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

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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: 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:

Filed Under: #TuiSnider #Texas #author #musician, A to Z Challenge, Blog on Writing & Life, Blog Posts, Cemeteries & Symbolism, Historic Cemeteries, My Books Tagged With: historic cemetery, history, oak tree, photo essay, photographer, travel, Tui Snider, video

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:

Filed Under: #TuiSnider #Texas #author #musician, A to Z Challenge, Blog on Writing & Life, Blog Posts, Cemeteries & Symbolism, Historic Cemeteries, My Books Tagged With: contest, free, free books, giveaway, historic cemetery, photo essay, photographer, prize, texas history, texas travel, travel, Tui Snider, video

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:

Filed Under: #TuiSnider #Texas #author #musician, A to Z Challenge, Blog on Writing & Life, Blog Posts, Cemeteries & Symbolism, Historic Cemeteries, My Books Tagged With: Charles Turner, historic cemetery, history, oak tree, photo essay, photographer, robby the robot, texas history, texas travel, travel, Tui Snider, turner oak, video

Six Feet – More Than Just a Social Distance

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

Russell Andrew shared his review of “6 Feet Under Texas” with me.

Six Feet – More Than Just a Social Distance

by Russell Andrew

The following book review was written by Russell Andrew and first appeared in the Tarrant County College newsletter:

I’ve had a lot of time to read lately due to staying at home and one of my favorite recent books has been 6 Feet Under Texas: Unique, Famous & Historic Graves in the Lone Star State by local author Tui Snider.

Organized alphabetically by city and packed with pictures, the book includes stories about the graves of wild west gunfighters, depression-era outlaws, rock stars and space aliens to name just a few. 

Ms. Snider even solved the identity of an unknown one-legged tightrope walker (performing with a stove strapped to his back!) who passed away following an accident (What could have possibly gone wrong?) in Corsicana. If he were alive today he would definitely have been on America’s Got Talent!

There is also the story of a hobo who was mummified and went through a carnival, a chicken coop, two headstones, two funerals and a ballad on his way to finally resting in peace.

A famous ragtime composer is buried in Oakwood Cemetery.  Did you know that?  I didn’t.

You can visit the graves of two men in the Old City Greenwood Cemetery in Weatherford who were the inspiration for the Lonesome Dove book and mini-series.  I plan to!

Tarrant County graves are well represented in the book with entries from Fort Worth, Arlington and Keller. Being a resident of Keller, I checked out the pioneer burial cairns in Mount Gilead Cemetery. 

Before reading the book, I had no idea that Mount Gilead Cemetery was established in 1847 by the Peters Colony.  So much history is all around us if we just look!

Ms. Snider provides addresses for each cemetery to make planning your visit easier as well as websites and suggestions for further reading.

Check out 6 Feet Under Texas and I guarantee you will learn some Texas history you didn’t know!

If you’re intrigued by Russell’s review, you can check out the rest of the book by clicking here. (Psst! It makes a great Christmas gift for any genealogists or history buffs on your list, too.)

Are historic cemeteries your happy place?

Do you enjoy exploring historic cemeteries as much as I do? Check out my online store: GraveHour Gifts.

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:

Filed Under: #TuiSnider #Texas #author #musician, A to Z Challenge, Blog on Writing & Life, Blog Posts, Cemeteries & Symbolism, Historic Cemeteries, My Books Tagged With: Charles Turner, historic cemetery, history, oak tree, photo essay, photographer, robby the robot, texas history, texas travel, travel, Tui Snider, turner oak, video

Robby the Robot Forbidden Planet Costume (3D Printed)

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

Homemade Robby the Robot Forbidden Planet Life-Size Costume

Last year, my mad scientist husband, Larry, built his own life-size Robby the Robot costume from scratch! There were no plans available for making one, so he painstakingly designed it all himself.

He even learned CAD and 3D printing in order to make his own Robby the Robot! This is one reason why his replica weighs 45 pounds as opposed to the original, which weighs about 125 pounds.

Since Halloween’s coming up, I made a video showcasing Larry making, building, and wearing his incredible replica costume of Robby the Robot, the iconic sci fi character first seen in the 1956 movie, “Forbidden Planet.”

Robby the Robot was featured in a bunch of films and TV shows, so even if you don’t think you know who he is, you’ve probably seen him somewhere. He’s been featured in shows including: Colombo, Addams Family, Love Boat, Big Bang Theory, and many more.

Have you ever seen Robby the Robot in a movie or TV show? Have you ever seen him in “Forbidden Planet” or “The Invisible Boy”?

Larry and I hope you enjoy this video and wish all of you Happy Halloween! :)

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:

Filed Under: #TuiSnider #Texas #author #musician, A to Z Challenge, Blog on Writing & Life, Blog Posts, Cemeteries & Symbolism, Historic Cemeteries, My Books Tagged With: 3d printed, diy robot, forbidden planet, Halloween, halloween costume, homemade robot, larry snider, photo essay, photographer, robby the robot, robot, texas travel, the invisible boy, travel, Tui Snider

Oakwood Cemetery Saints & Sinners Tour

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[ For my FREE book about cemetery symbols, click here. The following article is an adapted excerpt from my travel guide to haunted places called, Paranormal Texas. Full disclosure: it’s an Amazon affiliate link. If you buy stuff after clicking it, I make a few pennies at no additional cost to you. Win/win, right?]

Oakwood Cemetery gates in Fort Worth, Texas. photo (c) Tui Snider
Oakwood Cemetery gates in Fort Worth, Texas. photo (c) Tui Snider

Oakwood Saints and Sinners Tour 

What do you get when you combine live theater regional history and a beautiful texas burial ground? Why the Oakwood Cemetery Saints and Sinners Tour, of course!

Every October the North Fort Worth Historical Society chooses interesting characters from Oakwood Cemetery’s residents to “bring to life” through well-researched performances by costumed historians.

Oakwood Cemetery in Fort Worth, Texas (photo by Tui Snider)
Oakwood Cemetery in Fort Worth, Texas (photo by Tui Snider)

2020 Consolation Prize!

Unfortunately, if you’re watching this in 2020 then I must tell you that there is no cemetery tour this year. (I’m sure you can guess why!) But that’s why I made this blog post and video. Since we can’t go this year, consider this a consolation prize!

I’ve been going to the Oakwood Cemetery Saints and Sinners Tour in Fort Worth, Texas since 2015. I’ve taken so many photos (and even a little bit of video.) I hope you enjoy this little blog post and companion video that I’ve put together. (To see the companion video, click this link or the image below: Oakwood Cemetery Saints and Sinners Tour.)

Cemeteries are Open-air Museums

I often say that historic cemeteries are open-air museums. That’s what I love about the Oakwood Cemetery Saints and Sinners Tour. It really brings history to life in a special way.

The performances are often quite funny, but some will bring tears to your eyes. I learn so much each year. I wish more historic cemeteries had tours like this.

Horse drawn hearse in Oakwood Cemetery (photo by Tui Snider)
Horse drawn hearse in Oakwood Cemetery (photo by Tui Snider)

Fort Worth is “Where the West begins”

Since Fort Worth is considered to be “Where the West begins,” these tours often give you a glimpse into Wild West history. You’ll learn about cattle barons, oilmen, gunslingers, cowboys, soldiers, suffragettes, shopkeepers, and more!

There’s even a section called Bartenders Row where Wild West saloon workers are buried. Another plot is nicknamed Soiled Doves Row. A soiled dove is a euphemism they used in the 1800s to describe what we would call a prostitute or sex worker today.

I go into more detail about the ladies in Soiled Doves Row, Bartenders Row, and other historic people in Oakwood Cemetery in my new book, 6 Feet Under Texas.

Me playing Faro! (photo by Larry Snider)
Me playing Faro! (photo by Larry Snider)

Faro versus Poker in the Wild West

One year I learned how to play Faro. I’d never even heard of it before! Faro is the card game you see people playing in Wild West movies. I always thought it was poker, but Faro was a very popular card game for gamblers.

And get a load of those guys’ mustaches! That’s a major commitment to history, am I right?

There's a trap door in the chapel floor - for raising & lowering coffins! (photo by Tui Snider)
There’s a trap door in the chapel floor – for raising & lowering coffins! (photo by Tui Snider)

Unique casket “elevator”

Whether you go before or after your tour, make sure you visit Oakwood’s Chapel. Not only will you see some really gorgeous stained glass windows. but they have a rectangular door in the floor up by the altar that has a rather unique function.

In the old days, caskets were stored in the basement where temperatures were naturally much cooler. When it was time for the memorial service, they would raise the casket up through this rectangular door in the floor. Clever, eh?

I wasn't the only one wiping my eyes after this WWII vet shared his story! (photo by Tui Snider)
I wasn’t the only one wiping my eyes after this WWII vet shared his story! (photo by Tui Snider)

Drop by my table and say hi!

I know it can be crowded, but when you come to the Saints and Sinners Tour you better stop by my table and say hi. Not in 2020, of course, but in the future.

I am a member of the North Fort Worth Historical Society and you can usually find me sitting with my husband, Larry, in the shade selling books and enjoying a really fun day at Oakwood Cemetery.

Oakwood Cemetery in Fort Worth, Texas (photo by Tui Snider)
Oakwood Cemetery in Fort Worth, Texas (photo by Tui Snider)

Is Oakwood the “John Smith” of cemetery names?

You’ve probably heard that John Smith is the most common name in America, right?

Well, I sometimes joke that Oakwood is the “John Smith” of cemetery names because it seems like every big city has at least one burial ground named Oakwood Cemetery.

How about you? Is there an Oakwood Cemetery near you? Let me know in the comments below.

Are historic cemeteries your happy place?

If, like me, historic cemeteries are your happy place, drop by my new store, GraveHour Gifts.

Plan your trip to Oakwood Cemetery’s Saints and Sinners Tour

To visit Oakwood Cemetery: You can visit Fort Worth’s Oakwood Cemetery year-round. The address is 701 Grand Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76164

Saints and Sinners Facebook page: To find about upcoming historic cemetery tours in Oakwood, visit their Facebook page. 

Tui Snider’s YouTube: I feature Oakwood Cemetery in several of my YouTube videos, so you may wish to check those out before your visit. Here’s the link: Exploring Historic Cemeteries.

To learn the spooky-but-true history behind a whole bunch of haunted places in North Texas (including Oakwood Cemetery), check out my travel guide: Paranormal Texas.

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:

Filed Under: #TuiSnider #Texas #author #musician, A to Z Challenge, Blog on Writing & Life, Blog Posts, Cemeteries & Symbolism, Historic Cemeteries, My Books Tagged With: #GraveHour, A to Z challenge, Granbury, haunted, haunted doll, historic, iPhone photography, paranormal, paranormal research, paranormal texas, photo essay, photographer, texas travel, travel, Tui Snider

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