History, rather than haunting, purpose of Oct. 12 cemetery tour

Through her venture, Echoes of the Past Cemetery Tours, Ashley Thompson will provide a rare opportunity for the community to learn about the lives of several former residents who are now departed. A rain date is set for Nov. 2.

DONIPHAN, Mo. — Ashley Thompson acknowledges that an evening visit to a cemetery can be an eerie experience for some people. However, her reason for coordinating a cemetery walk Oct. 12 has nothing to do with haunting, but everything to do with history.

Thompson has been “digging up” details about some of the fascinating people who are buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery, which is located on the northern edge of the city of Doniphan.

Through her venture, Echoes of the Past Cemetery Tours, Thompson hopes to share stories of the departed with a group of 30 other graveyard tourists. 

The journey will begin around dusk. 

Participants will meet in the Lutheran Church parking lot at 5 p.m., to organize and sign an accident waiver.

“This is typical for cemetery walks because the grounds are uneven, and it will be dusk to dark while we are walking,” explains Thompson.

Those who want to join the walk must visit the Current River Heritage Museum and purchase their $7 tickets. That must be done before 3 p.m., on Oct. 11.

The money will be used to repair and clean headstones in Oak Ridge Cemetery, many of which need a little bit of TLC.

“Some of them are no longer legible and in need of a good cleaning,” says Thompson.

She hopes to have other such events, perhaps two per year, and eventually funds would be used to provide a stone for an unmarked grave.

During the Oct. 12 tour Thompson plans to “resurrect” the histories of five or six people. 

Among them will be a young man who died in the historic West Plains dance hall explosion; a former resident who was a three-term US Congressman and Ripley County Judge; a former country doctor who served in the Civil War; a famous Dutch artist who married a local girl and finished out his days in Doniphan; and a Civil War Colonel who helped bring the railroad into town.

Two of the stories will be shared by re-enactors in uniform.

Thompson will also share the local legend of Belle Neal and explain the origin of some of the symbols often seen on older stones.

She says for the most part walkers will stay on the main path, only being straying long enough to visit the select graves she will be speaking about.

Thompson advises participants to come wearing sturdy shoes and/or boots. Lights will be provided.

Although the Oak Ridge cemetery is the first to be toured, Thompson says she hopes to gradually branch out to others.

She says, all of the departed “have stories, and deserve to be remembered.” 

Thompson says she loves history, and learning about people who have lived here before us.

When you visit a cemetery at night, there will likely be goose bumps, as light, and shadows and shapes cause the mind to play tricks.

“Cemeteries are both fun and eerie after dark,” says Thompson, with an arch grin.