May 2, 2024

Episode 182 - Cousin Jennies Part 1: Cornish Women of Mining Country Cemeteries

This week, buckle up for part one of a riveting tale as Jennie and Dianne team up with Lynette Webber, an expert who has dedicated years to researching the cemeteries and their residents in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula. Picture this: a time machine back to the 1800s when tin miners and their kin from Cornwall, Great Britain, made the Peninsula and its copper mines their stomping ground. As the copper mines declined in productivity, families sought opportunities elsewhere, leading to their migration. 

Fast forward to summer 2023, Lynette, Jennie, and Dianne, all members of the Association for Gravestone Studies, attended the annual AGS conference which was held in Colorado. As Lynette explored Gilpin County's picturesque mountain cemeteries, she unearthed surprising links between several graves of Colorado and Michigan. Lynette spins tales of resilient Cornish families who journeyed from Michigan to Colorado, with a spotlight on the Ordinary Extraordinary women who nurtured these families, enduring  challenges, heartache, and finding both success and happiness along the way.

For a truly in-depth experience, make sure to watch this episode on YouTube where Lynette showcases photos, documents, and additional details while narrating these stories.

 

Lynette Webber Profile Photo

Lynette Webber

Research Historian

Lynette Webber's family ties to mining reach across continents and generations. Growing up in Ontonagon, Michigan, her fascination with nearby cemeteries and mine towns started young. The local historical society sometimes publishes photos of her in a coffin taken circa 2000. Following an undergraduate degree in history at Michigan Technological University and decades of preservation-based volunteer- ism, she continues to study dead people. Mine company cemeteries without formal records take up much of her free time. Her research and presentations have been awarded a Michigan Technological University Undergraduate Research Award and the 2016 National Freeman Tilden Award from the National Association for Interpretation & National Park Service.