LIVE OAK CEMETeRY
Live Oak Cemetery Association
125 Church Avenue, Pass Christian, MS 39571
Please call the number below for appointment.
Contact:
Deborah Drennan
Phone: (228) 223-5479
LiveOakCemetery@trinityinthepass.com
Brief History
Live Oak Cemetery was established in 1840 by United States Senator John Henderson, Whig- Mississippi.
For approximately ten years, Senator Henderson operated the cemetery as a final resting place for the people of Pass Christian and the surrounding area. In 1849, Trinity Church was founded, and Mr. and Mrs. Henderson donated land across St. Louis Street to the new church.
On the October 23, 1851, Mr. Henderson deeded the cemetery to the Wardens and Vestry of Trinity Church on condition that the grounds shall remain for the use of all people and would contain, in addition to the privately-owned lots, “Free Ground for the interment of both white and black.” In the century and a half of its operation, Live Oaks Cemetery has been the final resting place of many of the citizens of Pass Christian. Live Oak Cemetery, with its many shade trees, has long been considered one of the most beautiful of cemeteries on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. To assist in maintaining the beauty of the cemetery, a Perpetual Care Fund has been established.
Historical Significance:
Live Oak Cemetery is considered historically significant per House Bill 780, Laws of Mississippi, 1971, because it: contains the graves of persons who have contributed significantly to the history of the nation, the state, or the local region, contains the graves of veterans of any of the nation’s wars, contains statuary, vaults, markers, and monuments of sufficient architectural and artistic value to merit their protection and preservation, and would contribute to the preservation of the earlier historical image of a locality.
W. Dayton Robinson Garden
The beautiful granite columbarium is the central feature in the W. Dayton Robinson Mausoleum Garden in the southwest section of Live Oak Cemetery. The Columbarium includes 60 single unit and 84 double unit niches perfectly suited to those families choosing cremation and entombment. A bronze plaque with the name an dates of birth and death will adorn each niche. Personal mausoleum sites surrounding the columbarium will be available. The granite mausoleums are the be purchased though a granite monument dealer of choice. Design and layout approval must be obtained from the Live Oak Cemetery Architectural Review Committee.
Living History Tours
Experience the annual Living History Tours following All Saints’ Day. Trinity Episcopal Church, Pass Christian Historical Society, and the Live Oak Cemetery committee hosts the event and it has become a much admired and loved presentation of the history of the cemetery and its residents. Each year volunteers update and add new stops to the tour as part of its community outreach.
