What stories would our neighbors tell if they could speak from beyond the grave? Find out during the annual Quiet Neighbors Historic Olney Cemetery Tour.
Each year, Olney Cemetery staff and a volunteer board organize a living history re-enactment to tell the stories of some of Olney Cemetery's residents. Some of the stories are vital to the forging of Pendleton's history, such as Aura Goodwin Raley or Lot Livermore. Others are colorful or tragic tales that shed light on the practices and stories of the past.
Sixth annual Quiet Neighbors returns Saturday, Oct. 3.
Now a Pendleton tradition in its sixth year, Quiet Neighbors returns Saturday, Oct. 3, at Olney Cemetery. Costumed performers will give voice to some of the notable individuals laid to rest at Olney Cemetery for one day only, telling tales of monumental events to strange circumstances. During the tour, visitors follow a guide through the cemetery to meet these “neighbors” and hear their stories.
Some of the individuals, such as Aura Goodwin Raley and Lot Livermore, laid the foundations of Pendleton; others have colorful stories that shed light on times and practices in the past. New stories this year include a survivor of the Heppner flood and Claire, the wife of Pendleton lawman Til Taylor. The tour will also feature a new scene with four young girls, each portraying a girl buried at Olney Cemetery who died from a different disease: liver disease, scarlet fever, influenza or typhoid fever. Their soiree offers a glimpse into childhood in an era when diseases could claim young lives.
Quiet Neighbors: Historic Olney Cemetery Tour is free. Those attending the event should dress for the weather and be prepared to walk approximately one mile.
This year’s event is Saturday, Oct. 3, at Olney Cemetery, 865 Tutuilla Road, Pendleton. Tours begin in the memorial garden near the Olney Abbey Mausoleum and leave every 20 minutes. The first tour leaves at 1 p.m., and the final tour will leave at 5 p.m. No reservations required.
Quiet Neighbors is organized by Olney Cemetery staff and a volunteer committee. For more information, visit the Quiet Neighbors Facebook event page or the Quiet Neighbors webpage.