The idea of leaving an offering on a grave hoping a problem will be solved with the next rising sun may seem foreign to many. But the evidence of such beliefs is very apparent on a grave in Rose Hill Cemetery. Trinkets, or offerings, have been left there for the sake of hope.
Walton Moore Jr. is a member of the Masons who are in charge of taking care of Rose Hill and Magnolia Gardens cemeteries in Meridian. He is also the historian and tour guide for Rose Hill. It was a special tour Tuesday night that Moore led through the many old headstones. To most people, being in a cemetery at night would not be their first choice. But the long shadows cast on this night, coupled with Moore’s seemingly infinite knowledge of the people now resting there, yielded more of a treat than a trick.
Of course the site that drew the most questions from the group concerned the “Gypsy Queen,” Kelly Mitchell, who died in 1915 from childbirth in Demopolis, AL. Beads, jewelry, coins, polished rocks, baby toys, candy bars and many other items cover her grave. It is said if you have a problem, you bring an offering, ask the queen to help you solve it, and she will come in your dreams that night with the solution.
“Every so often I have to clean some of the items off the cover stone,” said Moore, now in his 80s. “I still see gypsies who come to the grave every so often. I talk to them a great deal to learn as much as I can. These are very smart people. They’ve had to be in order to survive this long.”
One of the myths, that there is treasure buried with the queen, is totally false, Moore said. The cover slab of stone laid over the grave to protect the casket and the queen has been broken many times. Moore has to glue it back together whenever that happens as he does with other monuments that are broken by falling tree limbs or jealous wives. Finally, a concrete slab had to be poured years ago because the break-ins became so prevalent.
The placement of the gypsy graves also is curious as it is next to the ornate monument and resting places of one of Meridian’s most famous families — the Ragsdales.
“The gypsy lineage is a popular part of Meridian,” Moore said. “Some are still living here and many more pass through here to pay their respects to the queen.”
Or to offer up their problem to Kelly Mitchell in hopes she will lead them in death as she did in life.
Local News
Related Photos
Discussion
Rose Hill, where kings and queens rest
History, folklore and legend reside in the soil of cemetery
- Local News
-
-
High Honor
The flowers and balloons Crestwood Elementary School Principal Kimberly Kendrick received at school Monday were not an early Valentines' Day gift.
Kendrick has been named Meridian Public School District's 2012 Administrator of the Year – an announcement that both surprised and wowed the 17-year veteran educator when made by MPSD Superintendent Dr. Alvin Taylor. -
Master Dance Class
-
Digital system promises better communication
Hopefully in the near future you won't hear someone in the emergency services ask over the radio, "Can you hear me now?"
A digital communications system, one which is being pushed by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), is a few months away and, in some cases, is already in the testing phase in Lauderdale County. -
Inmate escapes custody
Mississippi Department of Corrections officials said Monday afternoon an inmate escaped from custody Friday and is still being sought.
Officials said Johnny Hall Jr. escaped from two Wilkinson County Correctional Facility officers’ custody while being escorted from his father’s wake at the Picayune Funeral Home in Picayune. Preliminary information indicates Hall left the officers and jumped into a waiting black vehicle with a white female driver. -
Citizen’s Police Academy begins today
The work law enforcement conducts on a daily basis is often misunderstood by the general public.
Officials at the Meridian Police Department developed a program to inform and educate citizens on what police do in serving and protecting the population. The program, The Citizen's Police Academy, has been gaining speed for a couple of years since it was first offered. Officials said it shows residents are interested in police work and how it is conducted. - Woman: decongestant brought meth charge in Alabama
-
Star Of The Week: Dominique Goodwin-Jenkins
-
SoMiSPO brings steel drum rhythms to MCC
-
About face
Nothing is forever in the military and after a months-long battle to secure a C-27J Spartan flying mission and its field training unit at Key Field and the 186th Air Refueling Wing, it seems all of that is flying the way of the KC-135 tankers that used to fill the skies over Meridian.
- Marriages & Divorces: Sunday, February 5, 2012
- More Local News Headlines
-
Former Komen Exec Defends Funding Cut
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
Calif. Gay Marriage Ban Ruled Unconstitutional
Jury Selection for Ex-UVa Athlete Enters 2nd Day
Raw Video: Giants Celebrate Another Super Bowl
Cab Driver Helps Wis. Family Escape House Fire
Greek Leaders Seek Deal As Bankruptcy Looms
Bernanke: Recovery Depends on Consumer Spending
Staff Removed at LA School During Abuse Probe
Eastwood in Super Bowl Ad 'Compassionate'
Stranded Fishermen Rescued From Bay of Green Bay
Analyst: Outside Troops Won't Intervene in Syria
Police: Father Planned Deadly Fire for Some Time
US, UK Pressure on Syria; More Homs Violence
Raw Video: Mass Killer Wants Medal, Freedom
Court Strips Contador of Tour De France Title
Runaway Goat Leads Police on Wild Chase
And the Winner for Best Super Bowl Ad Is...
Romney Latest Poll to Join Let-me-explain Club
