Nestled away in a small cemetery, on the Mississippi side of the Mississippi/Alabama border, lies the grave of a queen of a people. In Meridian Mississippi, at Rose Hill Cemetery, lies the final resting place of the queen of the gypsies.
Way back in 1915, after the birth of her 15th (!!) child, Kelly Mitchell was camped out in Coatopa, Alabama, and started facing medical complications. Kelly was no ordinary mother though, she was the Queen of the Gypsies. Her husband, King Emil, had sought local medical assistance and even offered a fee of $10,000 if doctors could save her, but the efforts were in vain.
The couple were the leaders of the Mitchell clan of Romany people, one of the largest in America, and Emil, who was born in Brazil, had moved to the country as a child and had been crowned king in 1884.
20,000 people attended her funeral, some traveling thousands of miles to pay their respects to their fallen leader.
The grave now, is a tranquil place. Her entire immediate family is buried in the area and visitors come frequently to take care of the site. hundreds of beads decorate the graves and cans of orange soda (the queen’s favorite) are left for her spirit to enjoy. Many coins are scattered around, an apparent tribute to the dead.
Closest Supercharger Meridian MS 5 mi
1210 Bonita Lakes Circle, Meridian, MS 39301
Rose Hill Cemetery
