When Headstones Talk, a tour of the IOOF (Independent Order of Odd Fellows) Cemetery in Indianola, is coming in June. When Headstones Talk is a tour of the cemetery that will include ten different stories of the lives and demise of cemetery residents will be told by historical re-enactors in period dress. Actress Lynnea Young tells KNIA News participating in an event like this can open up so many avenues of information, and hopes it inspires others to learn more about the history of the area.

“One of the things I would like people to know, is that there are people living all over this place that have a history that we have never heard. I don’t think it will ever be written down, so don’t be afraid to go into a nursing home or a hospice home and ask people what their life was like. I think we need to understand the past before we can understand ourselves. And I think it’s very important that those people feel validated, and that their history is important to us.”

The event is free, but donations are encouraged to help fund the repair and upright the fallen and broken headstones of the cemetery. When Headstones Talk will take place on Saturday, June 8th from 7-8:30pm, an adults only session with flashlights and lanterns will begin at 9pm, and another session begins on Sunday, June 9th from 2-4pm.