Sherburne History Center Blog

  Halloween arrives in just a few days.   It seems appropriate to explore the symbolism in death.   Cemeteries contain an abundance of symbols in the grave markers, plants, and architecture.   Understanding the meaning of a few of these symbols might give us a greater appreciation of the planning and design of cemeteries and the communities surrounding these resting places. Entryway of Becker Cemetery, Becker, MN.   Look closely, hidden by the evergreens, is  the arched entryway to the cemetery It seems as though everything in a cemetery contains some symbolic meaning.   The shape of the entryways to many burial grounds represent the gates of heaven.   Many cemeteries have pine trees and other evergreens to remind us of the concept of eternal life.   And the headstones often resemble bed stands to suggest eternal rest.   We haven’t even looked at the headstones, yet the cemeteries overflow with symbolism and, seeming, prayers f...

This week marks the thirtieth anniversary of the Halloween Blizzard of 1991.   Memorable to the history of Minnesota and, to a lesser degree, Sherburne County.   We have witnessed Mother Nature and her ability to inflict significant turmoil in our lives, with blizzards, flooding, tornadoes, and other catastrophic events.   Transportation by any means possible during the  1991 Halloween Blizzard.  photo courtesy of Elk  River Star News collection The Halloween Blizzard is one of these events that inflicted significant challenges into the lives of Minnesotans.   Like the Armistice Day Blizzard of 1940, the Halloween Blizzard started as an innocent snowstorm.   Suddenly it erupted into something so much greater.   Record snow fell in 1991.   In a 24-hour period, Duluth recorded more than 24 inches of snow.   Sherburne County recorded an estimated 16 inches.   The Elk River Star News also reported snow drifts as high as fifteen f...