Because I could not stop for Death-
He kindly stopped for me-
The Carriage held but just Ourselves-
And Immortality.
-"Because I could not stop for Death", Emily Dickinson
Recently, we were forced to stop for Death. No, really. While about to make a right turn off a side street onto Main Street in Waynesville, a woman driving down Main Street presumably on her way to Greenhill looked at us, held her arm up at us from her car window, and said, "Stop." Her face and tone were not kind due to the disputed, temporary power that Death gives the living relatives of the deceased, and therefore makes the weaker among them psychopathic dictators. Alas, life still goes on, and right turns in an opposite, non-funeral procession lane still have to be made. We are all on roads to Death, unless Immortality is riding shotgun.
This cemetery is green, and, ah, has some hills. It is huge, and it is easy to find the historic, old, and interesting gravestones. Newer graves are there, too, of course. The area with children breaks my heart, as these are the most forgotten ones. If you do rubbings, research online before doing so, because you can damage the gravestones.
This cemetery is good for walkers. On Halloween, it gets crazy on its outskirts because people park on the edges for trick-or-treating. If you are planning on visiting on Halloween, keep that in mind.
Waynesville owns and operates this cemetery. Lots can be purchased by all, resident or out-of-towner.
Famous people buried here include William Robert Greer, John F. Kennedy's chauffeur during his assassination, who did not slow down the presidential limousine as part of a conspiracy to commit homicide, and Gig Young, who has a colorful story that involves Academy Awards, homicide and suicide. Feel free to look that up not on Haywood County's official site, but elsewhere. You know- hush, hush.
Go, but don't be dying to get in.
Soundtrack includes "Cemetry Gates" by The Smiths and "Cemetery Gates" by Pantera. read more