Another collection of some of most Biloxi’s colorful characters of yesteryear will headline this year’s Old Biloxi Cemetery Tour, a free public program that takes place Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m., with an encore Tuesday from 4 to 7 p.m.
Included in this year’s lineup will be colorful Mardi Gras impresario Walter “Skeet” Hunt, who also was an owner of an offshore gambling mecca, the Isle of Caprice; White House Hotel operators Walter White and Cora Enochs White; and legendary Slavic immigrant Nikola Skrmetta, renowned by early seafood factory operators for his untiring work ethic.
In all, there will be nine re-enactor sites with 12 locals portraying community leaders from Biloxi’s history, all under the banner of this year’s theme, “Biloxi Families Legends & Lore.” Free refreshments will be provided, and parking is available at the Biloxi Elks Lodge, just west of the cemetery.
The complete lineup for this year’s cemetery tour:
Musician Raymond “Red” Egers, portrayed by Raymond Egers Jr.; Greek immigrant and candymaker Leonidas Eleuterius, by Jack Eleuterius; war hero Peter Ott, by Bill Collins; Biloxi zookeeper Joseph “Dinka” Lamas and Gladys Lamas, by Boyce Deaton and Amber Runnels, respectively; shrimper Thomas Schultz and Ophelia Schultz, by Scott Keller and Brandy Mills, respectively; impresario Walter “Skeet” Hunt by Bill Raymond Jr.; Slavic immigrant Nikola Skrmetta by Billy Miller; hoteliers Walter White and Cora Enochs White by Edmond Boudreaux and Molly Cox, respectively; and former Biloxi Mayor Capt. John Walker, by Arthur Bailey.
Those attending will be able to take self-guided, continuous tours, which means you can arrive at your convenience. At each stop, visitors will hear firsthand stories about each community leader and their accomplishments.
The annual Old Biloxi Cemetery Tours, now in their eighth year, have won state and regional awards for their attention to detail and research. The tour is produced each year by “Preserve Biloxi,” a group that includes the City of Biloxi, Biloxi Bay Chamber, Biloxi Main Street, Biloxi Public Schools, the Genealogy and Local History Division of the Biloxi Public Library, and the University of Southern Mississippi.
Details: 228-435-6370 or lrosetti@biloxi.ms.us
See the 2014 cemetery tour postcard
See photos from the 2013 cemetery tour
See photos from the 2011 cemetery tour
See photos from the 2010 cemetery tour
See photos from the 2009 cemetery tour
See photos from the 2008 cemetery tour
