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The Baxter County Historical and Genealogical Society will host author Abby Burnett at its next meeting to discuss her new book on Arkansas cemeteries.
The meeting will be held tonight at 6 p.m. in the Knox Room of the Baxter County Library. Admission is free and open to the public.
Burnett is an independent researcher who studies long-lost burial customs, tombstone symbolism, epitaphs and the work of early stone carvers. Her first book, “Gone to the Grave: Burial Customs of the Arkansas Ozarks, 1850-1950,” was published in 2015 and focused on regional death, dying and funeral traditions.
She expanded that work in late 2025 with the release of “Though Silent They Speak,” a 350-page book that walks readers through Arkansas cemeteries, inscriptions, markers, themes and the stories behind them.
“It would be great if people who love cemeteries as much as I do use this as a guide to exploring the most unusual graves and graveyards found across the state, but it’s also perfect for armchair travelers, people who love the stories, and the history, but who don’t necessarily want to get out in the graveyards,” Burnett said in a statement from the society.
The Baxter County Historical and Genealogical Society was founded in 1873 and hosts regular meetings on topics tied to local and regional history.
