Mount Olivet from the Heartland Flyer

A Vast Cemetery View That Sparks Big Questions

Rolling south on the Heartland Flyer from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth, I was gazing out the window when a breathtaking sight stopped me mid-sentence. Just outside Ardmore, Oklahoma, on the right side of the train, a massive expanse of headstones stretched across the horizon. This was Mount Olivet Cemetery, a historic burial ground so vast—spanning over 20 acres with thousands of graves—that it felt like a city of the past unfolding beside the tracks. Its sheer scale, dotted with weathered stones and towering trees, grabbed my friend and me, sparking a conversation about life, legacy, and how we choose to rest.

A Monument to Ardmore’s History

Established in the late 1800s, Mount Olivet is one of Ardmore’s oldest and largest cemeteries, a resting place for early settlers, veterans, and local pioneers who shaped this railroad town. Covering over 20 acres, it holds countless stories, from simple limestone markers to ornate mausoleums, visible from the train’s west side. Its proximity to the BNSF tracks, used by the Heartland Flyer, ties it to Ardmore’s roots as a hub for cotton and oil. The cemetery’s size and mix of modest and grand graves reflect the community’s diverse history, making it a striking sight that invites reflection.

Tragedies Etched in Stone

Mount Olivet bears witness to Ardmore’s triumphs and tragedies. Among its graves are those tied to the 1915 Ardmore rail explosion, a devastating accident when a tanker car exploded downtown, killing over 40 people and injuring hundreds. Victims and responders from this tragedy rest here, their headstones a quiet reminder of resilience. Other markers honor those lost to early 20th-century pandemics, like the 1918 flu, or families struck by personal hardships. These stories, etched in stone, add weight to the cemetery’s vastness, making its scale feel both humbling and profound as the train glides by.

Rethinking Our Farewell

That sprawling view led my friend and me to talk about burials. Why invest in an elaborate casket when you could return to the earth naturally? I pictured a simple pine box, letting nature reclaim what’s hers, or a tree pod—a biodegradable urn that grows into a tree, blending memory with life. Mount Olivet’s older, unadorned graves, from a time when wooden caskets were common, seemed to echo this simplicity. Oklahoma is embracing green burials, with cemeteries in Tulsa and Oklahoma City offering natural options free of chemicals or vaults. Could Mount Olivet’s vast grounds one day host a memorial forest? The idea feels like a fitting evolution.

A Lasting Reflection

As the train pulled away from Ardmore, Mount Olivet’s endless rows faded, but its questions lingered. Its size—over 20 acres of lives and losses—prompted us to think about our own legacies. For me, a pine box or tree pod feels right, a way to give back to the earth. This cemetery, with its stories of tragedy and resilience, reminds us that our final act can be one of simplicity and renewal. What’s your vision for a meaningful farewell? Share your thoughts on legacy or green burials in the comments!