Fifteen Florida Cemeteries: Strange Tales Unearthed

by Lola Haskins

Florida’s buried history comes to life "Cemeteries are as much a place for the living as they are for the dead, and Lola Haskins brings to life some of the interesting people buried in Fifteen Florida Cemeteries . Along with local history information about the cemeteries and the towns where they’re located, she highlights fascinating stories of many people buried there. This book is a fun, informative read for those enamored with cemeteries."--Sharon DeBartolo Carmack, author of Your Guide to Cemetery Research "With a poet’s insight, Lola Haskins reveals varied chapters of Florida’s fascinating history in an unusual by visiting some of the state’s most distinctive cemeteries. Readers will find themselves in the company of a delightful guide with an eye for quirky details (the gravestone that reads ‘See Reverse Side’) and for spooky tales. But we also find in Haskins a sympathetic companion who understands the great issues of mortality and grief we confront in cemeteries."--Joy Wallace Dickinson, author of Remembering Orlando Lola Haskins takes readers on a tour like no other. Travelling to Florida’s most interesting cemeteries, she visits Napoleon’s nephew, tells the gruesome story of a man who dug up his love and lived with her for seven years, and even shares a murder mystery. Whether the final resting places of Civil War soldiers killed in battle or of the four-hundred-year-old remains of nuns peacefully interred by their shell-studded chapel, each plot has a unique story to tell. The 1918 flu epidemic, for example, comes alive in five graves behind a small white church overlooking the Santa Fe four children and their mother, dead within a week of each other. Each chapter features a substantial description of (and driving directions to) a particular location, an overview of the local community, and an extended profile of one of that cemetery’s most interesting "residents." Haskins also includes first-person reflections on mortality, on what it means to die and to grieve for the dead, and fact-filled discussions of changing burial practices and religious beliefs. She even visits a pet cemetery and a racehorse cemetery, sharing stories of a ghost dog and a horse that got a speeding ticket. Award-winning poet Lola Haskins has written twelve books and is a contributor to The Wild Heart of Florida .

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Death

208 pages, Paperback

First published March 27, 2011

Reviews

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've just started this fascinating book about cemeteries in my home state. Written by the great poet Lola Haskins, the approach to each place, each gravestone, each person is with reverence and wonder. I love how Haskins takes us on this journey with her. I've only just started it, but it is fabulous.

[Lisa James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fabulous! I love the way Haskins writes. First she profiles the area & the history of each cemetery's town/area, which is quite interesting in itself, then she spotlights one resident of each cemetery's life. I saw this book first on a list of books new to my local library, & immediately reserved it :) Since I live in Florida, I am familiar with several of the areas she chose to highlight in her book, & have heard at least ONE of these stories, the one at the end, of Count Von Cosel & Elena down in Key West.

I am looking forward to exploring several of the cemeteries that are profiled, & that are in a pretty close proximity to me!

[Alexander · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is kind of a strange book. There are some distracting errors that really should have been caught during the editing process, but ultimately, it's readable. What I like about the book is the information on the cemeteries and their histories. Several of them are pretty fascinating and I feel inspired to visit a few. The accompanying stories focusing on one individual grave from each cemetery was a great concept, but some of the stories are far better than others. One of them was completely fabricated. The author admitted this before telling the story, but I still thought it was a little weird. I also didn't quite enjoy the reverence expressed towards some of the confederate characters. While their stories may interesting, their actions and beliefs are most certainly not admirable. But that's just me. Overall, I thought the book was OK.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining. Haskins is a skilled story teller who displays humor and tact when describing these cemeteries and their more interesting inhabitants. Each chapter is a mini history of a Florida city and includes the stories of her favorite cemetery inhabitants from a soldier killed in Afghanistan who is buried in a green cemetery in Glendale, to a spunky Confederate widow in St. Augustine, to one of the Flying Wallendas in Bradenton.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful way to learn a little history and get to know about those old cemeteries.
Can't wait to hit the road and stop in on a few of these places.