Historical Cemetery Walking Tour On October 29th Is A History Lesson For All

Anyone who has recently bumped into Bonnie Atchison in Columbiana may have noticed a difference in the way she speaks.  Don’t worry, she will eventually return to her normal voice, but from now until October 29^th Atchison will be practicing the distinctive way her late friend Jeannette Niven spoke.

Atchison, along with local actors and students from the Calera High School Drama Department, will be participating in the Historical Cemetery Walking Tour at the Columbiana City Cemetery. During the tour, actors will portray a selection of early residents interred at the cemetery.

The tour is a fundraiser for the Shelby County Museum & Archives. As executive director for the museum, I envision the tour as a way to celebrate the history of Shelby County. Because Columbiana has long been a center of influence as the county seat, many of the county’s most influential people from long ago are buried there.

High Praise For Cemetery Tour Received from Alabama Cemetery Preservation Alliance, Inc.

Ted Urquhart, President of the Alabama Cemetery Preservation Alliance, Inc., wrote the following letter to Columbiana Mayor Stancil Handley regarding the Historical Cemetery Walking Tour on October 29th. How wonderful it is to see this level of support and enthusiasm from such a highly respected authority!

Dear Mayor Handley,

I am told that you good folks are planning an evening tour of the Columbiana City Cemetery at the end of October. As President of the Alabama Cemetery Preservation Alliance, I can assure you that this is a great effort and service to undertake. In my travels around this and other states I have had occasion to witness the benefits of such tours. They bring awareness to the people in the community about the importance of remembering, reflecting and recalling the significance of those in the past who have contributed to the history of the area. There is no better way to involve people in honoring those who came before us than with a well-prepared tour of their final resting places. I further understand that young people from a local high school will be researching the lives of and contributions made by several early residents now interred in the cemetery and will be in costume portraying those individuals during the evening – Outstanding! This will serve to enhance their awareness of important historical moments and events and, hopefully, carry this “preserve the past for the future” theme forward into their adult lives.

I wanted to express my appreciation for the thoughtful preparation that is going into your tour on October 29th. I wish you absolute success and stand ready to contribute my experiences in any effective way I can. Again, thank you for what you are doing.

Ted Urquhart
President
Alabama Cemetery Preservation Alliance, Inc. (ACPA)

Tickets for the event can be purchased in Columbiana at Busy Hands Gallery or at the Shelby County Museum & Archives.  Or, you can click here to purchase online!