Wyatt Earp

Wyatt Earp

(1848 – 1929)

Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American legend. Much of the story is steeped in shadows, and a lot not true. There was a gunfight on 10/26/1881, 3 men were killed, Virgil, Morgan, and Doc Holiday were all wounded in varying degrees. The whole fight lasted about 30 seconds. So many stories have been created about him that the truth is hard to find, and it is a lot grayer than any movie you have seen about him. Still, fascination for his life just seems to get stronger (for me too!).

There is a great book about him called “Wyatt Earp- The Man Behind the Legend” by Casey Tefertiller, to me the definitive book on Wyatt and his brothers if you want to get closer to the truth.

He is buried at the Hills of Eternity Memorial Park, Colma, California.

Trivia:

He worked as a constable, city policeman, county sheriff, teamster, buffalo hunter, bouncer, saloon keeper, gambler, brothel owner, pimp, and miner. He definitely skirted both sides of the law.

Lillian Lorraine

Lillian Lorraine

(1892 – 1955)

Lillian was an entertainer, considered one of the greatest beauties of the Broadway Stage before WW 1. Known as one of the most popular “Ziegfeld Girls”, it didn’t hurt that she became Florenz Ziegfeld’s mistress and the resulting affair broke up his marriage. A fixture for 3 or 4 years in the “Ziegfeld Follies”, her personal life was scandalous. Drinking, blackmail, affairs, a shadowy connection to the mob(reportedly to Arnold Rothstein, the man that fixed the 1919 World series, called the Black Sox Scandal), helped her burn out but she still found time to act in 10 silent films.

Her life should be a movie!

Originally buried in a pauper’s grave in the Calvary Cemetrery(Queens),She is now buried in Saint Raymonds Cemetery in the Bronx, NY. Singer Billie Holiday is buried in the same cemetery , as well as singer Frankie Lymon, and actress Lois Nettleton.

Fred Gwynne

Fred Gwynne was an American Actor remembered most for his role as Herman Munster in the 60”s sitcom “The Munsters”. Completely typecast to most people who weren’t aware of him before, he was actually what I would call a renaissance guy. He was a well respected author of Children’s Books (10 of them), a Harvard Graduate, and a Navy Vet during WW 2. Somewhere between all of that he acted in many movies, television and theater. Not a bad record……check out his work if you get a chance. He died in 1993, 8 days before his 67th Birthday, and is buried in the Sandy Mount United Methodist Cemetery, Finksburg, Maryland, in an unmarked grave.

Trivia: While he will always be Herman Munster, the show only ran for two seasons, but still has cult status……

Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla

( 1856 – 1943 )

Nikola was a Serbian American inventor and futurist that is best known for his contributions to the design of Alternating Current (AC). He was visionary and a lot of his research  achievements were so complex, We still can’t figure out today. Here is an example: In 1898 he Demonstrated a radio controlled boat that he tried to sell to the military a a radio controlled torpedo, and they showed no interest at all, imagine that. So far ahead of his time, and since the all powerful Thomas Edison wasn’t exactly his best friend, his works are largely forgotten today. There has however, been a recent renewed(and much belated) interest in his research.

Read about all of the things he was into, it’s like science fiction…..

His ashes are on permanent display in Belgrade, Serbia, at the Tesla Museum, along with his death Mask.

Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin

Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin

( 1805 – 1871 )

A French Magician, he is widely considered the father of modern style conjuring. So good was he as an entertainer that Napoleon III used him to prove French magic was powerful and quell a rebellion in French Algeria.

His real name was Jean Eugene Robert, and when he married Josephe Cecilia Houdin, he got a special dispensation from the French Government to use HER last name. Hmmmmm……Oh well, He was great magician, one of, if not the, most famous of his time.

He is buried in Blois, Department de Loir-et-Cher

Centre, France

Trivia-

A Magician named Eric Weiss from Hungary was so impressed with Houdin that he changed his name…… to Harry Houdini…..Even so, later, Houdini , disillusioned with Houdin, wrote a book called “The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin” because he believed that Houdin took credit for other performer’s innovations.

Doc Holliday

Dr. John “Doc” Holliday

( 1851 – 1887 )

A Gambler, gunfighter, and a dentist, he skirted both sides of the law throughout his life. One of the most famous characters of the American west, no doubt. Doc is mostly remembered for his friendship with Wyatt Earp, and the shootout at the O K Coral. The myths are many about his life, but he is believed by many to have killed between three and seven men, and participated in nine shootouts. I put a pic of “Big Nose” Kate up just because ( she died in Prescott, Arizona in 1940 and is buried in the Arizona Pioneer Home Cemetery in Prescott, AZ.).

Holliday is buried in Linwood Cemetery in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

His original marker had the date wrong, and the records for exactly where he is buried in the cemetery are lost, but these are pics of the current marker there.