The Ordinary, Extraordinary Cemetery

Jennie Johnson & Dianne Hartshorn
  • 4.5 (58)
  • HISTORY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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.

  1. 3D AGO

    Episode 263 - Family Tales the Game

    Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. New year, new memories! Tune in to this week's Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast as Jennie and Dianne share heartwarming family stories from listeners who played our game "Family Tales" with us online as we closed out 2025 and ushered in 2026. It's not too late to play for yourself. Grab the free game on our website and start collecting your own family's stories! Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun much here: https://oecemetery.etsy.com Family Tales: A free printable, is now available! Gather 'round the table and dig into your roots! This interactive family history game is perfect for holidays, reunions, or just because. Ask, listen, and laugh your way through generations of stories and secrets. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UT_R56qEwNTIxIBrTy8KFyVmGnFOe7g8/view?usp=sharing Support the show

    53 min

  2. JAN 8

    Episode 262 - The Doctors' Riot of 1788: A Conversation with Writer Andy McPhee

    Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. What happens when medical progress clashes with public outrage? Body snatching, bloodletting, and a riot that shook America's founding fathers: join Jennie and Dianne on this latest episode of The Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery as they chat with writer Andy McPhee about his latest book "The Doctors' Riot of 1788". But the story starts earlier - at The African Burial Ground, where New York City's Black community had long been fighting against desecration. We'll explore the complex history of anatomy, ethics, and dignity in death, and why this 1788 riot still resonates today. View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xbmtMzzJyeg?si=CkUAXc7IFn_EgTLg To learn more, purchase Andy's book through your local bookstore by visiting: https://bookshop.org/beta-search?keywords=The+Doctors%27+Riot+of+1788 Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun much here: https://oecemetery.etsy.com Family Tales: A free printable, is now available! Gather 'round the table and dig into your roots! This interactive family history game is perfect for holidays, reunions, or just because. Ask, listen, and laugh your way through generations of stories and secrets. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UT_R56qEwNTIxIBrTy8KFyVmGnFOe7g8/view?usp=sharing Support the show

    1h 4m

  3. JAN 1

    Episode 261 - The Wondrous Mrs. Claus with Pamela McColl

    Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. Kick off the new year with The Ordinary, Extraordinary Cemetery podcast! Join Jennie and Dianne for a delightful chat with Pamela McColl, author of "Wondrous Mrs. Claus: a Literary and Pictorial Review of the Christmas Character". As we bid farewell to 2025, let's take a moment to appreciate a true unsung hero of the holiday season, Mrs. Claus! Join us as we celebrate the woman behind the man in red and appreciate all the love and care she brings to this final festive season of the calendar year. View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NeY4abu6j1Y?si=HfMC3MCoDyesM4LC Purchase your copy of "Wondrous Mrs. Claus: a Literary and Pictorial Review of the Christmas Character" by Pamela McColl here: https://a.co/d/0eWM2Iw Family Tales: A free printable, is now available! Gather 'round the table and dig into your roots! This interactive family history game is perfect for holidays, reunions, or just because. Ask, listen, and laugh your way through generations of stories and secrets. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UT_R56qEwNTIxIBrTy8KFyVmGnFOe7g8/view?usp=sharing Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun much here: https://oecemetery.etsy.com Support the show

    1h 13m

  4. 12/18/2025

    Episode 260 - Candlelight and Liberty

    Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. “Hanukkah is about the freedom to be true to what we believe without denying the freedom of those who believe otherwise. It’s about lighting our candle, while not being threatened by or threatening anyone else’s candle.” Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z”l -- This week Jennie and Dianne invite everyone to cozy up with a cup of latke-friendly brew and join them as they revisit their first ever Hanukkah episode (#10!), exploring the connections between Hanukkah and the American Revolution through the stories of war heroes buried in Chatham Square Jewish Cemetery in New York City. We hope this episode inspires all our listeners to find their light in the darkness.  Episode available on YouTube:https://youtu.be/X1NBLsOqIoY?si=eZSOGgFi4GBuDqQH Family Tales: A free printable, is now available! Gather 'round the table and dig into your roots! This interactive family history game is perfect for holidays, reunions, or just because. Ask, listen, and laugh your way through generations of stories and secrets. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UT_R56qEwNTIxIBrTy8KFyVmGnFOe7g8/view?usp=sharing Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun much here: https://oecemetery.etsy.com Support the show

    40 min

  5. 12/11/2025

    Episode 259 - The Santa Colonel: 70 Years of Christmas Magic

    Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. This week Dianne and Jennie are getting into the holiday spirit with the heartwarming story of Colonel Harry Shoup, the Air Force officer who answered a mistaken phone call from a little girl looking for Santa. His kindness sparked a tradition that's tracked Santa for 70 years! Ever wondered how NORAD got involved? Tune in to hear the Ordinary Extraordinary, magical Christmas tale! Episode available on YouTube:   https://youtu.be/7014a4Stt_0?si=RS2OobqhaCPFBxvC It may not be Christmas Eve yet, but read stories, play games and more, and of course, track Santa with NORAD on Christmas Eve at:https://www.noradsanta.org/en/ Resources used to research this episode include:                                                    DME Interns. "Harry Shoup: The Santa Colonel ." https://news.va.gov/. 24 Dec. 2021. news.va.gov/98635/harry-shoup-the-santa-colonel/. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025. Young, Olivia. "Colorado woman recalls phone call that transformed father into NORAD's "Santa Colonel" ." https://www.cbsnews.com/. 24 Dec. 2024. www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/colorado-woman-recalls-phone-call-transformed-father-norads-santa-colonel/. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025. Multiple Contributors . "NORAD Tracks Santa ." https://en.wikipedia.org/. 6 Nov. 2024. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NORAD_Tracks_Santa. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025. The Gazette . "Harry Wesley Shoup ." https://obits.gazette.com/. 18 Mar. 2009. obits.gazette.com/us/obituaries/gazette/name/harry-shoup-obituary?id=23024681. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025. Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun much here: https://oecemetery.etsy.com Support the show

    45 min

  6. 12/04/2025

    Episode 258 - Around the Table: Preserving Family Stories

    Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. This week on the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery, Jennie and Dianne remind listeners the holidays are the perfect time to gather 'round the dinner table and record the tales of grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other family members. Whether you're a seasoned genealogist or just starting to explore your family's history, this episode includes tips and tricks for getting started with family history research and how to preserve those precious stories for generations to come.  Episode available on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/_HugPmVxgmI?si=fWZjTixivXBFrezQ Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun much here: https://oecemetery.etsy.com Support the show

    40 min

  7. 11/20/2025

    Episode 257 - Cemeteries as Catalysts for Alternate Histories

    Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. Get ready to dig into the fascinating world of alternate histories! On this week's Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast, Jennie and Dianne welcome back Research Historian Lynette Webber to explore how cemeteries can inspire and provoke our understanding of time and mortality. Just like George Bailey's poignant "what ifs" in It's a Wonderful Life or Marty McFly's wild rides through the Back to the Future timeline, cemeteries hold the whispers of real life what ifs, where families have stood before graves and pondered the roads not taken. We'll explore the butterfly effect of human decision making, and dive into the fascinating story of a mysterious mausoleum in England rumored to hold a time machine. Join the conversation and uncover the secrets of the roads not taken! Episode available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UE8wrPs7QMo Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun much here: https://oecemetery.etsy.com Support the show

    57 min

  8. 11/13/2025

    Episode 256 - Death and Dying 101 with Ryan Seidemann Round 5

    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 shovels and join their grave talk! Episode available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZrpRVTL2Pl4?si=jSZnadm5eUpop8EU Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun much here: https://oecemetery.etsy.com Support the show

    1h 10m
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4.5
out of 5
58 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Jennie Johnson & Dianne Hartshorn
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    262
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Ordinary, Extraordinary Cemetery
  • Show Website
    The Ordinary, Extraordinary Cemetery

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