Tui Snider - author & speaker

historic 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:

Tombstone Tuesdays: Teal Gray’s Headstone Carving Ancestor – Obadiah Wheeler

by Leave a Comment

[ 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: Colonial headstone engraver, Obadiah Wheeler

January 12, 2021 show: On this inaugural Tombstone Tuesday episode, I will interview Teal Gray about her ancestor: Obadiah Wheeler.

Obediah Wheeler is a renowned headstone carver who quite literally made his mark upon the world during Colonial times in New England. His unique tombstone style often features charming soul effigies, a.k.a. smiling heads with wings.

Here’s an example of Obadiah Wheeler’s carving style. Photo is (c) CTGravestones.org:

Example of Obadiah Wheeler’s carving style. Photo (c) CTGravestones.org

What are your questions for Teal Gray?

What would you like me to ask Teal Gray? 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!

About the show guest: Teal Gray

Who is Teal Gray? Besides being a very dear friend, here is Teal Gray’s bio:

Teal Gray Rev. N.D. is a best-selling author, mysterious sacred site traveler, and Ordained Non-Denominational Minister. Teal graduated from the American Institute of Holistic Theology Doctor of Naturology, N.D. and Theological Studies leading to Ordainment as a Non-Denominational Interfaith Minister in 2011.

In addition, she is a certified Holistic Health Practitioner- Member of American Association of Drugless Practitioners, and Certified Essential Oil Coach. She is currently pursuing certification in counseling and Eco-Art Therapy

Teal Gray’s philosophy: ” After nearly six decades on this planet, I’ve realized all the seeking of knowledge, relationships, success, all boil down to this, Happiness = Simple moments that make your soul smile. It’s the moments, not the money that matters most.” – Teal Gray Rev., N.D.

Teal Gray’s website: https://teallgray.wordpress.com/

Follow Teal on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soletosoulwithtealgray

Photos of the week include this New Orleans Cemetery photo (c) Tammy Love

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 12, 2020 show I will be featuring several photos that Tammy Love took while visiting the many historic cemeteries of New Orleans.

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:

10K Author Milestone Celebration Prize Giveaway!

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[ For my FREE book about cemetery symbols, click here.]

Exciting Author Milestone

If you support me on Patreon, then you already know this (because I share my biggest news there first.) But *drum roll please* I recently hit a very exciting milestone as an author: I have now sold more than 10,000 books! Whee!

How to celebrate? With a Giveaway!

To celebrate this exciting milestone, I’ve created the Author Milestone Celebration Giveaway! From now through December 4th, 2020 December 21, 2020 you can help me celebrate and possibly win a prize, such as:

PRIZES? Here’s the list

  1. Paperback of any of my books (your choice) – three winners (US only)
  2. eBook of your choice – three winners (Worldwide.)
  3. ANY single item from my GraveHour Gifts Shops – three winners (US only.)
  4. Thank You Postcard featuring my Historic Cemetery Photos – five winners (Worldwide.)

*All winners will receive a Historic Cemetery Thank You postcard from me!

PRIZES? See what they look like here:

GraveHour Gifts: For historic cemetery calendars and notebooks visit this link: GraveHour Gifts 1. For historic cemetery mugs, necklaces, and posters, visit this link: GraveHour Gifts 2.

Want to see my books? Hop over to this link: Tui Snider’s Amazon Author page.

How to WIN: 4 Places to Enter!

There are four different places to enter my Author Milestone Celebration Giveaway: Right here on my blog, FaceBook, Twitter, and/or Instagram.

It really just depends on where you like to spend time online. And you can enter the giveaway in all four places if you want.

The more ways you enter, the more entry points you gain to win. Have fun with it! :)

Enter right here on my blog: 1. Sign up for my weekly newsletter (if you haven’t already) and 2. Leave a comment on this post telling me which item in my GraveHour Gift Shops you would most like to win.

Enter on FaceBook: 1. Sign up for my weekly newsletter (if you haven’t already) and 2. Tag me in a FaceBook post that shares this page. Make sure you tag @TuiSnider so I see it!

Enter on Twitter: 1. Sign up for my weekly newsletter (if you haven’t already) and 2. Tweet about this giveaway. Make sure you tag @TuiSnider so I see it!

Here’s an example tweet for you to cut and paste: I just entered the Author Milestone Giveaway to celebrate 10K book sales by @TuiSnider & you can, too! https://tuisnider.com/2020/11/14/10k-book-prize-giveaway/ #GraveHour #texas #cemetery #history #indieauthor #prize #giveaway #contest #StoryDam (Earns you 2 entry points for each tweet!)

Enter on Instagram: 1. Sign up for my weekly newsletter if you haven’t already, and 2. Share my IG giveaway post to your IG stories, and 3. Tag two OR MORE people who you think would enjoy winning prizes in this giveaway. Go to this link on IG to participate, or simply visit my IG accounts: @TuiSnider and/or @GraveHour and find the contest post there.

*Gain Bonus points: Post a photo of ANY of my books on FB, Twitter, or IG (remember to tag me so I’ll see it) and you’ll earn 10 entry points! (And if your book photo is in a cemetery, I’ll give you 15 points.)

Deadline (12/21!) and other details

This giveaway is open until midnight CST on December 4, 2020 UPDATE: THE CONTEST HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO RUN THROUGH December 21, 2020! Winners will be announced shortly after, GOOD LUCK! 🍀⠀I will use random.org to choose the winners.

*Please note: This giveaway is NOT endorsed or affiliated with Twitter, FaceBook, or Instagram in any manner. I’m just doing this for fun.

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:

Historic Cemetery with Buried Treasure in Texas

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[ For my FREE book about cemetery symbols, click here. The following is an adapted excerpt from my book 6 Feet Under Texas: Unique, Famous & Historic Graves in the Lone Star State. And, yes, that’s an affiliate link. I earn a few pennies if you buy my book after clicking it – at no extra cost to you!]

Historic Cemetery with Buried Treasure

It’s true! There really was gold buried in a Texas cemetery! The oak tree it was buried beneath is located by the entrance of a beautiful cemetery.

Today, however, most people drive right by this historic oak tree without realizing the important role it played in the founding of Fort Worth, Texas.

To learn the full story, read on. To see where the tree stands and what it looks like, be sure to watch my 10-minute video: Buried Treasure in a Texas Cemetery.

Greenwood Memorial Park is a gorgeous historic cemetery spread over more than 190 acres in Ft Worth, Texas. Although it was formally established in 1909, it’s still in use. It’s a car-friendly burial ground with a winding 2-lane road running through it.

Most folks drive right by…

Shortly after the entrance, there’s a traffic circle with a big oak tree in the center. Most people drive right by this oak tree without realizing the important role it played in the founding of Fort Worth, Texas.

In fact, this tree once had gold buried beneath it!

$10K in gold buried under an oak tree

In 1861, the state of Texas seceded from the Union and America’s Civil War began. At the time, a man named Charles Turner (1822- 1873)  who was a farmer, merchant, and Texas Ranger was not entirely comfortable with the idea of turning all of his hard-earned cash into Confederate notes.

That’s why, in 1861, Charles Turner buried an estimated $10,000 in gold beneath an oak tree on his farm! ($10K back then would be a whole lot more these days, of course.)

Suddenly, Confederate money was worthless

In 1865, the Civil War ended and Confederate money was worthless. That’s when Charles Turner returned to his farm and dug up his buried treasure.

He used much of this gold to help Fort Worth, which at the time was a young city struggling to build its infrastructure and pay back northern creditors. For this reason, Charles Turner is considered one of the founding fathers of Fort Worth. 

When he died in 1873, Mr. Turner was buried in Pioneer’s Rest, which is the oldest cemetery in the city.  (I plan to visit there again soon. I’ll get photos of his grave when I do and make a video.)

The land that was once Mr. Turner’s farm is now Greenwood Memorial Park. This is where the oak tree that kept watch over his buried treasure lives on.

It’s a Bicentennial Tree, too!

There are two plaques at the base of this majestic Texas Live Oak, a.k.a. Quercus fusiformis, if you want to get technical. One plaque describes why this historic tree is known as the Turner Oak.

The other plaque, placed by the Daughters of the Revolution, explains that since this beautiful oak was alive when the United States Constitution was signed, it has also earned the title of Bicentennial Tree. Pretty cool, eh?

Most folks drive right by

Since the Turner Oak is located in a traffic circle near the main cemetery entrance, most people drive right past it without realizing all the history it has witnessed. 

Are there historic trees near you?

What about your neck of the woods? Do you know of any historic trees where you live?

The Turner Oak is just one of many historic trees here in Texas. I learned about it from a book called Famous Texas Trees.

Speaking of books, this blog post was an adapted excerpt from my book, 6 Feet Under Texas: Unique, Famous & Historic Graves in the Lone Star State. If you enjoyed this tale, check out the rest of the book by clicking here.

Want to see more photos of the Turner Oak?

To see exactly what this amazing tree looks like, be sure to watch my 10-minute video: Buried Treasure in a Texas Cemetery.

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: