Elmwood is known for its large collection of Victorian funerary art. Students enrolling in Stone College will be trained to assist in the preservation of Elmwood’s oldest and most fragile monuments. This workshop will focus on cleaning, leveling and restoring monuments. Graduates of this three hour workshop will be invited to participate in scheduled monument cleanings and restoration events throughout the year.

More than 5,000 area students tour the cemetery each year. Elmwood’s annual Costume Twilight Tour attracts more than 1,000 visitors over the course of 2 hours! Students of Ambassador College will be trained to give tours, as well as how to wear a costume and deliver a script that will captivate a crowd! Graduates of this college will be invited to participate in a variety of tours and special events happening at Elmwood.

Class will meet on Saturday, March 3rd at 9AM. Students can enroll in only one class at a time, but never fear: additional classes will be added soon! Tuition to attend Elmwood University is $25 per person. Please call Kim at 901-774-3212 to register for class today. Or if you'd like to enroll online, visit http://www.elmwoodcemetery.org/events. 

The program began when a local photographer named Dave McCrosky paid a visit to Elmwood one day. He was a casual visitor who became infatuated with the beauty of Elmwood, and took hundreds of photos, which he generously donated to Elmwood. His photos are displayed on the Gallery section of this website.

Dave continued to donate photos to Elmwood. His generosity gave rise to an idea that maybe other photographers would like to take photos of Elmwood and donate them to the cemetery, too. With Dave's permission, the David McCrosky Volunteer Photographer-in-Residence Program was born.

A select few have had the privilege of being named Elmwood's official photograher, a year-long position that pays nothing. The photographers are asked to take as many photos of Elmwood as they like over the course of the seasons, documenting the changing colors of the trees, the monuments, and even the special events that take place at Elmwood. The photos are released to Elmwood to use how the cemetery sees fit: in a book, on a website, or hanging on the cemetery Cottage walls, to name a few.

With the close of 2011, we say thank you to Danny Bowers, the most recent photographer, who spent countless hours at Elmwood, in the heat, the rain, and the cold, taking timeless photos that will be enjoyed forever. Danny's excellent work can be found in the Gallery section of this website.

The new year brings new photos, this time from Shonna Springer, another committed and talented photographer who has exhibited her work in Elmwood's Gallery, too.

As the new year begins, and when you see photos of Elmwood, we hope that you will remember the story behind the snapshot.  

There are so many unique stories to be learned on a tour of Elmwood. They make a lasting impression on our young tourists. For example, the story of Jasper Smith is one that inspires the imaginations of all children (and adults). Earlier this year, St. Dominic School visited Elmwood for a tour and they heard the story of Jasper Smith, the gentleman who went missing one night in 1899, reportedly with pockets full of gold.

Once the children returned to their classroom, they discussed the story of Jasper Smith. They decided they would put together a collection of stories that might end the great Jasper Smith mystery. Here are some samples of what they imagine happened:

1. "Jasper Smith was a time traveler. He could walk into mirrors and travel back and forth in time. He traveled back from the future to Memphis in 1819. He kind of liked Memphis at this time because he had a lot of ideas of ways to help Memphis."

2. "Jasper Smith was on Whiskey Alley at a bar called Whiskey Shoot. When he left he was terribly drunk! So he kissed someone's wife and POW! He got smacked so hard he went flying through the bar and out the door."

3. "He decided to rent aboat and float down the Mississippi River to New Orleans without his horse and buggy. The boat hit a log, broke to pieces, and Jasper drowned in the mighty, muddy Mississippi." 

The staff and volunteers who lead the history tours of the cemetery grounds are always excited to inspire the creativity of our city's youngest citizens. If you are a teacher and would like to bring your class to Elmwood, please know that we would love to have you! Contact cookie [at] elmwoodcemetery [dot] org to register for a tour.  

It sounds devastating.

With trees as old and magnificent as ours, and with as many as we have, they will fall. As vigilant and aware as we might be of potential problems, our best efforts can’t prevent the loss of some of our trees. Five trees and counting this year.

It leaves us with work to do.

As hopeful as we might be and thankful of the huge trunks and limbs that miss our monuments, many will be broken if not destroyed. This year alone, our related expenses from downed trees approach $18,000. We have no way of knowing what the cost will be year-to-year, but we have to repair those monuments, replant new trees and treat those that appear distressed.

The time has come for us to establish a separate fund dedicated to the maintenance of our historical canopy, and the restoration of our irreplaceable monuments and markers lying helpless and still beneath the mighty limbs.

Help us keep Elmwood Ever Green.

Please help us raise $18,000 in the next 90 days to both address this year and to set up the Elmwood Ever Green fund to address all the years to come.

Our trees serve us as both cemetery and arboretum, resting place andrestful space. Please help us recognize their contribution, and their danger, with a generous contribution of your own.

As always, thank you.

The Tree Committee

Jeanne Coors Arthur  and Terran Arwood

Paul and his wife Cathi have been spending time at Elmwood for quite some time now. Trimming trees, leading tours, appearing in character, and supporting each other's volunteer work at Elmwood is what they do as a collective (and they are most definitely a team).  

So when Cathi mentioned that Paul owned and operated his own Contractor business, the staff asked if he would be interested in replacing the old, moldering crawl space door on the east side of the Cottage.

Paul gladly agreed to take on the project, and the result is a new, properly-fitting door to the crawl space beneath the Cottage. To show him our appreciation, we attached a plaque to the door thanking Paul for his donation.

The friends, families, staff and Board of Trustees thank Paul for his donation. We also invite you to volunteer in whatever way you can at the oldest, most historic cemetery in the city of Memphis. 

After her sister Laura Goyer Forsdick passed away leaving her husband with many children, Sophie married Harry J. Forsdick on December 5, 1878 (just weeks after Memphis began it’s slow recovery from yellow fever).  Sophie wore this gown of dubonnet silk and velvet, the overskirt trimmed with tassels and fine buttons.  Detailed with a fashionable “fish tail” train and  featuring a bustle.  The deep eggplant purple was rumored to be worn in honor of her sister. 

Please visit Elmwood to see Sophie's gown in person. It will beon display in the Cottage through the end of October.

For more examples of Victorian-age mourning clothing, we recommend the following exhibit:

Mourning Memphis

August 17 - November 6, 2011

Featuring mourning rituals and fashion of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  Highlighting the Yellow fever epidemic of 1878.

Woodruff-Fontiane House Museum

680 Adams Avenue, Memphis

901-526-1469

woodruff-fontaine.com

So we're turning to you - Elmwood's friends and families - to help us with the leaves. It costs $25 to participate in this program (we can take payment over the phone if you like). Membership in the program is going to be renewed once a year. We will put a nice, small plaque on the tree that denotes your participation. You'll also be listed in Elmwood's newsletter as well as on the website, and on Facebook!

You'll come out to the cemetery four times a year - once per season - and rake up the leaves beneath your tree(s). Please bring large garbage bags and rakes and any other tools you prefer. All you have to do after the leaves are raked into bags is to tie the bags closed and place them by the street. Our Superintendent will pick them up.

Thank you for joining the Adopt A Magnolia Team. This beautification program is going to do wonders for Elmwood - and it's all because of you.

To sign up, email kmccollum [at] elmwoodcemetery [dot] org or call 901-774-3212.  

PRESS RELEASE

August 9, 2011

Memphis, TN – The first annual Downtown Museum Day will take place in Memphis on Saturday, September 10, 2011 with eleven local museums and attractions participating by offering free or half-price admission. The event is being hosted by Discover Memphis, a newly created collective of downtown museums and attractions.

The all-day event offers Tennessee residents the opportunity to visit their community museums – and to enjoy and share in their own heritage – for a significantly reduced cost. The committee organizing the event hopes to encourage residents to take advantage of their hometown culture and bolster awareness of the role of museums in Memphis.

“We want Downtown Museum Day to become a Memphis cultural tradition, inviting all members of our community to experience the Bluff City’s incredible wealth of history, art and music at numerous participating museums at reduced or no cost,” says co-organizer Anna Mullins, Executive Director of the Cotton Museum.

In addition to free or discounted admission, many participating museums and attractions (listed below) are offering unique programs and special tours for the day. Visitors should check each attraction’s website for hours and unique offerings.

“The day is intended to emphasize the lasting impact museums have on their communities and provide new opportunities for the community to participate in the wide-ranging programs that our museums and attractions offer,” adds Kimberly McCollum, Executive Director of Elmwood Cemetery.

For more information about Downtown Museum Day, visit our facebook page at facebook.com/downtownmuseumday, email us at downtownmuseumday [at] gmail [dot] com">downtownmuseumday [at] gmail [dot] com or call Anna Mullins at 901.857.2335.

Downtown Museum Day Participants

Discounts are available to all Tennessee residents. Check each attraction’s webpage for hours and additional information.

Belz Museum of Asian and Judaic Art

Half-price General Admission

Special Events:

-  Two screenings of the Korean film "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring"

-  10% off on all sales in the gift shop.

belzmuseum.org

Cotton Museum

Half-price General Admission

Special Events:

-  Guided tours, hands-on demonstrations and storytellers all day

-  Seersucker Social party all afternoon with live music and classic cocktails.

memphiscottonmuseum.org

Elmwood Cemetery

Free Tours

Special Events:

-  A free guided tour will be led at 10:30am; free self-guided audio tours are available 8am-noon.

elmwoodcemetery.org

Fire Museum of Memphis

Buy one Admission and get one of equal or lesser value free

firemuseum.com

Jimmy Ogle Tours

Free City Tours

10:00 a.m.  Union Avenue Manhole Cover & History Tour (begins at the Cotton Museum)

11:30 a.m.  Cotton Row (begins at the Cotton Museum)

1:00 p.m.   The Mississippi River (begins at Confederate Park)

3:00 p.m.   Court Square & Surroundings

jimmyogle.com

Mississippi River Museum at Mud Island River Park

Buy one Admission and get one of equal or lesser value free

Special Events:

-  60 minute Guided Riverwalk Tours of the Riverwalk model, 11:30am, 1:30pm, 3:30pm

-  The Hatilloo Theatre will perform at the park from 12:00pm to 3:00pm.

mudisland.com

National Civil Rights Museum

Buy one Admission and get one free

Special Events:

-  “Portrait of a Movement: Building the Museum” will be on display.

civilrightsmuseum.org

National Ornamental Metal Museum

Free Admission

Special Events:

-  “Digital Mettle: Jewelry and Objects of CAD” will be on display.

metalmuseum.org

Stax Museum of American Soul Music

Buy one Admission and get one free

Special Events:

- "Celebrating 70...A Tribute to Otis Redding" will be on display.

staxmuseum.com

Sun Studio

Free Admission and Tours

sunstudio.com

Woodruff-Fontaine House

Half-price General Admission and Tour

woodruff-fontaine.com/tours

Take Ava Wilks Morgan, for instance. Ava is a teacher and a friend of Elmwood. The staff knew that the cemetery needed lesson plans to give to teachers who wanted to bring their students out for a history tour, but we had no idea how to create lesson plans. We asked Ava. She agreed, and her lesson plans can be found at http://www.elmwoodcemetery/education. Free to all teachers, by the way.

Then there's Paul Johnson, a member of Elmwood's newly formed Handyman Guild, who built a new trap door to the crawlspace under the Cottage. There's Bruce Ralston, who lives in a close-by neighborhood and who has donated many hours and many gallons of weed and ivy killer to the cemetery. There's Jimmy Ogle, Cathi Johnson, and Tommy Wilson: these three are playing an instrumental role in the creation of a new volunteer program that will be unveiled in January of 2012. 

There is Vincent Astor, a long time friend of Elmwood, who partnered up with Donald Harrison, to create a play based on the lives of Thomas Dickins and Wade Bolton, and who have performed this play at Elmwood. The men have also taken their show on the road, promoting this cemetery at every stop.

There's Nick Bridgeman, the most recent president of the West Tennessee Urban Forestry Council, who spent many hours over the course of many Saturdays at Elmwood. He trimmed trees. He identified trees. He coordinated an effort to re-certify Elmwood as a Level II Arboretum with the state. He's moving to Knoxville now, but his contributions will not be forgotten.

There's Ed Williams, Shelby County Historian, who, on August 19th, will be at Elmwood to relate the story of "Forrest's Raid On Memphis" with veteran actors/volunteers Alan Doyle and Lee Millar. There's Jim Dennis, who is the Staff Gardener, and who nevertheless volunteers giving history tours of the cemetery when asked. Judy Dennis happens to be the volunteer who transcribed the original 1852 Board of Trustees Minutes Book into a Word document so that the staff can now easily search the book without having to strain their eyes through page after page of incredibly difficult to read, Victorian style script.

There are groups of volunteers, too. The Forrest Chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans spent many hot hours this summer raking the Confederate Veterans lot in the Fowler section of Elmwood. Clean Memphis, a local nonprofit organization committed to making Memphis a more beautiful place to live, has brought youth groups from all over the United States to Elmwood to perform neighborhood clean up events.  There is the East Dudley Business Association who have performed countless clean ups along Dudley Street, Sledge Avenue, Walker Avenue, Neptune Street, and East Street. 

This is a partial, incomplete, and short (yes, short) blog post about the contributions of volunteers at Elmwood. The Board of Trustees, the staff, and most importantly, the families and friends of Elmwood thank each of you for your generosity.

If you are interested in contributing your time and talent to Elmwood but aren't sure how to go about it, or if you'd like to chip in but are concerned that you don't have enough time to make a difference, please email Cookie Swain at cookie [at] elmwoodcemetery [dot] org and ask if you can help. There is plenty to do at Elmwood, and there are plenty of ways to do it.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. 

"From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your very generous donations to the Return To Elmwood Endowment Campaign. Your commitment to the future of Elmwood shines like a beacon to those of us who serve on Elmwood's Board of Trustees. It is a reminder to us of just how special this hallowed place is to all. Because your contributions have solidified the security of Elmwood, the Board of Trustees and staff are committed to maintaining Elmwood at its very best.

The purpose of the endowment campaign was to rebuild and further fortify the endowment fund, which suffered during this last recession. A one million dollar challenge grant donated anonymously has been received into Elmwood's endowment fund. This plus your mathcing gifts and pledges, totaling over three quarters of a million dollars, will strengthen the endowment fund for years to come.

The state of Elmwood Cemetery is now strong because of you. Once agin, thank you for your deep generosity. Memphis will have a well-kept, well-managed cemetery. That is our promise."

The following donors are the outstanding citizens who stepped forward to support Elmwood during a critical time in its history. We, the Board of Trustees, staff, families and friends of Elmwood, wish to acknowledge with gratitude the following contributors to the Return To Elmwood Endowment Campaign. 

 Oak Society

Anonymous

Elm Society

Brinkley Foundation

Arthur Fulmer, Jr.

Mr. & Mrs. Tom Garrott

James E. McGehee, Jr.

Magnolia Society

Mr. & Mrs. Ben C. Adams, Jr.

Douglas Ferris, Jr.

Wilton Hill

Frank & Mimsy Jones

Allen Morgan

Poplar Foundation

Mr. & Mrs. Bayard Snowden

Mrs. Florence Snowden

Mr. & Mrs. John Stokes, Jr.

Holly Society

Apperson, Crump & Maxwell, PLC

Jeanne Arthur

Toof Brown

Kathyrn Brown Butler Family

Foundation

Howard Cannon

Capitola Dean Edmondson Charitable Fund

Mrs. Bryan Eagle

Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Fulmer, III

Dorothy Graham

Baroness Mary de Gunzburg

Buzzy Hussey

Stan Justis

Jane Lovitt

Mr. & Mrs. John Maxwell

Don & Peggy McClure

Michael McDonnell Family Partnership

Mr. & Mrs. Phillip McNeill

Henry Morgan

Mr. & Mrs. Frank Norfleet

Clif Phillips

Sisty Phillips and family

Peter Schutt

Susan Stephenson

SWI Partners

Hardy Todd

Henry Turley, Jr.

James H. Wetter Family

Sue Reid Williams

William C. Wilson

William Wright

Dogwood Society

Mr. & Mrs. Dunbar Abston, Jr.

Sally Aldrich-Molwitz

Billie Allensworth

Viola Amos

Stephen & Roberta Anderson

Terran Arwood

William Baldauf, Jr.

 Rogers Beasley

Ceylon & Lucy Blackwell

Judge & Mrs. George Blancett

George & Linda Bond

Thomas N. Boschert

Perry Bradley

Elizabeth Brown

Mr. & Mrs. Chris Brubaker

Raymond Bryant

Lucretia Burns

Mayrene Buxton

Terry & Barbara Campbell

Mr. & Mrs. William E. Campbell

Hamill B. Carey

Anne Carter

Antoinette Cheney

William B. Clark

Gladys Coins

Dr. & Mrs. F. Hammond Cole, Jr.

Dan Conaway

John Cothern

Larry Creson

Mr. & Mrs. George Crone, Jr.

Meg & Scott Crosby

Minetry Apperson-Crowley

Diana Crump

Betty Darden

Mr. & Mrs. P.C. Davis

Helen Denman

Lorina Dudkin

Peggy Dufek

Mr. & Mrs. Robert Duggan, Jr.

Mimi Galloway Duncan

Becky & Nick Dunn

Catherine Meachum Durgin

Winston & Elizabeth Eggleston

Ron Ester

Michael Fisher & Carolyn Sweeny-Fisher

William Frazer

Catherine Freeburg

Nelson Freeburg

S.V. Fuller

Barry & Marjorie Gerald

Kathy Buckman Gibson

James & Lucia Gilliland

Mr. & Mrs. Robert Gooch, Jr.

Mr. & Mrs. Robert Gooch, III

Mary J. Gray

Diane Hall

Wick Halliday

Omie Harding

Judith Harrison

Mary Hatch

Bill Hayley

Walker Hays

Hettie Hayslip

Leigh N. Hersey

Michael Hewgley

Sam & Jane Hollis

Sara Holmes

 Michael Hong

Dr. Sigmund Hudson

R.W. Jones, Jr.

Gail Karr

Sharon Kelso

Shirley W. Kerr

Dorothy Orgill Kirsch

Henry Klein

Donna Kuhn

Louis Kummerer

Barney Kyzar

Norma Lake

Maury Landry

Florence Leffler

Mary Ellen Leftwich

Nell Levy

Mr. & Mrs. Barry Lincoln

William & Mary Loveless

C. Bruce Lynch, D.D.S.

Allen Malone

George & Susan Malone

Jerry & Elizabeth Marshall

Elizabeth Martin

John & Susan McAdoo

Kimberly McCollum

Betty McGeorge

Barbara McGregor

Susan & Roger McInnis

Bill & Dana McKelvy

Robert McKinney

Virginia O. McLean

Jean Meaney

Rear Adm. & Mrs. Joseph Miller

Charlotte Mooney Milnor

Sean & Deborah Morissey

Jerome Morrison

Mr. & Mrs. Frederick L. Muller

John Ralph Muller

Ann Murphy

Dot Neale

Mary B. Neely

Stephen & Mary Nelson

Edward Newton

Margaret & Lytle Nichol

Besty Nichols

Jo Nichols

Harriet Nolan

Louise & Raymond Norton

Kittie Nowlin

Carol Murff Oates

Carlisle S. Page

Mike & Ilinda Parham

Deanie Parker

Frances Perkins

Lawrence Peterson

Elizabeth Petty

Marc Pons

Maryanna Popper

Lewis & Jean Presley

Bill & Leslie Pretsch

Merrie Prewett

 Mr. & Mrs. J.A. Prewitt

Meredith Pritchartt

Mr. & Mrs. William Quinlen

Ruth A. Racely

Dr. & Mrs. E.W.  Reed

Michael Richards

Arthur Richert, Jr.

Lois Robbins

Rita Robison

Betty & George Rodgers

Margaret Salmon

John Sargent

Mary Saunders

Jody Schmidt

Cathy & Bill Schrader

Mr. & Mrs. Walter Scott, Jr.

Carol Sheffield

Agnes May Short

Jean Sights

Kathleen Sims

Katherine Skefos

Kathryn Skinner

Raymond Smelley

Bonnie & Chapman Smith

Ham & Katherine Smythe

Brinkley Snowden, Jr.

The St. Clair Family

Robert Stalls

Nancy Steinmacher

Fay Stewart

Huey & Norma Stewart

Emma Stotts

Elise Stratton

Geneva Stroud

Tom Sutton

Eunice Tenet

Betty Tong

Peggy Thomas

Mr. & Mrs. John Thomason

Henry Thompson

Martin Thompson

Michael & Tempe Thompson

Thomas Tweel

Mary Sue Turner

Rosa Valentine

James Vaughan

Dr. James Wade II

Hal Tabb Walker

Dr. & Mrs. Otis Warr III

Janice Warren

Anne Watson

Judge & Mrs. Harry Wellford

Anna White

Jessie K. Williams

Ruby Williams

Thomas M. Williams

Archie Willis II

Marc Willis

Rosalyn Willis

Mrs. John M. Wilson

Marguerite Wilson

"Please share the pictures I will be forwarding to you with Mr. Todd Fox. As you might remember, when my father died in January my 10 year old son, Duncan, suggested that we bury his grandfather at Elmwood. His 4th grade class at St.  Dominic's School had recently taken a field trip to Elmwood and he had a great experience and came home with wonderful stories of Memphis history. Your tour guide made an incredible impression with our son as he spoke with
such passion and enthusiasm about Elmwood and all the possible places within the cemetery to bury my father and his grandfather.

You may recall when we drove around with Mr Todd Fox, my son had narrowed his choices down to plots near the swing, or the man who did not like pigeons, or the man with his fingers crossed behind his back. Near the swing was the obvious choice  once my sister and I toured the cemetery with Todd.

The Saturday before Easter we enjoyed a great afternoon with my dad and on the swing! It's great hearing children's laughter and seeing joyful smiles when I am there. Tell Todd the swing got a work out Saturday but the ropes were strong!  Thanks again. Below is a picture I took Saturday. Please share these with Todd as well as the others I forward. Thanks again."

Bill and Natasha Sublette

We are still in great need of tour guides during the week who can introduce Elmwood to the next generation. Twenty-one school groups, up to 150 students in many of them, will cross the bridge this Spring. It is so fun seeing their eyes marvel at the monuments and statuary, the likes of which they have never seen before. The questions they ask can also set you back on your heels; my favorite had to be, “Since you work in a cemetery, have you ever seen God?” The answer is I see Him everyday, in every face of every visitor who arrive from all over the globe, in the beauty of a blooming Spring and even in the soaking rains that keep Elmwood so divinely green. Being a tour guide is one of the most rewarding experiences you can give, not only to the wide-eyed children, but also to yourself.

Yet the Elmwood experience doesn’t stop there. Elmwood Historian Jorja Frazier is in great need of office help. Having collected over 4,000 obituaries, we now need someone to file them in the vault, so future generations can access the stories of their relatives. In addition, the monthly Lunch and Lecture series could use help distributing the deli lunches and soft drinks. The popular Valentine and Christmas teas would also benefit from assistant tea-makers and dessert-bakers.

Finally, Elmwood’s arms reach broadly into the neighborhood, as we attempt to clean the main entrance to the cemetery all the way to Crump as best as possible, so guests and funeral processions can make their sojourn in relative neatness. It certainly takes a village of volunteers who lovingly devote their time, energy, and heart to helping us preserve our past for the sake of the future. Please consider giving a little time to Elmwood in memory of the people who rest here who gave so much to Memphis. Just give Cookie a call at 774-3212 or email cookie [at] elmwoodcemetery [dot] org.

The staff and volunteers of Elmwood have led approximately a million (give or take a thousand) history-based tours of the cemetery. One would think after years of leading tours, burn-out would occur. How many times can one tell the same story before it grows tiresome? 

The answer is never.

Walking through the cemetery yesterday, the group commented on how refreshing it was to leave the confines of the Cottage and be outside once again among the flowering Tulip Poplars and Rebuds. In the overcast light, century-old monuments seem to reveal themselves to those of us who are the most familiar with the grounds, and we found ourselves pointing out "new" things to each other. Here was a monument embedded with primrose and a weeping willow that we hadn't noticed; here again, a perfectly white, minature marble lamb, reminding us of the children we guard in perpetuity.

Yesterday we learned of the immigrants from Scotland and Ireland who helped to build the city. Some would become mayors in their lifetimes. Others, Civil War Generals, yellow fever heroes, doctors, and bankers. One would build the Mallory-Neely House. Another would found the Leath Orphan Asylum. 

There is never a moment when leading tour groups or learning new tours becomes dull. Consider becoming a volunteer tour guide at Elmwood Cemetery and your efforts will reward you in ways you cannot anticipate. 

I assure you, that's been our experiece.  

http://ilovememphisblog.com/2011/02/get-hitched-10-uniquely-memphis-places-to-get-married/

"I've been to Elmwood twice in the past six months. Before then, I am ashamed to say, I didn't even know it existed.

I am a 'graver'. I have loved and photographed funerary art for many years. So Elmwood should have been on my radar for that reason alone. It is a stunning presentation of funerary art that has evolved over decades, and is immaculately maintained.

I found Elmwood because I was searching for my g-g-g grandfather's date and location of death, and his place of burial. It took me two years of looking off and on until I finally misspelled his surname badly enough for a Google search engine to give me some valid results.

Nathaniel C. Callaway (1819-1862) went off to fight in the CSA on 6 Mar 1862. He enlisted in his home town of Arkadelphia, in Clark County, AR. His youngest child had just celebrated his fourth birthday. Nathaniel and his wife Julia Ann had just buried their second child nine months earlier.

And he just never came back.

None of the descendants at the annual family reunion knew when or where he died or was buried. No one's parents knew what happened to him.

And I finally found him at Elmwood. Not only that, but one of his cousins. They were buried in the section called Confederate Soldiers' Rest.

So I rounded up a Callaway cousin and we came to see.

We discovered that Nathaniel C. and Levi A. Callaway's graves were not formally marked, but had the numbered concrete markers installed on all the Confederate graves in 1886. So we ordered their military markers from the VA.

And waited.

From the very beginning, our experience with Elmwood has been marvelous. We have now been to Elmwood twice, and enjoyed the hospitality and professionalism of your staff - from the front office all the way to the cemetery Superintendent, Todd Fox. In addition, I've had perhaps a half dozen telephone conversations and email exchanges with your staff that expedited setting up a date to watch Mr. Fox install gravestones on our Callaway ancestors' graves.

Nearly a century and a half after they died, we now have photos of their properly marked graves in the shade of wondrous magnolias. I am grateful that our Callaway men who died so far from home have such a lovely resting place. Almost next to each other.

Please share this letter and my thanks and appreciation with everyone who works so hard to make Elmwood the fine cemetery that it is.

Sincerely,

Dee Blakely" 

Frankly, Vincent hit the nail on the head. Every day I meet people who have never been to the cemetery, not for a funeral service, a tour, or just to wander the grounds, and it excites me! It's the staff's chance to introduce Elmwood to new visitors and show them what is undoubtedly the most beautiful place in the city of Memphis.

All of this underscores what Vincent said, though, and that's the idea that Elmwood is closed for new business.

The truth is that Elmwood is old, yes - 159 years old, in fact - and that there are 75,000 people who rest beneath our ancient trees. There's room for 15,000 more, though.

Fifteen thousand might sound like plenty, but it isn't, not when you stop and think about it. The greater Metropolitan Memphis area has an estimated population of 1.2 million people. The number of spaces left at Elmwood represents 0.013% of that population. That's not a lot.

Elmwood has been around for a long time and it is not closing up shop, not now or ever. The Return to Elmwood Endowment Campaign has assured us of that. There is more activity going on at Elmwood and the surrounding neighborhood than there has been in well over 50 years. The history of Elmwood is secure.

I welcome one and all to visit Elmwood. If your find yourself drawn to this quietly enchanted place and are interested in becoming an Elmwood Family by purchasing a lot, let us know. We will help.  

Wow! It's at that moment that the staff takes it upon themselves to make sure that we meet the pressing need of revealing a deeper story of Memphis to our guest.

Have you ever been to Elmwood? Maybe one of your children have come on a history-based tour through the Virginia B. McGehee Youth Education Program, or maybe you've heard about "those tours where people dress up."

If you haven't visited Elmwood, please consider this an invitation. We would love to meet you. Our highly-rated Audio Tour (don't take our word for it. Visit http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g55197-d562141-Reviews-Elmwood_Cemetery-Memphis_Tennessee.html to see what others have said about this tour) of the grounds, which lasts only one hour, is a fantastic way to get to know the history of Memphis, and Elmwood. The way it works: for $10, you rent a CD and a map. Pop the CD into your car and begin the tour. For 58 minutes, you'll move through the cemetery at a leisurely pace, visiting some of the most breathtaking monuments and magnificent trees you'll see in Memphis.

And then, once the tour is over, we hope you'll stop in the Cottage and let us know what you think.

Be prepared, though. Once you drive over the cemetery bridge and onto the grounds of Elmwood, you'll be amazed, and you'll probably want to see it again, and again.

And we would love to have you. 

Those of us who have the rare and special privilege of working at Elmwood recognize that we are the keepers of these memories. We want to bring these memories to everyone who wants to listen. And so, coming soon we will be unveiling a new way to share your memories with others through Elmwood's website.

Until then, please gather up your family's story and get ready to share it with us. We can't wait to hear from you.

  http://www.wakesomebodyup.com/ranting/marking-history/

We hope that you will read it. It's an original take on what's so special about Elmwood Cemetery.  

Congratulations to Damon Lipinski who won the race with a time of 19:41.  We will plant a tree of his choosing on the cemetery grounds later this year.  The finishing times of the participants are listed below.

Damon Lipinski:  19:42

Jen Barker:  21:55

Jayne Gipson: 23:15

Kenneth Herringdine: 23:21

Eric Hight: 24:04

Kenny Hight: 25:52

Rebecca May: 29:21

Maureen Holland: 34:48

Taylor Williams: 34:48

Kaylie Hight: 36:11

Lara Charbonnet: 36:40

Hazel Ogdon: 37:49

Linda Lipinski: 43:57

Diane Long: 48:30

Roseanne Russell: 48:30 

Leigh Hersey: 48:32

Brandon Marshall: 53:10

Janis Lamar: 1:00:57

For more information about the Arbor Day 5K, please contact the Elmwood Office at 901-774-3212.  We hope to see you at the finish line next year!

"The heck with melting pot,"  she once wrote.  "If you want to melt and fit into my mold, if  you want to adopt my values and way of life, go right ahead, but don't expect me to melt to fit into yours."

Sr. Thea helped to found and served on the faculty of Xavier University in New Orleans, the only black Catholic university in the Western hemisphere.  She also served as the director of the Office of Intercultural Affairs of the Diocese of Jackson, MS in addition to recording two albums of spirituals.   Shortly before her death, she was interviewed by Mike Wallace on "60 Minutes." 

Sr. Thea passed away on March 30, 1990 at the age of 52.  She was eulogized as a poet, preacher and master teacher blessed with an extraordinary voice.  Today, Sr. Thea is recognized for her work to build bridges between the races.  A number of schools across the country are named in her honor.  She is remembered each year on March 30th with a graveside Mass at Elmwood Cemetery. 

Nothing about this dish is healthy. 

Methodist Potluck Spaghetti Casserole

1 box Kraft Tangy Italian spaghetti dinner (it comes in a green box and if you go to Kroger on Poplar Avenue it's next to the macaroni)

1.5 pounds of ground beef

3 eight ounce cans of roma tomato sauce

4 ounces of cream cheese 

8 ounces of small curd cottage cheese

8 ounces of sour cream 

Optional: 1 small red onion, sauteed  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Start your water boiling for the pasta in the Kraft box. If you are adding the optional onion, sautee it now in 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the ground beef and brown it, breaking up the lumps. 

Carefully drain all of the fat from the ground beef. Add the tomato sauce and seasoning packet from the Kraft box.

Mix together the cream cheese, cottage cream and cream cheese.

When the pasta is done, drain it and put it in a 9x13 baking dish. Spread the cheese mixture over the pasta, and then spread the meat sauce over the cheese mixture. Sprinkle the packet of Parmesan cheese all over the top. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.

This casserole freezes well, and when it is doubled it feeds at least 20 people.

Enjoy. 

The name Elmwood conjures up images of a park-like setting, sweeping vistas and majestic shade trees.  The name was actually drawn from a hat, and while the cemetery stockholders were said to be pleased with the name, they quickly placed an order for some elm trees to be sent from New York to be planted among the existing trees.  Samuel Phillips, who was superintendent from 1866-1878, is credited with choosing and planting many of the trees on the grounds.  For many years, the trees were left to grow on their own, but in 1995, the Board of Trustees recognized the need to maintain the existing trees and expand the collection. Hundreds of trees were personally planted by Trustee Carlisle S. Page and in recognition of his efforts, the grounds were designated as an arboretum named in his honor. 

Today, Elmwood is home to over 1500 trees and the collection is still growing.  Through the Plant-a-Memory program, Elmwood encourages families to plant hardwood and ornamental trees in memory of their loved ones interred here.  Our goal is to increase the variety of specimens on the property and apply for Level 3 Arboretum certification from the State of Tennessee. 

There are plenty of ways you can help us preserve the trees at Elmwood.  In April, the cemetery hosts the Arbor Day 5K which raises funds for tree maintenance.  A tree is planted on the grounds each year in honor of the winner.  If you are interested in learning more about the trees, we offer guided tours of the Arboretum twice a year.  The next tour is in May, when the spring color display should be in full bloom.  And if you just want to drive around the cemetery on your own, the grounds are open every day from 8:00 am-4:30 pm.      

Elmwood has collected the stories of the people who are buried here for many years.  Our mission is to share these stories so that we never forget those who went before us.

This past year, Andrew Douglas Mills was laid to rest at Elmwood. Andrew was a relative of Azul, the last wife of prominent Apache warrior Geronimo.  As such, Andrew was recognized as a member of the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma.  According to tribal information, Azul was captured by Mexicans as a young girl and learned to speak fluent Spanish.  She finally escaped and returned to her people.  She married Geronimo at Fort Sill around 1907 and lived with him until he died in 1909, tending him in his last illness.   

If you have any stories of those buried here that you would like to share, please email them to historian [at] elmwoodcemetery [dot] org. Photographs are welcome. 

Dunbar Abston Jr.

Mr. & Mrs. B, Adams, Jr.

Lorin Allen, Jr.

Mary Alquist

Mr. & Mrs. T. Alston

Viola Amos

Minetry Apperson

Mr. & Mrs. G. Armistead

Jeanne Arthur

Mr. & Mrs. John Austin Jr.

Mr. & Mrs. Ted Bailey

Dianne Baker

Christine Baker

Shirley Barber

Melissa Barlow

Rachel Barlow

Maria Barreras

Beatrice Bartle

Mr. & Mrs. E. Warner Bass

William Bauer

Anne Beaty

Helen Beedy

Georgia Bell

Meryl Benson

Ceylon & Lucy Blackwell

Hon. & Mrs. G. Blancett

Mary P. Boothe

Thomas Boschert

Helen Bowen

Brenda Boyd

George Brantley Jr.

Bert Brown

Elizabeth Brown

Frances Brown

LaVern Brown

Raymond Bryant

Edna Burnett

Jo Ann Burns

Joseph Burns

Lucretia Burns

Mayrene Buxton

Cabel Jones Jr.

Mrs. Paul Calame, Sr.

Mr. & Mrs. H. Calhoun

Mrs. Frank Campbell

Wilma Campbell

Rosie Canada

Dorothy Chiles

Charlotte Clark

June Clark

Lora Cobb

Mary Coe

Rosievell Cole

John & Betty Collins

Sarah Coleman

Van & Barbara Conaway

Martha Cone

Mr. & Mrs. J. Cothern

William Crawford

Mr. & Mrs. E. Crenshaw

Lucille Crouch

Rosa Dancy

Betty Darden

Mr. & Mrs. C. Davis

Mrs. Henry Davis

Mary de Gunzburg

Mr. & Mrs. G. Dendrinos

Helen Denman

Lewis Donelson

Jerry Douglass

Lorina Dudkin

Peggy Dufek

Mimi Duncan

Mr. & Mrs. W. Dyker

George Easley

Mrs. Robert Ehrhardt

Roy Eliff

Ronald Ester

Virginia Fagerberg

John Farris

Helen Faulk

Rev. & Mrs. W. Fears

Annette Floyd

Mamie Foster

Ernestine Fox

Rudell Forrest

Mr. & Mrs. J. Franklin Jr.

Doris Fulmer

Pete Futris, Jr.

Kathy Buckman Gibson

Camille Gotten

Mr. & Mrs. W. Goyer

Bill Graves

Mr. & Mrs. J. Gregory, IV

Elizabeth Grobmyer

Mr. & Mrs. Bob Halbach

Mrs. Dorothy Halliday

Mr. & Mrs. E. Halliday

Mrs. James Hammond

Omie Harding

Vivian H. Harris

Jean Gray Harvey

Will & Trish Hayley

Mr. & Mrs. Harry Hays

Mr. & Mrs. J. W. Hays III

Hettie Hayslip

Emily Haizlip

Mr. & Mrs. H. Haizlip III

Ann Hightower

George Hightower

Mr. & Mrs. Sam Hollis

Ann Hughes

Rosemary Hugo

Robert Jack, Jr.

Madeleine Jehl

Anita Jenkins

Mrs. William Johns, Sr.

Mr. & Mrs. Roy Johnson

Norma Johnston

Ella Jones

Richard Jones

Roland Jones

Sharon Kelso

Dorothy Kennon

Shirley Kerr

Mr. & Mrs. Lawson Kidd

Mr. & Mrs. L. Kummerer

Hon. Robert Lanier

Will Leatherman

Margaret Lee

Florence Leffler

Louise Leffler

Anita LeFlore

Thelma Lewis

Mrs. F. Liebkemann

Mr. & Mrs. Barry Lincoln

Prescott Little Jr.

Betty & Chris Luhrs

George Malone

Mr. & Mrs. C. Marks

Ellen Martin

Ned Maxwell

Scott May

Elizabeth McCallen

Barbara McGregor

Mr. & Mrs. R. McInnis

Kathleen McKenna

Caroline McKinney

Robert McKinney

Tina McWhorter

Robert Mercer

Rear Adm. & Mrs. J Miller

Mr. & Mrs. W. Milnor

Pat Moody

Mr. & Mrs. A. Morgan Jr.

Marion Morgan

Jane Moore

Madeleine Moore

Sean Morrissey

Jerome Morrison, Sr.

Ann Morton

Maria Munguia

Mr. & Mrs. J. Muller

Shirley Nelson

Betsy Nichols

Mr. & Mrs. M. Nichols

Mathew Nichols Jr.

Mrs. Peter Norfleet

Harriet Nolan

Raymond Norton

Kittie Nowlin

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Oates

Dr. Evelyn Ogle

Emmett O’Ryan

Jane Osborne

Mrs. John Overton

Mr. & Mrs. James Owen

Ann Page

Gloria Parker

William Parker

Frances Patterson

Vivian Pearson

Mr. & Mrs. James Perkins

Mrs. Harry Phillips, Sr.

Katharine Phillips

Mable Phillips

Sisty Phillips

Virginia Pickens

Mr. & Mrs. C. Pierce Jr.

Sandra Polk

Marc Pons

Mr. & Mrs. J.W. Porter

Merrie Prewett

Mr. & Mrs. Van Raby

Mary Reed

Claire Reid

James Register, Jr.

Jean Reynolds

Beatrice Rhine

Michael Richards

Mrs. Arthur Richert Jr.

Linda Ricketts

Kenneth Riggs

Billie Roberson

Gloria Roberts

Ruth Rook

Mr. & Mrs. R. Ryan

Margaret Salmon

Agnes Short

Mary Simpson

Katherine Skefos

Fred Smith

Hazel Smith

Mr. & Mrs. B. Snowden

Mr. & Mrs. Pete Soro

Vande Southerland

Robert Stalls

Cynthia St. Clair

Jean St. Clair

Elise Stratton

Dorothy Stoeser

Emma Stotts

Hon. & Mrs. R. Sugarmon

Tom Sutton

Annie Thomason

Charles Thompson

Henry Thompson

Mary Thompson

Valerie Thompson

Barbara Thurmond

Dr. Angela Terry

Mr. & Mrs. Carroll Todd

Betty Tong

Bettye Trammell

Mr. & Mrs. G. Trimbach

Mary Turner

Peter Turner

Rosa Valentine

Stuart Vance

Boyd Wade, Jr.

Dr. James Wade

Mable Wallace

Betty Watkins

High Webb

Mr. & Mrs. Wayne West

Frank Whatley

Lorraine White

Bennie Williams

Jacquelyn Williams

Katie Williams

Mary Williams

Mr. & Mrs. R. Williams

Ruby Williams

Thomas Williams

John Williamson

Dr. Miriam Willis

Margaret Wilson

Natalie Wilson

William Wilson

Mr. & Mrs. Buford Witt

Drs. C. & M. Woodall

Calvin Woodard

Lucy Woodson

Dorothy Wright

Luke Wright

Gloria Wyatt

Mrs. John Wyckoff II

Jacquelyn Yancey

Clara Yerger

The purpose of this blog is to keep you informed of what is happening at Elmwood with our historical and genealogy research, archival work, special events and tours.  

We hope to utilize this blog to answer recurring questions, too, so don't be surprised if you email the staff a question and it ends up as the topic of a blog post! 

Thank you for your interest in and support of Elmwood Cemetery.