Revived cemetery tours breathe life into the past
After a brief hiatus, historical Pass Christian figures will come to life during the town’s Live Oak Cemetery Tour, set for Friday and Saturday, November 3-4. With the aid of the Pass Christian Historical Society and the Live Oak Cemetery Committee, visitors will hear stories of the past, presented by talented local high school students and adults, as they follow scripted guides through the cemetery. The first tour each evening begins at 5 p.m.
According to Lori Fisher, director and creator of the Live Oak Cemetery Tours, the walk through history began in 2011 and was hosted by gifted students of Pass Christian Middle School.
“That first tour had six historical stops involving thirty-six students,” said Fisher. “Over the years, the tours have grown, and their coastal outreach has been very successful.”
Fisher added that, in 2019, the event featured a slew of talented tour guides and one hundred twenty middle and high school students, leading visitors through twelve highly informative stops.
“As our community project, we raised enough money to rebuild the carriage arch that graced the cemetery entrance,” she said.
The Pass Christian school teacher then retired, and the tours took a brief rest. However, the performances will once again be in full swing during the first weekend of November.
“This year, I am excited to bring them [the tours] back as a strong community outreach involving a host of both high school students, as well as talented adults portraying historic Pass Christian personalities, such as the Hiern family, Robert Montgomery of the esteemed Pass Christian Hotel, and Michael Cuddy of the ill-fated duel.”
Additional re-enactments include that of several critical military members, John Henderson and Frances Parke Lewis Butler. There will be twelve dramatizations each evening.
Through reviving the tour this year, Fisher said she hoped to involve students (starting at the age of fifteen), as well as adults “to bring the colorful past of the ‘Jewel of the Coast’ to life through compelling stories and meaningful dramatizations, while adding a creative entertaining flavor.”
The Live Oak Cemetery is across from Trinity Episcopal Church on Church Street in Pass Christian.
In the past, fall cemetery tours on the Gulf Coast included the Long Beach Cemetery on Klondike Drive. According to Beth Hansen, the Long Beach Historical Society has canceled the event due to unforeseen circumstances. Hansen said she expects the cemetery’s yearly journey into the past to return in 2024.
