MASON CITY -- White luminaries and a few flashlights were the only things to light the way as about 100 North Iowans explored the darker side of the Elmwood-St. Joseph Municipal Cemetery, Mason City, Saturday night. The event was part of the cemetery's annual History Walk and Evening Stroll. During the night time portion, participants met four people buried in the cemetery who had darker stories than those shared during a History Walk in the afternoon.

"Here I am in the dark still missing my Warren and cursing that farm," said Katie Byerly as she portrayed Isabelle Clark.

Dressed in period clothes, Byerly explained how Warren bought a farm in 1902 after retiring from many public safety roles in Mason City.

"That dreadful farm; that miserable farm," she said.

Warren was harvesting oats in August 1906 when something broke down on the equipment. While he was fixing the equipment, a train whistle spooked the horses and caused the machinery to severe his left leg.

"His last words were 'I guess I'll have to die here,'" Byerly said.

Wearing a black dress and veil over her face, Cheryl Blakely shared the story about how Anna Shepard lost three children at young ages. She and her husband, Henry, had twins in 1879; however, just before they turned 1 they both died within days of each other from scarlet fever. Later on they had another daughter who died within a month of being born.

"We don't know why she died," Blakely said. However, she noted that there was a lot of sickness and diseases back then that no one knew how to treat.

"Because of them I am here at night with my children, grieving my children," Blakely said as three children "spirits" wandered behind her.

"Spirits" could be seen wandering throughout the cemetery as groups moved from each portrayal site to the next. Jo Beck stood in front of a 15-foot-tall zinc monument telling the story of Lucinda Gloyd and what the zinc monuments were used for at one time. During Prohibition people would leave bouquets of flowers at the monuments and wrapped in the flowers would be money. Bootleggers would then come through and place moonshine in the hollow monuments.

"It holds a lot of moonshine," Beck said about the Gloyd monument, knocking on it.

Shannon Anderson, Mason City, said the stories were perfect for her 7-year-old son, Zach Sheldon. They also went on the afternoon walk.

"I like the night time one best because it's dark," Zach said.

"Ghosts and ghouls are out tonight," Anderson added.

The History Walk and Evening Stroll is an annual fundraiser for the cemetery. It also included a chili supper.

Transcription & note by Sharon R. Becker, April of 2018