We may not think of the local cemetery as a place to tour, but in 2016 the Cherokee Strip Museum came up with a way to familiarize the public with some of the historic people buried there. The Talking Tombstones tour was a sold-out success in raising funds for the museum.

That tour required a lot of preparation with local residents in costumes presenting the stories of long ago residents who were buried in the Alva Municipal Cemetery. Those who missed the tour can still view the last resting places these interesting individuals through a self-guided tour of the cemetery.

Maps are available from the Alva cemetery caretaker and list 12 stops. The tour begins near the cemetery entrance on Flynn St. with Charles Morton "Corky" Share, an early resident whose trust continues to benefit the community today. Next is Scott Cummins, the Pilgrim Bard, who captured the essence of the early Alva settlers in verse. Some stops are about the tombstones themselves, such as the Union Workers' Tree of Life and two that were bootlegger drop points. One features a female basketball player, another is the final resting place of a judge.

Should you want more of the history behind these interesting sites, the nearby Cherokee Strip Museum on 14th Street has guide booklets available in the museum office. To learn more about the Alva Municipal Cemetery, go to http://www.alvaok.org and click on departments tab for cemetery.