Talk Now, Grieve Later
by A.H. Blegen
Published by Xlibris Corporation
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Reviewed by Connie Anderson
Advice to everyone. Learn from Blegen's book to act more thoughtfully toward your ancestors while they are still alive. Too often we don't ask our relatives to "tell us your story," or ask about things that are important to them, and to us.
At 81, the author puts a unique perspective on asking those questions before it is too late. He takes his readers through his family history as he visits the cemeteries of their eternal rest.
This is a perfect title: Talk Now, Grieve Later, to make a point of asking questions now. However, he has a second issue. The disrepair and maintenance of cemeteries throughout this area, including the ones where he visits graves of his birthparents and his aunt who raised him as her own after his mother's early death.
Although this is a very private family story, the author ends with his visit to two historical Twin Cities' cemeteries.
1. Minneapolis Pioneer and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery in South Minneapolis on Cedar Avenue. It dates back to its first burial in 1853, starting with ten acres that has grown to 27 acres today. Closed to new burials in 1919 after 27,000 burials of people who were immigrants, many for the Eastern European areas. These graves were marked by an iron cross that was also used by some Scandinavian families. Blegen asks us to visit and wander the acres and see the variety of unique and beautiful monuments and markets.
2. Fort Snelling National Cemetery is located by the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Thousands of headstones (not crosses as seen in overseas military cemeteries) honor wartime or peacetime veterans buried there. The first burial was July 5, 1939 with 168,000 to follow. This is one of 120 national cemeteries in the U.S.
Armchair Interviews says: So ask those questions when your family is alive, and grieve later. Do your part to keep a cemetery in good repair for the remains of those who went before us. If you live in this area, visit these historical cemeteries and see for yourself.
Book is also available Book at author's website: