Every Stone Tells a Story: Cemetery Tour Features the Lives of Locals.
The Murray County Historical Society invites you to set aside time in your schedule to learn some of the unique stories found in the county’s cemeteries. From Friday October 2 through Monday October 12 a self-guided tour of gravestones in three of the county’s cemeteries will be available. The Bethany Lutheran (Shetek area), Slayton North, and St. Columba (Iona) Cemeteries will be featured. During the tour dates, interpretive graveside signs will be placed near selected stones that tells the life and times of the person buried there.
Each story at the selected gravesites offers interesting insights into the history of the county. On this tour you’ll learn about the Hardware Kings of the Pieck family and the stories of exceptional service from the March family. Meet one of the many Civil War soldiers buried in the county and read the tragic story of the Hegstad family and their young children plus many more. Some stones are ornate and others modest but the lives they lived were valuable and added to the story of our communities.
As you wander the grounds of these unique and historic places watch for bright interpretive signs and a balloon marking the gravesites.
What you will need:
- A Map/Guidebook – You can pick up a hard copy at the Murray County Museum or download a digital copy here: Cemetery Tour Guidebook.
- Transpiration – To get to each of the three cemeteries.
- A Sense of Adventure! – Have fun exploring the cemeteries and learning more about Murray County through stories of past residents!
We would love to hear what you think about this type of program! Contact us with comments or questions at 507-836-6533 or museum@co.murray.mn.us.