Boo! – Cemeteries

Cemetery Hill

When I think of places that a lot people died during a lot of fighting, one of the places that come to mind is Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  Cemetery Hill had so many people that died during the Battle of Gettsyburg that it’s hard for me to wrap my mind around it.  There were so many bodies that it was hard to bury everyone in a timely manner.  You can imagine the smell that overcame the land.  There are still reports today of people smelling death.  And you know what they say about unrested bodies, they become ghosts forever looking for redemption.

Hollywood Forever Cemetery

A famous cemetery that mom would  like to visit is in Los Angeles, California.  (I know – she’s weird like that.  She finds walking through the cemeteries as calming as walking on a beach.  Go figure – she’s my mom.)  Hollywood Forever Cemetery is the final resting place of many celebrities over the years.   I’ll need to break down a listing of more important graves here later on in the month.  For now though, let’s concentrate on some hauntings of the cemetery.  A famous person known to haunt here is Clifton Webb.  People at the cemetery claim to hear voices and lights near the Abbey of the Psalms Mausoleum.  A story that intrigues me that I’ve seen on television numerous times is the crypt of Rudolph Valentino.  For years on the anniversary of his death, a lady dressed in black would be seen wearing a veil to cover her face at his crypt leaving a single red rose.  No one really knew for sure who this person was and still today the tradition of leaving a single red rose continues on his anniversary.

Bonaventure Cemetery

And I must end this stroll through the cemeteries at one of mom/dad’s most famous places in Savannah, Georgia at Bonaventure Cemetery.  Did you know that this cemetery had the “Bird Girl” statue that is the photograph of the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil?  I say had now because it has since been moved to a museum nearby but there are still some amazing tombs and headstones left.  Mom/dad have spent multiple days and hours strolling through and visiting with the folks still there.  One of the famous haunts is of little Gracie Watson who died of pneumonia when she was only six years old.  Currently they have her grave fenced off… is that to keep people from touching her little statue or from keeping little Gracie from touching you?   There’s also the hell hounds that local legend have talked about.  People claim to hear them snarling but no one ever sees them.  Perhaps they feel the hot breath of a dog on their ankles letting them know they need to step back.  You think?