Blog
Meet Howard
June 14th, 2010
The newest member of the Elmwood staff is Howard. He adopted Elmwood over the winter months of 2009. Howard lives in and around the Cottage. Please stop by and visit him.
2010 Arbor Day 5K results
May 10th, 2010
The 3rd Annual Arbor Day 5K was held on a wet and windy evening in April 2010. Although the weather was rough at times, the skies cleared just in time for the race. Thank you so much to our sponsors and all those who participated in the event.
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!
In Memory of Sr. Thea Bowman
March 31st, 2010
Sr. Thea was a well-known educator, evangelist, and gospel singer. Born in Canton, MS, she converted to Catholicism as a child and was later ordained as a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration. As the only African-American member of the order, she incorporated traditional African rituals and dances as well as African-American folk songs into the traditional Mass.
"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.
Methodist Potluck Spaghetti Casserole by Kim McCollum
March 25th, 2010
We host many events at Elmwood that include lunch or dinner. The staff donates their time and cooks quite a few of these meals. We are complimented often on the dishes that we serve, and we've had people ask for the following recipe. It's called Methodist Potluck Spaghetti Casserole because I was raised in the Methodist Church and I spent many, many evenings at our church for potluck dinners. I've eaten my fair share of casseroles, and this one is one of my all-time favorites. I didn't invent this recipe and I don't know who did, but I am glad to share it.
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 trees of Elmwood
February 26th, 2010
Spring is coming. The weather may be cold outside but signs of spring are appearing daily at Elmwood. The daffodils have started to poke through the soil and in the next few weeks, the pink and white blooms of the Saucer Magnolias will dot the landscape. Spring is a beautiful time at Elmwood, thanks in part to the many different varieties of trees planted on the grounds.
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.