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250 years ago, America was an idea. Today, it’s millions of stories! This week, we go back to a few of them we've covered on the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast, beginning with Kurt Deion, who spent his childhood visiting presidential graves and now cares for the stories of thousands of Americans at Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC. We travel through the Wild West with "Bulldogging" Bill Pickett, one of our country's most famous black cowboys. Of course, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania plays a pivotal role in the American story, and so we revisit our conversation with Nancy Goldenberg and Sarah Hamill, Stewards of Laurel Hill Cemetery. You'll also hear some of Major Pauline Cushman's story, told by MJ Henion, as a spy for the Union during the American Civil War, and we cover the death of a Revolutionary War soldier buried at Whitehall Burial Ground in Mystic, Connecticut, whose death was brought about by the traitorous Benedict Arnold!

We wish you all a very safe and happy 4th of July! Happy birthday, America!

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

Links to the full episodes mentioned in this episode:

Episode 191 - An Independence Day Chat with Presidential Grave Hunter Kurt Deion https://www.theordinaryextraordinarycemetery.com/episode-191-an-independence-day-chat-with-presidential-grave-hunter-kurt-deion/

Episode 162 - Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: A Conversation with Laurel Hill’s Stewards https://www.theordinaryextraordinarycemetery.com/episode-162-laurel-hill-cemetery-in-philadelphia-pennsylvania-a-conversation-with-laurel-hills/

Episode 49 - Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Massachusetts https://www.theordinaryextraordinarycemetery.com/episode-49-sleepy-hollow-cemetery-in/

Episode 72 - “Bulldogging” Bill Pickett: Cowboy, Wild West Show Performer and Movie Star https://www.theordinaryextraordinarycemetery.com/episode-72-bulldogging-bill-pickett-cowboy-wild-west-show-performer-movie-star/

Episode 204 - From Stage to Spy: The Story of Major Pauline Cushman https://www.theordinaryextraordinarycemetery.com/episode-204-from-stage-to-spy-the-story-of-major-pauline-cushman/

Episode 119 - Whtehall Cemetery (Burial Ground) in Mystic, Connecticut https://www.theordinaryextraordinarycemetery.com/episode-119-whitehall-cemetery-burial-ground-in-mystic-connecticut/

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You’re walking through a 170-year-old cemetery and find a tombstone that’s… a desk? Welcome to Wyuka Cemetery in Nebraska City. The city itself was founded in 1855 after the U.S. Army abandoned Fort Kearny just eight years earlier. Thanks to its spot on the Missouri River, it became a boomtown before the turn of the 20th century, bringing in settlers, steamboats, and later the railroad.

One of those early families was the Hardings. Nehemiah and Mamie arrived that same year. He became the territory’s first insurance agent and opened Nebraska’s first bookstore. Together, they had 10 children and by the end of their lives were fondly remembered for their pioneering spirit. Their roll-top desk monument in Wyuka is a memorial to their family legacy, honoring their dedication to family and community.

Read more about some of the other fascinating monuments at Wyuka Cemetery in Nebraska City on the Adventures in Cemetery Hopping Blog written by Traci Rylands here: https://adventuresincemeteryhopping.com//?s=nebraska+city&search=Go

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

Resources used to research this episode include various digitized records found on Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.com as well as various historical newspaper articles and advertisements found on newspapers.com.

"Fort Kearny". nebraskastudies.org, https://nebraskastudies.org/en/1800-1849/forts-built/fort-kearny/. Accessed 21 June 2026.

"Nebraska Center for the Education of Children who are Blind or Visually Impaired". ncecbvi.org, https://www.ncecbvi.org/whoweare. Accessed 21 June 2026.

"Nebraska Cities by Population (2026)". nebraska-demographics.com, https://www.nebraska-demographics.com/cities_by_population. Accessed 21 June 2026.

"J. Sterling Morton: Founder of Arbor Day". nebraskastudies.org, https://nebraskastudies.org/en/1850-1874/j-sterling-morton-founder-of-arbor-day/. Accessed 21 June 2026.

"History of Nebraska City". nebraskacityne.gov, https://nebraskacityne.gov/community/history.php. Accessed 21 June 2026.

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Happy belated Flag Day! On this week’s Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast, Dianne and Jennie are honoring the women behind the American flag. You know Betsy Ross, but do you know Mary Pickersgill and Grace Wisher? Did Betsy Ross really make the first flag? And why does she have three possible burial sites in Philadelphia? And how did Mary Pickersgill, a widowed business owner, and Grace Wisher, a free young woman of color indentured to Mary, inspire Francis Scott Key to write the poem that became our National Anthem?

Jennie and Dianne weave together the myths, historical facts, and the graves that hold their stories while celebrating how these women, and so many others like them, literally stitched our country together!

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

Planning an overnight stay in Kearney, Nebraska? Book with the Heritage House! https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/15256246?source_impression_id=p3_1781800480_P3M2-1z61_DbCNx4

Resources used to research this episode include:

"The History and Evolution of the American Flag ." https://www.nationalflagfoundation.org/. 1 June 2026. www.nationalflagfoundation.org/flag-history-evolution/. Accessed 15 June 2026.

"Elizabeth “Betsy” Ross ." https://friendsofmountmoriahcemetery.org/. friendsofmountmoriahcemetery.org/about/notable-burials/elizabeth-betsy-ross/. Accessed 15 June 2026.

"Mary Pickersgill ." https://www.nps.gov/. 10 Oct. 2019. www.nps.gov/people/mary-pickersgill.htm. Accessed 15 June 2026.

"Grace Wisher ." https://www.nps.gov/. 5 Jan. 2021. www.nps.gov/fomc/learn/historyculture/grace-wisher.htm. Accessed 15 June 2026.

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