By Way of Remembrance: Rural Cemeteries of North Mississippi

Authors

David Wharton, University of Mississippi

Files

Description

"My habit was to drive back roads, explore, and not worry about getting anywhere quickly or about getting lost. With my wife, Marianne, often accompanying me, we would stick to county roads, always on the lookout for places of visual interest. Among the places we frequently stopped were small towns—in both business and residential areas—and, especially, rural churches and cemeteries. Many of the churches, whether still active or not, had burial grounds close by, and even long-abandoned churches sometimes had cemeteries that showed signs of recent use. A few cemeteries were off by themselves, however, apparently forgotten by any church that might once have been nearby. Some of these more isolated sites were family plots, not necessarily attached to a church. ... the cemeteries often seemed places of beauty, sadness, and religious faith, evoking not only a local past but also a rural culture that while still alive in the present moment was gradually, inexorably fading away. In short, the cemeteries provided a record of a society in the process of becoming a remnant of its past self."

Publication Date

4-25-2022

Relational Format

journal article

Disciplines

American Studies | Photography | Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies

Recommended Citation

Wharton, David, "By Way of Remembrance: Rural Cemeteries of North Mississippi" (2022). Study the South. 1.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/studythesouth/1

Accessibility Status

Searchable text