Dear Ancestor

Your tombstone stands among the rest,
neglected and alone.
The name and date are chisled out
on polished marbled stone.
It reaches out to all who care.

It is too late to morn.
You did not know that I exist.
You died and I was born.
Yet each of us are cells of you in flesh,

in blood, in bone.
Our blood contracts and beats
a pulse entirely not our own.
Dear ancestor, the place you filled

one hundred years ago.
Speads out among the ones you left
who would have loved you so.
I wonder if you lived and loved.

I wonder if you knew.
That someday I would find this spot,
and come to visit you.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN

Support The Minden Cemetery Association

Many of you may not realize how expensive the upkeep of a cemetery is. We ask that you support our efforts to keep this historic cemetery and final resting place of so many of Minden’s finest citizen’s in good shape for future generations. We spend quite a lot of money just in mowing our 30 plus acres. This job is quite labor intensive and requires several people to keep the lawn and weeds in check. There are so many other projects that we would love to tackle but we do not have the funds to begin the work. For one we would like to build a grave locator kiosk. With GPS ability now the graves would have GPS coordinates to go along with the names and sections. We would also like to install gates and an iron fence along the old side of the cemetery along Bayou Avenue to stop vandalism. This is a very expensive project that again is on hold due to lack of funding. A marker repair project is also on hold. If you have family members buried at the Minden Cemetery we would hope that you will support our efforts. Mail your check to:
Minden Cemetery Association
1000 Broadway

Minden, Louisiana 71055


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Funding provided in part by the Webster Parish Convention and Visitors Commission

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Don't Miss The 2009 Ghost Walk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday November 14th, 2009
The Minden Cemetery Ghost Walk “Living History Lesson”
Website: www.mindencemetery.blogspot.com
Price: $10 adults / $4 children under 12 Location: Old Minden Cemetery off Pine St. on Bayou Avenue in Minden, La.Contact #: Schelley Brown (318) 423-0192 CellTime: Noon – last tour starts at 3 p.m.Email: iluvoldcars@yahoo.comThe 6th Annual 2009 Minden Cemetery Ghost WalkDon’t miss the 6th annual Living History Lesson “Ghost Walk”

This year promises to be the biggest and best to date. The tour will begin at Noon with the last tour starting at 3:00 p.m. and lasting a little over an hour. (Event Held Rain Or Shine) The annual tour in its sixth year is expected to double the number of visitors that attended in 2008 from a vast area. Schelley Brown, tour organizer, said, “Last year at noon, people began to line up in anticipation of being the first to see these living history tours. The 2008 tour brought people to Minden from North Carolina, Oklahoma, Florida, Texas, Arkansas and Nebraska to see their ancestors portrayed. This year the tour already has one family bringing in over 30 family members from as far away as California.” Brown estimated that the crowds have increased from year to year as well as the amount of money raised for the Cemetery Association, a non profit organization that was formed many years ago to help maintain the perpetual care of one of Minden’s oldest burial places.This year the tour will have many new Ghosts and all new history lessons from many new actors and actresses in period costume portraying Minden’s past leading citizens. You will definitely get a lot of entertainment and a lot of history in this year’s tour as you watch some of our new actors including Judge Harmon & Jean Drew and Lee Estabrook. Ghost Walk is as if you are stepping back in time as you listened to the stories being told. It’s an amazing sight to behold as your tour guide escorts you to each historical scene. Many of the tour sites this year will include historical props to go along with the history being told. A few of our actors are actual decedents of the people they are portraying. In a little over an hour, you can see Confederate soldiers along with early business leaders, teachers, doctors and politicians. This is a rare opportunity to learn about our past community leaders, citizens and history of our town. Ghost Walk teaches you how Minden’s women and men endured through great hardships and strived to overcome great obstacles to make our town what it is today.“We hope to have some extra treats for our visitors this year,” Brown stated. “With many new stops this year, it will be hard to pick your favorite.” Brown also stated that she could not do any of this without all the talented people and guides who volunteer their time and efforts to make this annual tour a huge success. The members of the Minden Cemetery board also want to thank the Webster Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Dorcheat Historical Association Museum and the Minden Historic Residential Association for their support of this event. If you missed the tour last year, you don’t want to miss it this year. For more information on the Minden Cemetery located on Bayou Avenue and the annual tour, visit http://www.mindencemetery.blogspot.com/ or you can contact Schelley Brown at 318-423-0192 or iluvoldcars@yahoo.com .

Ghost Walk Line Up For 2009

1. Alberta Glass
2. Mattie Connell Fort
3. Mrs. Alma Bright Fuller
4. Clifton Henry Ardis
5. Richard Cleveland Drew and Katie Caldwell Drew
6. Lucy Hadley Rathbun
7. Confederate Trench
8. Ollie Turner Baugh

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