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Discover the untold stories of two Ordinary men who became Extraordinary unsung heroes. This week on the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery podcast, Jennie and Dianne share the stories of George Wasinger and John Wysowatcky Jr., two young soldiers who embodied the Army's motto: "This We'll Defend" during WWI. They defended freedom by giving their lives in return. As Memorial Day approaches, we remember the sacrifice made by all the men and women who have died in combat and acknowledge the debt we owe to those who gave everything in hopes of creating a more peaceful and prosperous tomorrow for future generations.

View this episode on YouTube! https://youtu.be/ir__mji6srU?si=VzlLT8-HfDNgm3Qw

Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun much here: https://oecemetery.etsy.com

Resources used to research this episode include various documents, records, and newspaper articles found at www.ancestry.com and www.newspapers.com in addition to the following:

"Obituary Record by the Olinger Mortuary." The Rocky Mountain News [Denver], 62nd ed., 21 Oct. 1921, p. 9.

"Services Will Be Held for George Wassinger." The Rocky Mountain News [Denver], 62nd ed., 13 Jan. 1921, p. 7.

Sullivan , Evan P. "“Considerable Grief”: Dead Bodies, Mortuary Science, and Repatriation after the Great War ." https://nursingclio.org/. 18 Apr. 2019. nursingclio.org/2019/04/18/considerable-grief-dead-bodies-mortuary-science-and-repatriation-after-the-great-war/. Accessed 18 May 2025.

Finn, Tara. "The war that did not end at 11am on 11 November ." https://history.blog.gov.uk/. 9 Nov. 2018. history.blog.gov.uk/2018/11/09/the-war-that-did-not-end-at-11am-on-11-november/. Accessed 18 May 2025.

Persico, MHQ, Joseph E. "Nov. 11, 1918: Wasted Lives on Armistice Day ." https://www.armytimes.com/. 9 Nov. 2017. www.armytimes.com/veterans/salute-veterans/2017/11/10/nov-11-1918-wasted-lives-on-armistice-day/. Accessed 18 May 2025.

Stewart , Richard W. "Blood, Mud, Concrete, and Barbed Wire: The Meuse-Argonne Offensive ." https://www.armyheritage.org/. www.armyheritage.org/soldier-stories-information/blood-mud-concrete-and-barbed-wire-the-meuse-argonne-offensive/. Accessed 18 May 2025.

"The Soldier's Burden." http://www.kaiserscross.com/. www.kaiserscross.com/40312/42469.html. Accessed 18 May 2025.

"Globeville Neighborhood History ." https://history.denverlibrary.org/. history.denverlibrary.org/neighborhood-history-guide/globeville-neighborhood-history. Accessed 18 May 2025.

"History of Germans from Russia ." https://library.ndsu.edu/. library.ndsu.edu/grhc/research-history/history-germans-russia. Accessed 18 May 2025.

Wiese, Owen. "The 89th Division, A Great Accomplishment ." https://www.garretsongazette.com/. 29 Apr. 2020. www.garretsongazette.com/the-89th-division-a-great-accomplishment/. Accessed 18 May 2025.

English Jr, George H. History of the 89th Division, U.S.A.. 1st ed., 1920. Denver, The War Society of the 89th Division , 1920, pp. 1 - 544.

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What's cooking in the cemetery? Jennie and Dianne are dishing up a treat with Rosie Grant, the creator behind the viral @GhostlyArchive, where gravestones become recipe cards! Rosie shares her journey of uncovering her first recipe on a tombstone at Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC, and how that led to serving up not just the recipes, but the stories behind them and how food has the power to bring families, communities and history together in the most Ordinary Extraordinary ways, including from beyond the grave!

View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fGzQWbUcewU?si=8D0rtyL7X5yzXBTu

Follow Rosie on Tik Tok and Instagram:

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ghostlyarchive

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ghostly.archive/

Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun much here: https://oecemetery.etsy.com

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

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May is Cemetery Appreciation Month, and Jennie and Dianne are celebrating by sharing three Ordinary Extraordinary stories buried beneath the soil of three Colorado cemeteries. Hear the tragic tale of a young woman who lost her life to 'consumption' in a rural community, the complex and incomplete story of a woman institutionalized at the Colorado State Hospital for the Insane, and the gold prospector who left his family behind forcing his widow to seek justice on his behalf several years after his passing. Sometimes the most compelling stories are the ones buried in plain sight. As you walk through your own local cemeteries this month, look beyond the headstones and imagine the lives that once were. You might just uncover an Ordinary Extraordinary story waiting to be told.

View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ox2JHkyC-L0

Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun much here: https://oecemetery.etsy.com

Resources used to research these stories include various documents and records found at www.ancestry.com and news articles printed in multiple historical newspapers on www.newspapers.com.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify