The Voodoo Queen of New Orleans

The reputed final resting place of Marie Laveau, the “Voodoo Queen of New Orleans”. 

She was born a free woman of color around the year 1801. Her reputation as a practitioner of voodoo, or a combination of spiritual practices that include African, Catholic, and Native American traditions, often overshadows the fact that she also was an independently wealthy hairdresser, devoted Catholic (She would not have believed her Catholic faith interfered with her ability to practice voodoo) who prayed with condemned prisoners in their final hours, champion of poor women who she bailed out of jail when they could not afford to, and a willing volunteer who nursed the sick during outbreaks of yellow fever that plagued New Orleans during this era. She was said to walk as though she owned the streets, until she died in 1881, and her daughter and grand daughter carried on her legacy. It was said the females in her family line looked so much like her that a rumor started that she had been made immortal by the deities she served while practicing her voodoo spells and rituals. 

Her obituary was published as follows in The Daily Picayune on June 18, 1881:

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The cemetery where her tomb is located, St. Louis Cemetery #1, is closed to the general public. This closure began a few years ago due to misuse and vandalism occurring within the cemetery. Her tomb was crumbling and covered in symbols, such as the "X", that many people mistakenly engraved when they were led to believe it held meaning to voodoo practitioners. The Catholic Diocese of New Orleans permits people to come through on authorized tours, so don't try to sneak a peek of the voodoo queen when you aren't on a tour!

I'd like to remember Marie Laveau as a woman in control of herself and her destiny, which alone is amazing for a woman born in her time. The mystery and allure of voodoo is interesting, don't get me wrong, but it is her dedication to her community and ability to command the respect of many that makes her incredible!