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By this time next year, Alice Norfolk Niles is hoping to increase some historical knowledge in Hannibal.
Her interest in cemeteries has grown in recent years and she’s decided to write books about cemetery history and those interred on the grounds.
Next on her list of publications is a book about Hannibal’s historic Riverside Cemetery.
“I’ve been doing family genealogy for 30 years and about two years ago, I became interested in doing cemetery books,” Niles said. “I work with the Pike County Genealogy Society most of the time and they’re a great bunch of people. I go in, I photograph all the stones and I research the people.”
Originally from the Hannibal-Quincy area, Niles now lives in Texas. She returns every year in the warmer months to visit family.
“I don’t come up there when it’s cold,” she said. “I come up there a couple times a year to visit my siblings. My parents are buried at Grand View (Burial Park), we’ve got people in every cemetery up there.”
Niles said her grandfather’s third wife is buried at Riverside along with her grandmother’s sister and family. Thus far in her research she has found old postcards of Riverside Cemetery after it first opened.
“I research the history. Who owned the land, who donated — if so, who donated it. Was it bought by the city, what were the early days like; Riverside is in a beautiful location overlooking the river like it is. Somebody put a lot of thought into that,” Niles said. “The stones are in a lot better shape than some of the other cemeteries I’ve seen, especially at the top of the cemetery.”
The book is expected to be out next fall in paperback. Niles is returning to the area in May to photograph headstones.
“It’ll take me about six months to prepare it. I’ll have done most of the research on the famous people prior to taking the stone pictures,” she said.
By this time next year, Alice Norfolk Niles is hoping to increase some historical knowledge in Hannibal.
Her interest in cemeteries has grown in recent years and she’s decided to write books about cemetery history and those interred on the grounds.
Next on her list of publications is a book about Hannibal’s historic Riverside Cemetery.
“I’ve been doing family genealogy for 30 years and about two years ago, I became interested in doing cemetery books,” Niles said. “I work with the Pike County Genealogy Society most of the time and they’re a great bunch of people. I go in, I photograph all the stones and I research the people.”
Originally from the Hannibal-Quincy area, Niles now lives in Texas. She returns every year in the warmer months to visit family.
“I don’t come up there when it’s cold,” she said. “I come up there a couple times a year to visit my siblings. My parents are buried at Grand View (Burial Park), we’ve got people in every cemetery up there.”
Niles said her grandfather’s third wife is buried at Riverside along with her grandmother’s sister and family. Thus far in her research she has found old postcards of Riverside Cemetery after it first opened.
“I research the history. Who owned the land, who donated — if so, who donated it. Was it bought by the city, what were the early days like; Riverside is in a beautiful location overlooking the river like it is. Somebody put a lot of thought into that,” Niles said. “The stones are in a lot better shape than some of the other cemeteries I’ve seen, especially at the top of the cemetery.”
The book is expected to be out next fall in paperback. Niles is returning to the area in May to photograph headstones.
“It’ll take me about six months to prepare it. I’ll have done most of the research on the famous people prior to taking the stone pictures,” she said.
