Local historian hopes light-hearted sign will promote Cemetery Stroll

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Buzz Estes, an organizer of the annual Athens Cemetery Stroll in September, stands by his homemade sign as a warning to “zombies” who want to get a sneak peek of the upcoming stroll. News Courier/Rebecca Croomes

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August 15, 2012

Local historian hopes light-hearted sign will promote Cemetery Stroll

By Lora Scripps lora@athensnews-courier.com The News Courier Wed Aug 15, 2012, 02:00 AM CDT

— When it comes to Athens City Cemetery and the annual Cemetery Stroll, Buzz Estes, an organizer of the event and local businessman, wants to make one thing clear: “Friendly ghosts welcome. No zombies allowed.” In fact, it’s written on a sign that hangs on the outer walls of the cemetery.

Though the event is more than a month way, Estes and other organizers are already busy preparing for the stroll, which will take place from 2-5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30.

Estes said last year 24 people portrayed the characters of Athens. “In six cases we had people portraying their ancestors or direct descendants,” he said. “Including two descendents of a Yankee solider (or as Estes said Robert E. Lee called them ‘those people’) that moved here after the war and settled.”

To Estes, the cemetery stroll is a “painless way to teach history.”

He came up with his interesting advertising idea on a night he was having trouble sleeping. He said he wanted to do something to draw attention to the stroll.

“I want to have a whole series of signs,” he said. “One of them is ‘Zero zombies zone.’ Another is ‘Zero zombie tolerance.’”

Estes has more. He said one sign, which offers a little piece of advice, might read “Do not dig a hole out of which you cannot get.”

He is hoping residents and politicians will donate discarded political signs after the election that can be converted into such advertisements for the event.

The Athens Cemetery Stroll is unguided and free to the public, but donations are accepted. Proceeds will go toward the repairs of several cemetery sites.

Estes said the City Cemetery crew does a great job keeping everything cleaned up, the grass cut and they clear limbs and debris, but the crew doesn’t do repairs.

“There are always repairs needed,” Estes said. “If you are there and look around you will see why it needs donations.”

To find out more about the upcoming event, call the Athens-Limestone Visitors Center at 256-232-5411.