PASCAGOULA—’Tis the season for visiting graveyards and cemeteries, but a visit to the historic Krebs Cemetery will be a patriotic treat as a celebration of history.
For twenty years, guests have visited the annual cemetery tour on Krebs Lake in Pascagoula to learn more about its history. The gates open for this year’s tour at 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 30, with events to conclude at 7:30 p.m.
It is organized each year by the Pascagoula Historic Preservation Commission to commemorate the trials and tribulations of those who first inhabited the homestead. The first tour date was only a few months after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, but the commission chose to create the event to inspire resilience in the community.
Colonel James Lee, a member of the commission and event organizer said that the tour was suggested by his wife, Michele, in an effort to encourage healing within the community.
“The intent of the tour was to inspire resilience in the community by remembering the trials and tribulations of our ancestors,” Lee said. “It was also intended to give the community an enjoyable event when so many other forms of entertainment were not available.”
And the rest, as they say, is history. The commission collaborated with the Pascagoula Public Library Historian and began organizing stories that would shape the event that is hosted by the Jackson County Historical and Genealogical Society, the City of Pascagoula Historic Preservation Commission, Singing River Genealogy & Local History Library. Admission is free and open to the public, but donations are always welcome.
After his retirement from the U.S. Army, Lee said it was natural for him to become part of the annual event and initially agreed to portray a character during the tour. Today he continues to research the lives of the characters who are buried in the cemetery, especially digging for more obscure and interesting stories.
Over the course of 20 years, themes of the historic tour have covered medical history, sports figures and even World War II heritage. This year the organizers have chosen to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America.
“We are expanding the event this year to include a patriotic concert featuring the Testament of Freedom, based on the writings of Thomas Jefferson prior to the Declaration of Independence,” Lee said. “Sea Shanties sung by a small group portraying the crew of the USS Morris, one of two Continental Navy vessels operating in the Mississippi Sound during the American Revolution.”
Academically, the organizers are sponsoring a student essay contest and book signing as part of the event. Also featured will be members of the Daughters and Sons of the American Revolution who will share stories of their own Patriot ancestors.
The Krebs Cemetery, adjacent to the LaPointe-Krebs House and Museum, is one of the oldest in the state as documented on the headstone of the grave of Marie Josephine De La Pointe Krebs who died November 7, 1751. This was prior to the construction of the historic house that is dated to 1757.
An average of 300 guests generally attend the event, and this year will be no different. The historic house and museum will host free admission for the event, and a few vendors will be on site for guest convenience. Parking is available at the LaPointe-Krebs House and Museum located at 4602 Fort Street in Pascagoula.
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