2025 Year in Review!

As 2025 comes to a close, it's time for this blogger to take inventory.  Over the last twelve months, I have visited the final resting places of 72 famous individuals, predominantly throughout the eastern United States.  This Rogues gallery includes four former presidents, five of their wives, historical outlaws, a famous psychic, a man buried in two separate graves, and oddly, two men who are still alive.

Some of these graves have already been profiled in this blog while others will come in time.  For now, here is a quick look at some of the more memorable standouts.

Walter Cronkite
November 4, 1916 - July 17, 2009
Cause of Death: Dementia
Mount Moriah Cemetery
Kansas City, Missouri

Finding the grave: I flew to Missouri in February, which arguably, is not the smartest time of the year to visit the Midwest.  A snowstorm the day I arrived buried all of the graves, making it next to impossible for me to find Cronkite's final resting place.  After two days of melting, my patience was finally rewarded.

Trivia: Mount Moriah is also the final resting place of candy mogul Russell Stover.

The Amazing Kreskin
January 12, 1935 - December 10, 2024
Cause of Death: Dementia
Gate of Heaven Cemetery
East Hanover, New Jersey

Finding the grave: This one had been on my radar for a few months after watching Jordan the Lion's video.  I met Kreskin ten years earlier at the Chiller Theatre Convention in nearby Parsiappny.  Fun, goofy guy.  His headstone even declares he can still read your mind.

Trivia: Gate of Heaven is also the final resting place of right-to-die figure Karen Ann Quinlan and her father Joseph.

Harry and Bess Truman
May 8, 1884 - December 26, 1972 
February 13, 1885 - October 18, 1982
Cause of Death: Heart failure (both)
Harry S. Truman Library and Museum
Independence, Missouri

Finding the grave: As with most presidential libraries, this one is well worth the visit.  This blogger highly recommends the guided tour for a complete history of Truman's life and his presidency.  Don't forget to check out his car collection downstairs.



Trivia: Daughter Margaret and her husband Elbert are also buried on the grounds.

Mary Louise "Texas" Guinan
January 12, 1884 - November 5, 1993
Cause of death: Ulcerative colitis
Calvary Cemetery
Woodside, New York

Finding the grave: Guinan was a well-known speakeasy proprietor during Prohibition. Decades later, the producers of Star Trek would christen a new character in her honor.  Like her namesake, Guinan, played by Whoopi Goldberg, tended bar on the Starship Enterprise.

Trivia: Calvary Cemetery was used for the funeral scene in the 1972 classic The Godfather.

Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini
July 15, 1850 - December 22, 1917
Cause of death: Malaria
Saint Frances Cabrini Shrine Chapel
Manhattan, New York

Finding the grave: This one is unique in that I discovered it on Roadside America, a site that profiles tourist attractions throughout the United States.  Perhaps it is profiled there as Cabrini's mummified body is on full display, except for the head and hands, which are artificial replacements.

Here's to more graves and adventures in 2026!  A complete list of 2025 appears below.

Allen DuMont, the Amazing Kreskin, Anne Rice, Antonin Scalia, Augustine Washington, Barry Winchell, Benjamin Moore, Bess Truman, Bob Dole, Boxcar Willie, Christophe Duminy de Glapion, Clarence Bassett, Clint Hill, Conchata Ferrell, Corinne Lawton Melchers, Denise Borino-Quinn, Dolley Madison, Dom DeLuise, Donna Douglas, E. Clifton Daniel, Jr., Elizabeth Monroe, Elizabeth Monroe Hay, Ellen Glasgow, Florence Bernardin Rees, Freda Sorce, Gari Melchers, George Pickett, George Washington, Gerald Balliles, Harry Truman, Henry David Thoreau, Homer Plessy, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, James Branch Cabell, James Madison, Jesse James, Jim Garrison, John F. Kennedy, John Kluge, Joseph Quinlan, Karen Ann Quinlan, Louis Zorich, Louisa May Alcott, Margaret Truman Daniel, Marie Laveau, Marion Dupont Scott, Martha Washington, Mary Ball Washington, Mary Louise "Texas" Guinan, Michael Sorce (still alive), Mildred Loving, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Nicolas Cage (still alive), Oliver Wendell Holmes, Olympia Dukakis, Paul Morphy, Percy Sledge, Powhatan, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Randy Renfrow, Richard Loving, Robert Bork, Robert Williams Daniel, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Shirley Booth, Stonewall Jackson (both graves), Tony Sirico, Walter Cronkite, Warren G. Harding, Wernher Von Braun, William Wortham Pool (the Richmond Vampire), and Zerelda James.

Rest in peace.

Christ's Tomb - Jerusalem

 

Admittedly, this blogger has never been to Jerusalem, or to the site of Christ's entombment.  This blog was created to explore famous graves however, and with the Christmas season upon us, it seemed like the right time to explore the most famous gravesite of them all.

For more than 1,700 years, Christians the world over have made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  It was originally established by Constantine the Great in 336 on what is believed to be the site of Christ's crucifixion and subsequent entombment. 

Twenty years earlier, Constantine had a vision, that of a cross in the sky.  In response, he sought permission to dig for the tomb, subsequently finding the remains of three crosses, one of which was said to have had healing properties.  The church was later built on this site.

As shown below, the tomb lies at the center of the church, which receives more than 2 million visitors each year.  The church also houses remnants and artifacts of Christ and the crucifixion (see Trivia below).  It is one of the most sacred places in the world of Christianity.

Merry Christmas!

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about the church, take a voyage to Amazon.  It's all in books.
  
  
• The church is home to the Rock of Calvary, where the crucifixion is believed to have occurred.  It is encased in glass at the altar.  Check out a clip on YouTube.
  
  
• The church has undergone a series of renovations over the centuries, the most significant of which was in 614, following an attack by Persian forces.

Mystery Grave Found in South Carolina!

 

Last week, this blogger was visiting Columbia, South Carolina on a work trip.  Before leaving town, I decided to do a little impromptu sightseeing at the state capitol building, and that's where I found this mystery grave!

A little online research revealed that this is the final resting place of Swanson Lunsford, a Revolutionary War captain and local civic leader.  But what's his story and why is he buried here?

Lunsford was born in Virginia around 1759.  When the Revolutionary War broke out in 1775, he joined the Continental Army, serving under famed cavalry leader "Light-Horse Harry" Lee.  Lunsford died of yellow fever in 1799.

The unconfirmed theory is that local leaders were concerned about the spread of the disease, opting to bury Lunsford on city grounds rather than in a public cemetery.  The first marker was placed on site by his descendants in 1837.  The headstone that stands today was installed by his great-great granddaughter Mary Craig Baker almost 120 years later.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• In 1927, Lunsford's original headstone was mistakenly reported as being stolen after his great-grandson had it removed for cleaning.
  
  
• Lunsford's grave survived the burning of the original capitol building (and much of the city itself) during the Civil War in 1865.
  
  
• The capitol grounds are also home to a memorial recognizing J. Marion Sims, a controversial figure widely known as the father of gynecology.  Sims perfected many of his techniques through experimental surgeries he performed on slaves.
  
  
  
  

The Amazing Kreskin!

 

"This is not goodbye, but...to be continued."

The Amazing Kreskin was born George Joseph Krege, Jr. in Montclair, New Jersey on January 12, 1935.  He was the oldest of two boys in a blue collar family, who would reside in the Garden State for most of his life.  In 1957, he graduated from nearby Seton Hall University, where he earned his degree in psychology. 

After graduation, Kreskin worked as a clinical psychologist, but had aspirations as an entertainer.  His first professional appearance was on The Steve Allen Show in 1964, where he displayed his powers as a mentalist. 

The Amazing Kreskin was an overnight success.  He became a regular on the TV talk show circuit, racking up hundreds of appearances on The Merv Griffin Show, The Mike Douglas Show, and The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.  Carson would later base one of his famous characters, Carnac the Magnificent, on the Mentalist from New Jersey.  In his final years, Kreskin began appearing at celebrity conventions in and around New Jersey, where this blogger met him in 2016.

He performed well into his 80s, but finally retired in 2024 after taking a fall in his home.  It led to a number of health complications and eventually necessitated his move to an assisted-living facility in Wayne, New Jersey.  It was there that he died of dementia on December 10th of that year.  He was 89 years old.

The Amazing Kreskin was laid to rest at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery and Mausoleum in East Hanover, New Jersey.

Inscription: Even now, I know what you're thinking.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about the Amazing Kreskin, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• Kreskin was related to Sebastian S. Kresge, founder of the original department store chain that would one day become K-Mart.
  
  
• From 1972 to 1975, he hosted a series called The Amazing World of Kreskin on Canadian television,
  
  
• Keskin accurately predicted the outcome of the 2012 Presidential election.  Coincidentally, so did I.
  
  
• Kreskin was anti-hypnosis, arguing that there was no such thing.  He often boasted, accurately or otherwise, that it is not admissible in court, based on his findings.
  
  
• In 2022, Kreskin provided the voice of "The Magic Tree" in an animated series called The Adventures of Little Billy.  Take a listen on YouTube.  Kreskin comes in at the 15:53 mark.
  
  
• In September 2025, vlogger Jordan the Lion visited Kreskin's grave and posted this video.

Divine!

 

"All my life I wanted to look like Elizabeth Taylor.  Now Elizabeth Taylor looks like me."

Divine was born Harris Glenn Milstead in Baltimore, Maryland on October 19, 1945.  He was the only child of Harris Sr. and Frances Milstead, a loving couple who met as co-workers at the Black & Decker factory in nearby Towson.  They'd eventually move up in society, lavishing their son with anything he wanted, especially food.

As a teenager, Milstead embraced both his weight and his sexuality.  He dropped from 180 to 145 pounds while acknowledging his attraction to both men and women.  After graduating from Towson High School, he enrolled in the Marinella School of Beauty, where he learned to become a hairstylist.  His specialty was the beehive and other upswept looks.  

A few years later, Milstead met up-and-coming filmmaker John Waters, who like himself, was a homosexual.  It was Waters who first christened him "Divine," taking the name from Jean Genet's then-controversial novel Our Lady of the Flowers.  Then in 1966, Waters cast Divine in his first film role, an eight-minute production called Roman Candles.  Over the next decade, Divine would appear in seven more of Waters' films, including the most notorious of them all, Pink Flamingos.

On March 7, 1988, Divine was in Los Angeles rehearsing for an episode of the hit FOX sit-com Married With Children (see Trivia below), but he'd never make his curtain call.  He died of a heart attack at the Regency Plaza Suites Hotel.  He was 42 years old.

Divine was returned to Maryland and laid to rest next to his grandmother at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Towson.  Among the many tributes was a wreath from actress Whoopi Goldberg, which reportedly stated "see what happens when you get good reviews?"  Once the body was cold, the IRS confiscated and sold off many of Divine's possessions as restitution for unpaid taxes.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Divine, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• Divine was also an accomplished recording star.  Check out the album The Story So Far on YouTube.
  
  
• Divine had the unique opportunity to play dual characters, one male (Arvin Hodgepile) and one female (Edna Turnblad), in the 1988 film Hairspray.
  
  
• Divine was cast in a recurring role as Uncle Otto on the classic sit-com Married With Children, but passed away before shooting could begin.  The role was recast with actor James Haake, who can be seen in this clip wearing an ascot.
  
  
• In case it wasn't obvious, the character of Ursula in Disney's The Little Mermaid was modeled after Divine.
  
  
  
  

John Candy!

 

"I think I may have become an actor to hide from myself.  You can escape into a character."

John Franklin Candy was born in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada on October 31st, 1950.  On his fifth birthday, Candy's father, only 35 years old, died of heart disease.  

Candy attended Neil McNeil Catholic High School, where he played football as an offensive tackle.  He had professional football aspirations that were curtailed by a knee injury.  He literally fell into acting. 

He took his first courses in college and by the time he graduated, he had already been cast in the popular Canadian sketch-comedy series Second City Television (SCTV).  The show was picked up by NBC in 1981 and Candy became an instant favorite.

He went on to appear in some the 1980's most memorable films, including The Blues Brothers (1980), National Lampoon's Vacation (1983), Spaceballs (1987), and the perennial Thanksgiving favorite, Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987).

In 1994, Candy went to Mexico to film the western comedy Wagons East.  Before he left, he called his good friend and fellow SCTV alum Catherine O'Hara, reportedly telling her that he felt "something bad is going to happen there."  Truer words were never spoken.  During production of the film, Candy, like his father before him, died of a heart attack.  The date was March 4, 1994.  Candy was just 43 years old.

His funeral played out like an Oscar Awards ceremony, attended by only the cream of Hollywood, including Tom Hanks, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Mariel Hemingway, Ed Harris and many, many more.  The eulogy was delivered by longtime friend and co-star Dan Aykroyd.

John Candy was enshrined in the mausoleum at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.

Location: Room 7, Crypt B1 (look up)

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about John Candy, take a voyage to Amazon.  It's all in books, one of which was co-written by Dan Aykroyd.
  
  
• The inscription "One Heart and One Soul" has its origins in the Bible, specifically Acts 4:32, "and the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them."
  
  
• Following his passing, the Canadian Screen Award, similar to America's Oscar and Emmy awards, was renamed "the Candy" in his honor.
  
  
• Candy sang on the 1984 We are the World album, singing Tears are Not Enough with the group Northern Lights.  Take a listen on YouTube.
  
  
• In 1989, Candy was given his own Saturday morning cartoon entitled Camp Candy.   You can watch an episode (with commercials) in its entirety on YouTube.

Richard Simmons - Sweatin' With the Holies

 

"Everyone has a story that makes me stronger.  I know that the work I do is important and I enjoy it, but it is nice to hear the feedback of what we do to inspire others."

Admittedly, this blog post is something of a cheat.  When I first created Six Feet Under Hollywood, my goal was to showcase the photos I've taken on grave visits over the years.  I've never been to Richard Simmons's grave and I probably never will be, as it lies behind a locked gate with private member access.  

Recently however, a Facebook friend of mine who runs the fantastic Dearly Departed website gained access and documented Richard's grave.  It was just too good not to share.

First, a quick recap.  Richard Simmons was born Milton Teagle Simmons in New Orleans, Louisiana on July 12, 1948.  He was the self-described son of "show-business parents."  When he later entered show business himself, he adopted the name Richard, as a way of thanking the uncle who paid his college tuition.

From the start, Richard struggled with obesity, eventually topping out at 268 pounds.  He was finally motivated to lose weight when someone placed an anonymous note on his car.  It read "fat people die young.  Please don't die."

After graduation, Richard moved to Beverly Hills, where he eventually opened his first exercise studio - The Anatomy Asylum.  He provided his students with a supportive atmosphere while encouraging smaller portions.  His popularity continued to grow, eventually catching the eye of Hollywood casting agents.  He landed his first role on the soap opera General Hospital, in which he played himself for four years.  This led to his own workout series, the aptly-titled Richard Simmons Show, which ran from 1980 to 1984 and earned him multiple daytime Emmy awards.  He followed it up with a five-volume video series called Sweatin' to the Oldies.

By 2024, Richard had become something of a recluse, having giving up public appearances and seldom leaving his home.  In March of that year, he drew speculation when he took to Twitter and encouraged his followers to embrace every day.  He died four months later on July 13th due to complications from a fall, with heart disease as a contributing factor.  He was 76 years old.

Richard Simmons was laid to rest in his trademark exercise outfit at Pierce Brothers Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles.  While this park usually caters to celebrities and their fans, Richard opted to be buried in a private section.  The inscription, which reads "forever sweatin' with the holies," pays tribute to his home video empire.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Richard, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• As mentioned above, YouTuber Scott Michaels visited the grave for his Dearly Departed channel.  Check out the video on YouTube.  Bonus: Scott cooks a pizza in Richard's Cuisinart.
  
  
• As an obese college student, weighing 268 pounds, Richard appeared in two Federico Fellini films, Satyricon (1968) and The Clowns (1970).  
  
  
• In 2006, Richard was inducted into the National Fitness Hall of Fame.  That same year, actress Marilu Henner was also recognized.
  
  
• Richard once marketed his own line of dolls on the Home Shopping Network.  Interested?  You can find some for sale on eBay.