Where many of my favorites are: Mount Mora Cemetery

By Bob Ford Special to

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Voices of the Past is an annual celebration to honor those laid to rest in St. Joseph’s Mount Mora Cemetery who have captivating stories to tell.

“Voices,” chooses a topic each year then rounds up amateur talent to play the deceased who had events happen or led lives that match the theme. The actors theatrically portray in an amusing way, what took place.

Always led by a handsome and debonair master of ceremonies, this hunk highlights Mount Mora and its spectacular “Mausoleum Row,” where the elite from the mid 1800’s through today are interned.

Cemeteries are this country’s early parks. Long before “green spaces” became fashionable, graveyards drew people who wanted to stroll, relax with nature and visit past loved ones.

I frequent cemeteries on my travels. Headstones and the names they hold can tell a lot about a community. Different ethnic groups tended to settle together in early America. Names of families that thrived, dominated then scattered in time tell their story and those of the populace.

In researching lineage from a family plot the fascinating story may not be who’s buried there, but who isn’t and why.

Sounds like another great idea for a future Voices of the Past, don’t you think?

The economic fortunes of a city are illustrated by the design and lavishness of the headstones. Ancestral pride ran deep in the 1800s with impressive and gaudy mausoleums depicting the social and economic status of a family. I am sure a sense of grandeur competition took place, as building bigger and bigger opulent crypts became an odd fashion statement of the day.

Mausoleums are works of art, reflecting not only patriarchal success but taste, whether it be sublime or grandiose. You have to think sometimes people designed these vaults to fit their own persona rather than the personality of the family member that just passed. Besides, most of the time it’s the individual who was being buried that footed the bill.

Life was unpredictable in the 19th century with sickness and epidemics striking all ages. In some families death was a frequent visitor. Dates of birth and death can also give us a dose of sadness. Losing a child or spouse early alters lives. Standing in front of a stranger’s burial site, reading the dates you can only imagine the anguish at an early loss.

In the 1800s people would celebrate holidays at the family plot to picnic, reminisce and stay in contact with their dearly departed while passing on the memories and generational stories to the next in line.

So be the story of St. Joseph’s 1851 Mount Mora Cemetery, it’s like walking into a history book with rich family lineage and compelling tales set in a tree lined setting. It speaks to St. Joseph’s significant rise to prominence in the 19th century when much of America was on the move, traveling through this “boom city” on their way West.

The history of the western migration of the United States is here, in this cemetery as people strived, struggled, succeeded and died in St. Joseph.

Stories of migration both from individuals and families that stayed and a few that left but came back are highlighted at Voices of the Past.

So join us on this respectful fun romp through the graveyard celebrating history with stories that we hope never die. You will feel the past and be uplifted by the spirit and peace of this alluring and tranquil place, Mount Mora Cemetery.

Suzanne Lehr, Mount Mora’s historian extraordinaire, has written a book about the compelling people and reflections buried here, “Voices of the Past, Mount Mora Cemetery,” will be released soon, keep an eye out.

Under the direction of Bob Fitzpatrick, “Voices,” sells out every year. If you attended this year’s Unsolved Murders presentation thank you. I hope you solved a couple of the mysteries. Next year join us, but be that early bird who gets tickets for … now that’s entertainment.

See you then!