"If Tombstones Could Talk"

THREE LAKES, WI - Tuesday, July 01, 2008 - On July 12, 2008, the Three Lakes Genealogical Society will be sponsoring a historical Cemetery Walk entitled "If Tombstones Could Talk."

It's puzzling that people in Ironwood are all up in arms because the Parks and Recreation Committee is creating a walking trail along the Montreal River on the outer border of the Riverside Cemetery. Most communities encourage people to tour their cemeteries. Tombstones are fantastic historical markers that have valuable information which can enrich our knowledge of the past. Isn't the purpose of a gravestone marker to honor those that have died? Why would you make a marker if you didn't want people to look at it?

Some people view tours are being disrespectful to the dead. One could argue that tours and such events actually honor the lives of those buried at the Cemetery. It would be safe to assume that a historian like Larry Peterson could really enlighten the public about what actually happened in the past, and seeing tombstones of the dead shows young people that death is merely a part of life.