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Emily Lorraine Tate - Bone in 1947

2009-11-06T02:52:42Z

Taken in Holt, All Saint’s Day, 2009

Gravedigger, Undertaker & Mike’s Auto Repair (& no free air!)

2009-11-02T14:07:17Z

I was headed out yesterday morning for All Saint’s Day and ran across this. It seemed like a ’sign’ it’d be an interesting day… and it was.

Corner of S. Broad & Jackson… despite not being very far away, it’s not an area I have to visit much. If only I’d known what I was missing…

“A Model Wife.”

2009-10-04T21:35:10Z

The inscription reads:

Wife of W.H. Muir
A native of Malvern England
Died October 15, 1889
Aged 63 years

A MODEL WIFE.

Hope Mausoleum doors with Katrina floodline

2009-09-28T04:32:06Z

Cypress Grove under spectacular skies

2009-09-24T04:10:15Z

Dr. William Nothacker

2009-09-17T14:24:09Z

Dr. Nothacker (1860-1934) was the physician for Bethlehem Orphan Asylum, opened in 1881. The exact dates of his service are not known, but he was there long enough to be the doctor featured in the “CENTENNIAL SOUVENIR BOOKLET FOR THE LUTHERAN BETHLEHEM ORPHAN ASYLUM,” reproduced here, complete with many photos of the grounds and children.

The building itself was on the corner of St. Peter and Andry Streets, now in the Lower 9th Ward, in the Holy Cross neighborhood. At the time, that location would have been very much out in the country, well outside of town.

The Nothacker family’s final resting place in St. Vincent’s cemetery is only minutes away from the spot, though the building was demolished demolished ago.

Their tomb has the distinction of having one of the most sheepish looking angels in the city:

St. Vincent de Paul Gates in light and shadow

2009-07-26T23:32:13Z

St. Patrick’s at night

2009-07-21T13:32:07Z

Late last year Charlie and I took (okay, I dragged the poor man) a night tour of the cemeteries at the end of Canal. It was just as awful and schlocky as you’d imagine, but it was in researching a story I wanted to write. The lesson I took away from it was that it was just about impossible to go too over the top in creating a certain type of character (psychic tour guide) and just to have fun with it.

The other thing I took away from the experience was some great pictures and the discovery of a great bar we’d never been too that serves kick-ass burgers and onion rings.

Knights of Pythias, Crescent City

2009-07-14T00:55:34Z

It took awhile to track down just what this marker was commemorating:

It took finding the Kavanaugh tomb in Greenwood with a similar (but clearer) insignia to discover the Knights of Pythias:

The Pythians are (per their website):

The Fraternal Order of Knights of Pythias and its members are dedicated to the cause of universal peace. Pythians are pledged to the promotion of understanding among men of good will as the surest means of attaining Universal Peace. We believe that men, meeting in a spirit of goodwill, in an honest effort of understanding, can live together on this earth in peace and harmony. We seek those who agree with this belief, and have a belief in a personal Supreme Being, to join our ranks in an effort to reach “Peace Through Understanding”.

The order was founded at the close of the U.S. Civil War, with the goal of helping to heal the rift amongst countrymen- a wonderful goal that was tarnished by the group being open to whites only. As pressure was applied in the 1870s, many of the chapters chose to close rather than admit other races.

Paradoxically, the New Orleans chapter was initially exclusively black (integrating in 1900) and called themselves “Temple of The Supreme Lodge Knights of Pythias, North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.” Their lodge was in the 200 block of Loyola Ave, now a series of parking lots and support buildings for City Hall and local clinics.

The FCB on the insignia stands for “Friendship, Charity, Benevolence,” and although it’s not specifically referenced on their site, the Knight with the dove perched on his head would have to stand for
“peace through strength,” although I suppose it just might test their devotion to charity once the bird relieved itself up there. (and, as a bird owner, I can tell you it would. :))

I’ll be keeping my eyes open for more of these around town.

New Orleans Police Mutual Benevolent Association

2009-07-06T03:57:13Z

This society tomb is in Greenwood and features an amazingly detailed carving of the NOPD star and crescent badge and cap. Within the tomb’s twelve vaults rest officers and/or their immediate family who’ve chosen to belong to the Police Mutual Benevolent Association (PMBA); they need not have died in the line of duty, only to have been active members in the PMBA at their time of death.

However, one name I recognized did die on the job, under horrific circumstances. Officer Nicola Cotton was patrolling a particularly rough section of the city when she was called to deal with a vagrant. The man, who’d been previously diagnosed with severe mental illness struggled with the petite policewoman, ultimately getting her gun away from her and shooting her 15 times in broad daylight.

The outcry was intense and immediate- questions were raised:why are officers sent out to patrol on their own when it’s much safer to do so in pairs, of sexual equality in the job, and inquiries into why an obviously deranged man was allowed to walk the streets.

In the end there were a lot more questions than answers, and at just 24, she seems entirely too young to be here.