Cemetery Tour highlights influential citizens

The Cameron Historical Society held its second annual Cemetery Tour, highlighting the lives of Cameron’s most noteworthy citizens residing in the Graceland Cemetery. 

While the inaugural tour at Packard Cemetery focused on many of the Cameron’s founders and unsolved mysteries involving some of its residents, 2020 focused on Cameron’s most influential citizens and their impact on the community.

“We’re always interested in hearing what the presenters present and the people we ask to do these presentations have a connection in some way so they have a passion about telling the story of the person,” said Connie Lintner with the Cameron Historical Society and Depot Museum. “It always makes me feel good to see it completed and go as well as it did. There were some people that were interesting. Rose Dildine had known Herbert Hoover and traveled to places bigger than Cameron. We don’t think about that.”

Following a procession to Graceland Cemetery, led by officers with the Cameron Police Department, the group split into two either beginning at the Poland Mausoleum or the Graceland Mausoleum. The Graceland Mausoleum seemed primary stop of the tour with 45 interred, some temporarily. 

Among them is Rose Harris Dildine, the wife of Dildine Bridge Company Owner J.C. Dildine, who was socially and politically active in Cameron. Rose Harris Dildine, a Cameron native, even managed to coax a bouquet of flowers from First Lady Lou Hoover after her husband, President Herbert Hoover, fell asleep before his train reached Cameron.

“Cameron was not scheduled to be a stop as Herbert was on his way to speak at his birthplace in Iowa the next day,” said Cameron City Councilwoman Becky Curtis, who dressed as Rose Harris Dildine while addressing the crowd. “… Unfortunately, when the train stopped at 11 o’clock that night Herbert had already turned in for the night. When the Rock Island Train reached Cameron, his secretary had to come out and thank all those that came for waiting and give their regrets for the candidate not coming out that night.” 

Other citizens mentioned included Marion Ebenezer Munsell, author of Flying Sparks, Missouri Wesleyan College professor Howard Hackett, Cameron Ritz Theater owners Averill and Frances Jarboe, newspaper reporter Gene Hills, Air Force pilot Gene Pemberton and various stories of those interned inside the Poland Mausoleum.

 

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