennifer Wright-Berryman, co-authors of the upcoming book "Equity at the End: The New American Way of Death". From eco-friendly burial...

Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. What happens when human remains are discovered in public spaces? Can pets be buried alongside their owners? And what's the protocol for handling human remains from space? Jennie and Dianne, along with Ryan Seidemann, tackle these tough questions and more on this week's Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast, part two of Death and Dying 101. Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee...

Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. What happens when science and culture collide? Jennie and Dianne dive into the world of human remains with Ryan Seidemann in Part 1 of a new Death and Dying 101 feature. They discuss the challenges of creating inclusive public memory, the ethics of displaying mummified bodies, and the current state of body donation to science. From consent to cultural sensitivity, Ryan shares his expertise on...

Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. Join Jennie and Dianne on The Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast as they welcome Amy Shea, author of the groundbreaking book 'Too Poor to Die: The Hidden Realities of Dying in the Margins.' Amy's work sheds light on the often-hidden truths of death and dying among those experiencing chronic homelessness or who end up indigent or unclaimed at the end of life. In this powerful conversation...

Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. What happens when you combine travel, history, and a dash of humor? You get 'Around the World in 80 Graves: Travel, Tombstones & Transformation', the new book from Tui Snider. Join Jennie and Dianne on the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast as they chat with Tui about her adventures in cemeteries around the world. From the heart of Texas to the ancient tombs of Egypt, Tui's journeys ...

Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. Not every public park is as it seems, and not every cemetery is for that matter either! This week on the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast, Jennie and Dianne are joined by fellow taphophile Randy Crane as he shares the story of the life, death and reincarnation of side-by-side (Broadway and Mount Olive) cemeteries located in Whittier, California. Randy tells how the cemeteries began as ...

Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. What happens when we don't share our stories before we become inmates of the cemetery?? This week, The Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast explores the importance of recording our histories with special guest Stephanie Ford. As a caregiver, Stephanie's heard countless tales of love, loss, and life from those who've lived through it all. She emphasizes the importance of learning from our e...

Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. Get ready for a chilling conversation! Join Jennie and Dianne as they chat with author Sharon Pajka, PhD, about her new book "Haunted Virginia Cemeteries". As we creep into spooky season, Sharon guides us through the Old Dominion's most haunted burial grounds, from Arlington Cemetery's eerie atmosphere to the ghostly apparitions at Monticello. But don't let the paranormal tales fool you - thi...

Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. On this episode of the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast, uncover the mystery behind Dr. Samuel Bean's cryptic monument in Wellesley, Ontario, where two of his wives, Henrietta and Susanna, rest in peace. Jennie and Dianne explore the Ordinary Extraordinary life of Samuel, a Civil War veteran and puzzle enthusiast, and the intricate cryptogram headstone that kept visitors guessing for 8...

Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. Join the dynamic trio—Jennie, Dianne, and Ryan Seidemann—for the third chapter of the “Death and Dying 101” series! This episode dives into global memorials, uncovering cultural quirks and mysteries. Are catacombs serene sanctuaries or lively public spaces? Unravel the Victorian dread of premature burial and the coffin bells that chimed in the night. Explore the collision of burial and cremat...

Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. "Every death had a life and every life had a story," but how is it that we uncover so many of the narratives we share on the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast? Much of it comes from searching through genealogical archives and other records. On this latest episode, Jennie and Dianne chat with Jen Shaffer, a full-time professional genealogist and owner of The Formidable Genealogist. She i...

Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. Get ready to stop and smell the roses...in the cemetery! This week Jennie and Dianne explore the practical, symbolic, and cultural significance of flowers in death. From ancient Egypt and Greece to Victorian-era cemeteries, flowers have played a significant role in mourning and remembrance around the globe. Sow the seeds of curiosity and tune in to this week's episode of The Ordinary Extraord...

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,...