I use this description, tongue in cheek, when I think of my good friend, Brad. We’ve known each other for a number of years, but when we first met, I found that he had a pretty interesting hobby. At first, I thought it a bit strange. But as I got to know my friend, I came to understand it. In fact, when we traveled together, I began to expect it. Because you see, my friend Brad, has an affinity for the past.
Brad is drawn to graveyards, cemeteries and those historic, forgotten family plots that dot the landscape of this great country. It’s really not strange at all, what motivates him to do this. In fact, his work has helped thousands connect with their past by providing the missing links in their genealogical searches and discoveries.
We met a number of years ago while we were both tortilla peddlers. And while we were traveling the highways and byways of West Texas together, Brad was drawn to weed covered, poorly maintained cemeteries like a divining rod to water. I thought it strange at first, but when he began to point out the specifics on the worn headstones of those departed souls, stories began to emerge. Questions arose. Why did they die so young? What brought them to the West? Who were their families?
Through his work, Brad has provided tomes of information for those in search of their ancestors. Recently he published his first book, “The Aisles of the Forgotten Graveyard”. In it, he brings to life a few of those souls that he has met through his journeys. It’s a fascinating read. Brad has left a lasting imprint on me. So much so, that now, when I am traveling, I cannot pass a graveyard without taking a few minutes to walk it’s hallowed grounds.
And while I may not be serious when I refer to my friend Brad as a grave whisperer, I am very serious when I refer to him as a historian. He is just that. And a damn good one.
