I love this idea. A story on the ABC News website “Dead Good Coffee: Cemetery Cafes Gain Popularity” tells about a new trend in Europe. Coffee cafes in cemeteries are attracting a wide variety of customers. A visit before or after visiting the graves of our ancestors might soothe the nerves. A group of genealogists transcribing the words on tombstones could have a mid-morning coffee break together. When the other customers ask what the group is doing, we could spread the word about our society.
I haven’t heard of any such cafes in the U.S. but I can think of some perfect places for them. Many cemeteries are extremely picturesque and would provide a perfect backdrop while sipping a hot drink. It might even bring in some extra funds for struggling cemeteries. Okay, Roselawn, Calvary, Resurrection,
Elmhurst, and Forest Lawn here in the St. Paul area, how about it? I want to visit my relatives in your cemeteries, and stop for a cup of hot tea and think good thoughts about them. Somehow I don’t see the national cemeteries such as Fort Snelling doing this but maybe my parents and my in-laws can put in a good word with the workers cutting the grass and shoveling snow around their resting places.
The article tells how the cafes are pretty much home-spun and not interfering with the solemnity of the cemetery. They provide rest rooms, a place for mourners to meet, and just might make a cemetery visit less traumatic for some.
To read the story, click here.
© 2013 – 2014, Paula Stuart-Warren. All rights reserved.
What a great idea! I’ve had a few picnics in cemeteries but a cuppa with my ancestors, awesome!