I have attempted to visit Sheffield Cemetery on several occasions when in the neighborhood; which is usually on a Saturday while on a taco run. The gates have always been locked, I assume because of the Jewish Sabbath. My visit yesterday on Memorial Day was successful for entering but slightly unusual. Most cemeteries on Memorial Day are filled with families visiting graves and decorating the tombstones and lawn with flowers and ornaments - not here. I was the only soul on site for the 40+ minutes I wandered amongst the 5500 graves. Even more puzzling; was besides the small American flags at the graves of veterans, there was ZERO decorations in the entire Cemetery. No people, and no tacky plastic flowers or broken wind chimes; just a well manicured lawn with tightly packed tombstones in perfect rows for my isolated inspection. The oldest graves are early 20th century, so nothing too ancient and no one of historical relevance that I could detect in an on-line search. I wandered the lonesome resting grounds alone under a gray overcast sky with low dark clouds while multiple freight trains rumbled along the viaduct just south of the perimeter fence. The Hebrew writing, the stars of David ever present and the line of WWII casualty / veteran graves in the back west corner all triggered emotions of sorrow that I have not felt at other final resting grounds, even though I didn't have any personal connection to anyone buried there. Having just bought tickets for the upcoming Auschwitz exhibit coming to town, I was certainly attuned to the somber reminder of what many of these people beneath my feet had fled from or watched with horror from personal connections. A moment in time that I'll always remember and could never duplicate.
Oct 2020
Sheffield Cemetery is an historic Jewish cemetery in Northeast Kansas City. A great deal of restoration has been done here in the last 20 years. It is an excellent example of the historic diversity of the Northeast neighborhoods.
Google: 5/5
I have attempted to visit Sheffield Cemetery on several occasions when in the neighborhood; which is usually on a Saturday while on a taco run. The gates have always been locked, I assume because of the Jewish Sabbath. My visit yesterday on Memorial Day was successful for entering but slightly unusual. Most cemeteries on Memorial Day are filled with families visiting graves and decorating the tombstones and lawn with flowers and ornaments - not here. I was the only soul on site for the 40+ minutes I wandered amongst the 5500 graves. Even more puzzling; was besides the small American flags at the graves of veterans, there was ZERO decorations in the entire Cemetery. No people, and no tacky plastic flowers or broken wind chimes; just a well manicured lawn with tightly packed tombstones in perfect rows for my isolated inspection. The oldest graves are early 20th century, so nothing too ancient and no one of historical relevance that I could detect in an on-line search. I wandered the lonesome resting grounds alone under a gray overcast sky with low dark clouds while multiple freight trains rumbled along the viaduct just south of the perimeter fence. The Hebrew writing, the stars of David ever present and the line of WWII casualty / veteran graves in the back west corner all triggered emotions of sorrow that I have not felt at other final resting grounds, even though I didn't have any personal connection to anyone buried there. Having just bought tickets for the upcoming Auschwitz exhibit coming to town, I was certainly attuned to the somber reminder of what many of these people beneath my feet had fled from or watched with horror from personal connections. A moment in time that I'll always remember and could never duplicate.
Sheffield Cemetery is an historic Jewish cemetery in Northeast Kansas City. A great deal of restoration has been done here in the last 20 years. It is an excellent example of the historic diversity of the Northeast neighborhoods.