Century Club: An Introduction
By Kellea Roberson and Emmy C. Fellows
When you walk through the gates of Oakland Cemetery, it is not uncommon to feel a sense of liminality. Garden cemeteries like Oakland were built to serve as a place of transition for the living: a beautiful and peaceful setting to remember the dead and reflect on our own mortality.
It is upon the graves of the long-departed that we gain perspective. The modern strifes we leave at the gates become distant as they’re measured against the lives of those whose names are etched across every marble and granite stone. Each name represents a life lived, and each life reveals a new facet of our own. Alas, there are over tens of thousands of residents in Oakland Cemetery – that is a host of perspectives to gain: too many for one series to highlight.
It may be safe to say that only the wise live to 100 years of age, and if true, who better to provide perspective than the wisest of the spirits of Oakland Cemetery?
Andre Steiner
August 22, 1908 - April 2, 2009
Photo courtesy of Georgia State University, Special Collections
In the Century Club Series, Oakland Cemetery will provide a well-researched snapshot of the various lives of our residents who had the luck, opportunity, or wisdom to live to 100 years old.
By uncovering their histories, we hope to build a bridge between the living and the dead, allowing the past to illuminate our present. As Oakland begins this journey of connecting people to the site beyond its role as a cemetery, we can continue to use this space for reflection. For example, much can be learned and understood if we look at the life of Andre Steiner, whose life demonstrated the power of compassion and selflessness, as he found ways to save 7,000 Jews from deportation to death camps during Nazi Germany. Or maybe we can relate to the nervousness Eva Carter, a young Black woman, may have felt when she entered the classroom on the first day of school after just completing her teaching program at Atlanta University Normal School in 1900.
Celia Davis
Circa 1780 - December 14, 1880
Photos courtesy of Kellea Roberson. Newspaper clipping from Atlanta Constitution.
Elise Boylston
April 28, 1884 – July 28, 1984
Newspaper clipping from Atlanta Journal.
One can also retrace the lives of two sisters, Eleanor and Elise Boylston, who both reached 100 years of age together, despite choosing very different paths for their lives. There are also many Black residents interred in Potter’s Field during the 19th century who were recorded to have lived to 100 years. Although there are not many direct records about the details of their lives, they can still provide a story to learn from.
Oakland’s centenarians felt a range of emotions, experienced both trials and triumphs, and us with fascinating stories to learn from. As the series progresses, we will follow the stories of their lives, provide time to reflect on the ways that identities filter lived experiences, and compare these stories. Many of these individuals crossed paths with one another, whether in the city of Atlanta or beyond, and it’s worth examining how these experiences diverged from one another.
At the end, we hope people who engage with Oakland will find this informative and paint a more complete picture of some of the residents that lie beneath their feet. To view these centenarian stories, please visit our Instagram page at @oaklandcemetery or @hofproteam and stay tuned!
Authors
Emmy C. Fellows is a writer, artist and researcher in Newnan, GA, who finds magic in crafts, photographs, songs and stories. She also serves as a preservation volunteer at Oakland. She shares her days with her beloved boyfriend, Vincent, and their cuddly cat, Beans.
Kellea Roberson is Oakland Preservation Team’s GSU intern in the Heritage Preservation program. Her passions lie in working with her hands, historic trades, and preserving the stories and histories of the forgotten.
