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St. Louisans Are Undertaking A Reenactment Of Robert Campbell's Wake 140 Years After His Death

Edna Dieterle (at left) and John Avery will be on hand at the Campbell House Museum for its annual Twilight Tours This Friday.
Mourning Society of St. Louis

Halloween-related celebrations are legion in St. Louis, with wide-ranging revelry options available each year for enthusiasts of every sort. At the Campbell House Museum — located downtown and at the less ghoulish end of the Halloween spectrum — the holiday observance typically involves a lot of history as well as a coffin, leeches and more.

This month marks 140 years since the death of the fur trader Robert Campbell, one of early St. Louis’ most prominent citizens and the museum property’s former owner, and on Friday evening, members of the Mourning Society of St. Louis will be on hand to oversee this year’s iteration of the Twilight Tours.

From left, Edna Dieterle, Katherine Kozemczak and John Avery joined Friday's program.
Credit Evie Hemphill | St. Louis Public Radio
From left, Edna Dieterle, Katherine Kozemczak and John Avery joined Friday's program.

Three members of the small but active society joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jeremy D. Goodwin on Friday’s St. Louis on the Air for a preview of the nearly sold-out event — and they talked about their historical reenactment work more broadly as well.

Katherine Kozemczak is a health insurance industry professional by day. John Avery is a retired funeral home director, and Edna Dieterle is a nurse.

Take a listen:

Related Event
What: Twilight Tours with the Mourning Society of St. Louis
When: Ticketed tours begin at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, 2019
Where: Campbell House Museum (1508 Locust St., St. Louis, MO 63103)

St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is hosted by Sarah Fenske and produced by Alex Heuer, Emily Woodbury, Evie Hemphill, Lara Hamdan and Tonina Saputo. The engineer is Aaron Doerr, and production assistance is provided by Charlie McDonald.

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Send questions and comments about this story to feedback@stlpublicradio.org.

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Evie was a producer for "St. Louis on the Air" at St. Louis Public Radio.