Tui Snider - author & speaker

cemetery

Tombstone Tuesdays: Kathy Benjamin, author of “Funerals to Die For”

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[ Want a FREE booklet about cemetery symbols? click here. ]

Tombstone Tuesdays – a new streaming show!

Tombstone Tuesdays is a fun weekly show about historic cemeteries and those who love exploring them! Each week, I will interview a variety of guests about historic cemeteries, unique graveyards, funeral customs, research techniques, and other fascinating topics.

How to watch Tombstone Tuesdays?

Tui Snider’s Tombstone Tuesdays streams live on YouTube and Facebook. To see which show is coming next, visit my YouTube channel. On YouTube, you can even set a reminder for showtime.

What time is the live show? Every Tuesday: 4pm Central Time (5pm ET, 3pm MT, 2pm PT, 10pm UK)

Replays? You can catch show replays here: Tombstone Tuesdays

Show topic: Kathy Benjamin, author of “Funerals to Die For”

January 12, 2021 show: I’m excited to have the author of Funerals to Die For, Kathy Benjamin on the show to talk about her work:

Kathy Benjamin is a writer and editor at Grunge.com, and a former columnist at Cracked.com and MentalFloss.com. 

In 2013, Kathy wrote Funerals to Die For: The Craziest, Creepiest, and Most Bizarre Funeral Traditions and Practices Ever (Adams Media). She also contributed to Cracked.com’s publication The De-Textbook: The Stuff You Didn’t Know About the Stuff You Thought You Knew (Plume, 2013). Her new book, It’s Your Funeral: Plan the Celebration of a Lifetime Before It’s Too Late, is coming Summer 2021 from Quirk Books.

She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, Simon and her dog, Briscoe.

Social media:

 Twitter https://twitter.com/KathyBenjamin  
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kathythewriter

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kabenjamin18/

What are your questions for Kathy Benjamin?

What would you like me to ask Kathy Benjamin? If you are reading this prior to the show date, feel free to leave any questions you may have for Teal as a comment below and I’ll do my best to work them into the show!

Cemetery Photos of the Week

Featured historic cemetery photos: As part of each Tombstone Tuesday show, I will share photos that my newsletter readers have sent me. (Replying to my newsletter is the absolute best way to reach me, just so you know!)

This week’s photos: On the February 2, 2020 show I will be featuring photos from one of my weekly newsletter readers.

Want YOUR photos featured on the show?

Want YOUR cemetery photos featured? If you have interesting photos related to the topic of historic cemeteries, I’d love to feature them on Tombstone Tuesdays. Or maybe you have a research tip, or a photo that you think viewers will enjoy.

Here’s how: Sign up for my weekly Sunday newsletter, if you are not already subscribed. Then, hit reply any of the newsletters or even the welcome aboard email.

Guest ideas?

If there are specific guests or topics you would like to see on Tombstone Tuesdays, please tell me in a comment on this blog post. Thanks so much!

READ MY BOOKS: To see a list of all my published books, check out Tui  Snider’s Amazon page. 

Learn more about offbeat travel & historic cemeteries at my YouTube Channel

Want a FREE book? Click below:

Tombstone Tuesdays: Quirky Graveyards with David Kravetz

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[ Want a FREE booklet about cemetery symbols? click here. ]

Tombstone Tuesdays – a new streaming show!

Tombstone Tuesdays is a fun weekly show about historic cemeteries and those who love exploring them! Each week, I will interview a variety of guests about historic cemeteries, unique graveyards, funeral customs, research techniques, and other fascinating topics.

How to watch Tombstone Tuesdays?

Tui Snider’s Tombstone Tuesdays streams live on YouTube and Facebook. To see which show is coming next, visit my YouTube channel. On YouTube, you can even set a reminder for showtime.

What time is the live show? Every Tuesday: 4pm Central Time (5pm ET, 3pm MT, 2pm PT, 10pm UK)

Replays? You can catch show replays here: Tombstone Tuesdays

Show topic: Quirky Tombstones with David Kravetz

January 26, 2021 show: This week’s show guest is fellow author and lover of all things quirky, David Kravetz:

David Kravetz, 64, resides in Lexington, KY and is the owner and creative mind behind Sumoflam Productions, where he works with dotcoms, writes blogs and does nature and travel photography. He also currently manages the TV and Movie databases for comicbook.com and popculture.com, part of the ViacomCBS family.

He is a freelance travelographer and focuses on the normal, the wacky, the wonderful and the quirky things of this wide world. His popular travel blog is called Less Beaten Paths and has nearly 400 posts about offbeat and back roads travel. 

Among the places he visits are unique cemeteries, graves and more. He is ofttimes heard saying, “There’s the dead center of town,” as he passes cemeteries on his road trips around America.

David also has sites that present photography of the world as he sees it. Sumoflam, as he is known to thousands of friends and followers around the world, has a passion for traveling and has been to all 50 of the states in the United States, as well as five provinces in Canada, numerous states in Mexico, the Philippines, China, and Korea. 

He lived in Japan for 6 years and is fluent in Japanese. He is the father of five and has TEN grandchildren who call him Grampz. He will celebrate his 42nd anniversary with his sweetheart in July 2021. He will always admit that he truly Married Up!!

What are your questions for David Kravetz?

What would you like me to ask David Kravetz? If you are reading this prior to the show date, feel free to leave any questions you may have for Teal as a comment below and I’ll do my best to work them into the show!

Delight Cemetery – photo (c) David Kravetz

Cemetery Photos of the Week

Featured historic cemetery photos: As part of each Tombstone Tuesday show, I will share photos that my newsletter readers have sent me. (Replying to my newsletter is the absolute best way to reach me, just so you know!)

This week’s photos: On the January 26, 2020 show I will be featuring some interesting historic cemetery photos from one of my newsletter readers.

Want YOUR photos featured on the show?

Want YOUR cemetery photos featured? If you have interesting photos related to the topic of historic cemeteries, I’d love to feature them on Tombstone Tuesdays. Or maybe you have a research tip, or a photo that you think viewers will enjoy.

Here’s how: Sign up for my weekly Sunday newsletter, if you are not already subscribed. Then, hit reply to any of the newsletters or even the welcome aboard email.

Guest ideas?

If there are specific guests or topics you would like to see on Tombstone Tuesdays, please tell me in a comment on this blog post. Thanks so much!

READ MY BOOKS: To see a list of all my published books, check out Tui  Snider’s Amazon page. 

Learn more about offbeat travel & historic cemeteries at my YouTube Channel

Want a FREE book? Click below:

Tombstone Tuesdays: Cemetery Historian – David M. Habben

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[ Want a FREE booklet about cemetery symbols? click here. ]

Tombstone Tuesdays – streaming show!

Tombstone Tuesdays is a fun weekly show about historic cemeteries and those who love exploring them! Each week, I will interview a variety of guests about historic cemeteries, unique graveyards, funeral customs, research techniques, and other fascinating topics.

How to watch Tombstone Tuesdays?

Tui Snider’s Tombstone Tuesdays streams live on YouTube and Facebook. To see which show is coming next, visit my YouTube channel. On YouTube, you can even set a reminder for showtime.

What time is the live show? Every Tuesday: 4pm Central Time (5pm ET, 3pm MT, 2pm PT, 10pm UK)

Replays? You can catch show replays here: Tombstone Tuesdays

Jan 19, 2021 Show Guest: David M. Habben

January 19, 2021 show: On this episode of Tombstone Tuesday, I will interview cemetery historian, David M. Habben.

David has been documenting, photographing, and researching cemeteries and graveyards for nearly 20 years.  His interest began when visiting the graves of blues musicians in Chicago, where he grew up.

His work as a paramedic in Emergency Medical instruction and consulting has taken him all over the world where he has visited hundreds of cemeteries and taken thousands of photographs.

David has previous experience in law enforcement prior to his EMS work, and works part-time for a local funeral home.  He has, and continues, to study the history of cemeteries and the symbols and emblems on grave stones which our ancestors used to relate information to those who could not read. 

His classes, “Carved in Stone” and “Who Lies Beneath?” have been presented through Boise Community Education during each quarter for several years, at numerous genealogy and family history conferences and paranormal and ghost conferences throughout the country. 

David grew up in the Chicago area, lived and worked in Oregon, and now lives in Boise, Idaho.

What are your questions for David M. Habben?

What would you like me to ask David M. Habben? If you are reading this prior to the show date, feel free to leave any questions you may have as a comment below and I’ll do my best to work them into the show!

Cemetery Teatime photo (c) Kenneth Reed

Cemetery Photos of the Week

Featured historic cemetery photos: As part of each Tombstone Tuesday show, I will share photos that my newsletter readers have sent me. (Replying to my newsletter is the absolute best way to reach me, just so you know!)

This week’s photos: On the January 19, 2020 show I will be featuring taken by newsletter reader, Kenneth Reed. Not only do Kenneth and his friends have an annual tea party in a historic cemetery, but he creates wonderful oldtime-looking photos such as the one above!

Want YOUR photos featured on the show?

Want YOUR cemetery photos featured? If you have interesting photos related to the topic of historic cemeteries, I’d love to feature them on Tombstone Tuesdays. Or maybe you have a research tip, or a photo that you think viewers will enjoy.

Here’s how: Sign up for my weekly Sunday newsletter, if you are not already subscribed. Then, hit reply any of the newsletters or even the welcome aboard email.

Guest ideas?

If there are specific guests or topics you would like to see on Tombstone Tuesdays, please tell me in a comment on this blog post. Thanks so much!

READ MY BOOKS: To see a list of all my published books, check out Tui  Snider’s Amazon page. 

Learn more about offbeat travel & historic cemeteries at my YouTube Channel

Want a FREE book? Click below:

Fact vs Myth: The True Meaning of Coins on Military Headstones

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[The following is an adapted excerpt from my book, Grave Goods: The Meaning of Coins, Seashells & Other Items Left at Historic Cemeteries. I hope you enjoy it! Also, full disclosure: that’s an Amazon affiliate link. If you buy stuff after clicking it, I make a few pennies at no additional cost to you.]

Do coins mean specific things on military graves?

A modern urban legend that began making the rounds of the internet in 2009 claims that when coins are seen on military headstones, the different denominations mean specific things.

I wanted it to be true, but…

In recent years, readers have forwarded many articles about this to me, or told me about it in person. While it certainly sounds interesting, and I wanted it to be true, when I actually researched it, the story fell apart.

Red flags during research

To begin with, I was only able to find information about this practice online. It’s not in any of my reference book. Even worse, there were many inconsistencies in the accounts I read. For instance, according to one source, a quarter means you served in the same unit as the deceased, but according to another article, a quarter means that you were present when the deceased lost his life.

So which is it?

The same thing happened with all the other coins, too. Pennies, nickels, and dimes all meant something different according to different sources.

Myth vs Fact

Nor was I able to drill down to the origins of this practice.  I finally turned to snopes.com, a website that specializes in separating facts from urban legends. Unfortunately, this turns out that this is a modern myth.

Of course, you may still find coins on a military headstone, just as you may find them on anybody’s headstone. I merely want to clarify that the practice of having different coins signify specific things on military headstones is a recent idea and not a longstanding practice. (To learn more about the meaning of items left at gravesites, check out my book: Grave Goods on Amazon.)

(c) Tui Snider - Visitors often leave coins on the grave of Machine Gun Kelley in Paradise, TX
(c) Tui Snider – Visitors often leave coins on the grave of Machine Gun Kelley in Paradise, TX

Traditions must start somewhere!

And who knows? Perhaps the idea of “which coin means what” will be definitively codified and people will begin to follow this tradition in a consistent manner. After all, traditions have to begin somewhere!

Challenge Coins left on military headstones

In any event, grave goods ranging from stuffed animals and photographs to military medals and coins frequently appear on the graves of soldiers. There is even something called a “challenge coin” that may be left by military personnel on a headstone.

Challenge coins are non-monetary metal tokens that some military units provide in order to promote morale. These tokens may be inscribed with a soldier’s unit or other identifying information. Like other grave goods, a challenge coin may be left on a military headstone.

So what do coins ACTUALLY mean on headstones?

The practice of leaving coins with the deceased dates back to the ancient Greeks, who believed the rivers Styx and Acheron separated the living from the dead. A ferry trip was required to cross these waters, otherwise the soul of the deceased would be forced to wander the river banks for 100 years.

To avoid this, ancient Greeks placed a coin in the mouths of their dead as a way to pay Charon, the ancient ferryman.

These days, coins may be found on just about anyone’s grave, but I see them most frequently at the graves of historic figures, especially criminals, such as the notorious “Machine Gun Kelley.”

So while nickels, dimes, and pennies do not mean specific things, in general, coins left at gravesites are a way to let others know that a grave has been visited and that you are wishing them well.

Here’s a video for Identifying US Veterans Graves:

Since you’re here, do you know how to quickly identify 3 different types of official American military markers for soldier’s gravesites? To see more examples and learn some surprising cemetery history, check out the video I made, too:

Memorial Day’s Forgotten History – Then and Now!

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the different types of US military grave markers. As you can see, there’s a shield on the Civil War type, the Confederate type comes to a point, and the General Type lacks the shield, is rounded, and has space for a religious emblem of belief.

Do you know Memorial Day’s Forgotten History? Here’s a video I made explaining:

  • What did Memorial Day used to be called?
  • Why do we celebrate it in May?
  • What does 3pm have to do with Memorial Day?
  • How did Memorial Day change after WWII?

WANT TO LEARN MORE? READ MY BOOKS: If you enjoy historic cemeteries and want to learn more, check out my books: Understanding Cemetery Symbols and Grave Goods. They’re available on Amazon.

Learn more at my YouTube Channel:

Do you have questions about headstone symbols? Drop by my YouTube channel and let me take you one some virtual cemetery tours! You can also tune in to my 30-minute historic cemetery podcast on the first Tuesday of each month: Tombstone Tuesday with Tui Snider.

READ MY BOOK: If you enjoy historic cemeteries and want to learn more, check out my book: Understanding Cemetery Symbols. It’s available on Amazon in paperback and ebook form.

Grab a FREE book:






How to Identify US Veterans’ Graves

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[The following is an adapted excerpt from my book, Understanding Cemetery Symbols. I hope you enjoy it! Also, full disclosure: that’s an Amazon affiliate link. If you buy stuff after clicking it, I make a few pennies at no additional cost to you.]

How to Identify US Veterans’ Graves

Today I’ll show you how to quickly identify 3 different types of official American military markers for soldier’s gravesites. To see more examples and learn some surprising history, check out the video I made, too:

Here’s a video for Identifying US Veterans Graves:

#1 Civil War Type Markers

The first official US military headstone is commonly called the Civil War Type because it came into use in 1873, shortly after the Civil War. It was subsequently used to mark the graves of soldiers who fought in other wars, too, including the Mexican War, Spanish American War, War of 1812, and even the American Revolution.

Civil War type monument. (c) Tui Snider
Civil War type monument. (c) Tui Snider

#2 Confederate Type Markers

Civil War markers were NOT awarded to those who fought for the Confederacy, however. In 1906, the government issued a special marble marker specifically for those who fought for the South. The emblem at the top of this stone is called a Southern Cross of Honor and/or Confederate Cross of Honor.  (To learn more about that, check out my video!)

Confederate Type grave marker. (c) Tui Snider
Confederate Type grave marker. (c) Tui Snider

#3 General Type Markers

Shortly after World War I, a new style of US military marker was developed. It’s called the General Type because the committee which created it contained two generals: Gen. Pershing and Gen. Rogers.

For more details about all 3 of these official military markers as well as some rather surprising history, make sure you watch my YouTube video: How to Identify US Veterans’ Graves.

General Type military grave markers. (c) Tui Snider
General Type military grave markers. (c) Tui Snider

Side by Side Comparison of the 3 Official Markers

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the different types of US military grave markers. As you can see, there’s a shield on the Civil War type, the Confederate type comes to a point, and the General Type lacks the shield, is rounded, and has space for a religious emblem of belief.

US military grave markers: side-by-side comparison. (c) Tui Snider
US military grave markers: side-by-side comparison. (c) Tui Snider

Flat marble military markers

Since many modern cemeteries do not allow standing monuments, the US War Department has also created flat markers, such as the marble one you see below:

Flat marble military marker. (c) Tui Snider
Flat marble military marker. (c) Tui Snider

Flat bronze military markers

Bronze markers are also available in this style, as well. Here’s an example of that:

Flat bronze military marker. (c) Tui Snider
Flat bronze military marker. (c) Tui Snider

Official markers are not mandatory

While the US Veterans Administration will provide official markers for military personnel free of charge, soldiers are not required to use them. To see some unique examples of military gravesites that I’ve seen during my travels, check out my video: How to Identify Veterans’ Graves.

READ MY BOOK: If you enjoy historic cemeteries and want to learn more, check out my books: Understanding Cemetery Symbols and Grave Goods. They’re available on Amazon in paperback and ebook form.

Learn more at my YouTube Channel:

Do you have questions about headstone symbols? Drop by my YouTube channel and let me take you one some virtual cemetery tours! You can also tune in to my 30-minute historic cemetery podcast on the first Tuesday of each month: Tombstone Tuesday with Tui Snider.

READ MY BOOK: If you enjoy historic cemeteries and want to learn more, check out my book: Understanding Cemetery Symbols. It’s available on Amazon in paperback and ebook form.

Grab a FREE book:






“A Quick Bite” Offers Bite-Sized Tales of Vampires, Werewolves & Zombies

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Do you read Flash Fiction?

Flash Fiction is a term referring to bite-sized stories ranging from 5 to 1500 words in length. They’re fun to read when you’re not in the mood to commit to a novel-length book, but you’d like a break from the real world.

What’s a Drabble?

A Drabble is a 100-word-long Flash Fiction story. A 200-word-long story is called a Double Drabble. Like any genre, not all Flash Fiction is created equal. When done right, the storyteller reels you in, surprises you with a sudden twist, and/or makes you care so much about the characters you just met that you want to read more.

Satisfying, but leaves you wanting more

I wasn’t much of a Drabble fan until my friend, Patricia Lynne (a.k.a. Patricia Josephine), started sharing hers. I’ve gotta say, Patty is a master of the Double Drabble. Her flash fiction manages to create a full story while still leaving me wanting to know what happens next. (I still feel sorry for one of the characters she wrote about in a story I read a few years back!)

Brand new book

So I’m excited to tell you about Patty’s brand new book: A Quick Bite. It’s a collection of Double Drabbles featuring vampires, werewolves, and zombies. Much like a box of fine chocolates, you will find it hard to stop at just one story in A Quick Bite! Grab your copy here: A Quick Bite.

Blurb for A Quick Bite

Vampires.
Werewolves.
Zombies.

These monsters tickle our imagination.

Sink your teeth into a collection of tales about paranormal creatures that go bump in the night. Each story is told in exactly 200 words and designed to give you a quick bite no matter how busy your day is.

Are you hungry?

About the author:

Patricia Josephine is a writer of Urban Fantasy and Sci-Fi Romance books. She actually never set out to become a writer, and in fact, she was more interested in art and band in high school and college. Her dreams were of becoming an artist like Picasso.

On a whim, she wrote down a story bouncing in her head for fun. That was the start of her writing journey, and she hasn’t regretted a moment. When she’s not writing, she’s watching Doctor Who or reading about serial killers.

She’s an avid knitter. One can never have too much yarn. She writes Young Adult Paranormal, Science Fiction, and Fantasy under the name Patricia Lynne.

Patricia lives with her husband in Michigan, hopes one day to have what will resemble a small petting zoo, and has a fondness for dying her hair the colors of the rainbow.

Follow Patricia Josephine online:
PatriciaJosephine.com 
Patreon 
Twitter 
Facebook 
Newsletter 
Goodreads 
Amazon Author Page 
Smashwords 

Learn more at my YouTube Channel:

Do you have questions about historic cemeteries and headstone symbols? Drop by my YouTube channel and let me take you one some virtual cemetery tours! You can also tune in to my 30-minute historic cemetery podcast on the first Tuesday of each month: Tombstone Tuesday with Tui Snider.

READ MY BOOK: If you enjoy historic cemeteries and want to learn more, check out my book: Understanding Cemetery Symbols. It’s available on Amazon in paperback and ebook form.

Grab a FREE book: