Don’t fear the angel at Oakdale Cemetery.
If bright sunshine and humid hoopla leave you dispirited, consider a delightfully off-season and otherworldly hike — led by local writer/historian Mary Jo Padgett — as an alternative summer treat. On Sunday, June 4, at 2:15pm, she’ll give a guided tour of Historic Oakdale Cemetery near downtown Hendersonville. Oakdale is already a nationally known destination for literature buffs; the marble angel statue that gave her name to Thomas Wolfe’s classic novel Look Homeward, Angel lives here. “We’ll learn more about her,” promises Padgett. “But there are many other markers and monuments that can tell interesting stories and whisper secrets … so we’ll take some time to explore Hendersonville’s buried past.” One mystery she’ll uncover is how Lela Davidson Hansell came to be known as The Sunshine Lady of Oakdale. “Because she so dreaded being buried in the dark earth,” says Padgett, “her fear was accommodated, even after death.” Details at the graveyard.
$10 per person. Kids under 10 are free. For more information, e-mail maryjo@maryjopadgett.com or call 828-545-3179.
