Tom Burnett - Hero of Flight #93

 

"Don't worry, we're going to do something."

Thomas Edward Burnett, Jr. was born in Bloomington, Minnesota on May 29, 1963.  He was the middle child of Tom Sr. and Beverly and had both a younger and an older sister. 

After graduating from high school in 1981, he studied Economics at the University of Minnesota, where he was a star quarterback on the football team.  An injury shortened his athletic career however, but he ultimately graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Finance before earning his MBA from Pepperdine University.

In 1996, Burnett joined the Thoratec Corporation, a medical product manufacturer, as Vice President of Sales and Marketing.  That same year, he and his wife Deena welcomed the first of three daughters, having settled down in San Ramon, California.  According to Deena, Burnett began experiencing an extreme sense of foreboding by late 2000.  Unable to explain it, he began attending mass on a daily basis.

One year later, on September 11, 2001, Burnett was one of 33 passengers who boarded United Airlines #93 in Newark, New Jersey, bound for San Francisco, California.  It was one of four planes hijacked that day in the single largest terrorist attack on American soil, culminating in the deaths of more than 3,000 citizens.

Burnett and his fellow passengers were ushered to the back of the plane by the four hijackers.  The time was 9:28, almost an hour after the attack on the World Trade Center had begun.  Burnett called Deena, who informed him of the attacks.  He rallied with his fellow passengers, including Todd Beamer, Jeremy Glick, and Mark Bingham, to retake the plane and prevent another attack.  While they were ultimately successful, the plane did crash near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all 44 people aboard.

Having begun his college education at the United States Air Force Academy, Burnett was entitled to a military burial.  He was laid to rest at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minnesota.  Appropriately, his headstone bears the title "Citizen Soldier."

Rest in peace, and never forget.

Trivia

• The final resting place of fellow passenger Todd Beamer, who was also instrumental in retaking the plane, has also been profiled by this blog.  
  
  
• Along with the other passengers and crew, Burnett's name is etched on the memorial wall at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.  Their names also appear at the South Pool of the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York. 
  
  
• The University of Minnesota, Burnett's alma mater, founded the Tom Burnett Leadership Program in 2006.  According to its website, the program "teaches students how to become personal leaders who are active, engaged citizens committed to the broader community and their careers after graduation."
  
  
• The post office in Burnett's hometown of Bloomington, Minnesota was renamed in his honor.
  
  
• Although Burnett's life story has never been told, his widow Deena did publish Fighting Back: Living Life Beyond Ourselves, in 2006.  Highlighting actions taken by the passengers as well as events from her own personal life, the author demonstrated how each of us can be a hero, however big or small.  Pick up a copy from Amazon.

The Dolly Parton Family Cemetery

 

Nope, she ain't buried here, nor is she going to be.  After her untimely death on August 25th, Dolly Parton was laid to rest In Nashville, at Woodland Memorial Park and Mausoleum.  She joined her husband Carl Dean in a spacious mausoleum alcove.  They were reunited in the afterlife after a one-year separation.

Most of Dolly's immediate family, however, are buried in Sevierville, Tennessee's Angel Hill Cemetery, just a stone's throw from Dollywood.  It's a private cemetery owned by the Parton family, and it serves as the final resting place for several generations.

Dolly herself coined the name following the tragic passing of her baby brother Donnie in 1967. She would later record a song with the same title for the made-for-TV movie Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors. 

The centerpiece of the park is the final resting place of Dolly's parents, Robert and Avie Lee Parsons, who passed away in 2000 and 2003, respectively.  

Sadly, Dolly's older brother Coy preceded her in death by only one month, passing away himself on July 23rd at the age of 82.  He now rests besides his parents for all time.

Rest in peace, Dolly, and to all of your family the same.

Trivia

• Robert and Avie Lee appeared with their daughter Stella in a 1978 interview for Good Morning, America.  Check it out on YouTube.
  
  
• Following in her daughter's footsteps, Avie Lee released a cassette tape in 1990 called Smokey Mountain Mama.  It was only available for sale at Dollywood or by mail.  Check out the single Little Rosewood Casket on YouTube.
  
  
• This blogger has previously visited Woodlawn Cemetery in Nashville.  It's the final resting place for several country music legends, including Tammy Wynette, George Jones, Jerry Reed, and Johnny Paycheck.
  
  
• In addition to Dollywood, Sevierville and the surrounding Smokey Mountain community are home to many other Dolly-related attractions, including a water park and dinner theatre.  There are also several small businesses trying to cash in on the name, including Dolly Nails and Lash as well as a gift shop called Lid'l Dolly's Factory Store.

Minnie Pearl

 

"God has a plan for all of us, but He expects us to do our share of the work."

Minnie Pearl was born Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon in Centerville, Tennessee on October 25, 1912.  She was the youngest of five daughters born to a prosperous local family who made their fortune in the timber industry.

She graduated from what is today known as Belmont University in Nashville, where she majored in theater and dance.  After graduation, she joined a theatrical touring company based in Atlanta, where, in 1939, she developed the now-famous Minnie Pearl persona.  This led to her first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry just one later.  It would become a lifetime association.

The newly christened Minnie Pearl became a fixture on American television, starting with Ozark Jubilee in the late 1950s.  She later appeared on such long-running series as Hee Haw and Hollywood Squares.  She made the jump to the silver screen as well, appearing as herself in the 1979 feature film Coal Miner's Daughter.  She retired from public life following a stroke in 1991.

Minnie Pearl spent her final years at a Nashville nursing home before succumbing to a second stroke that ultimately took her life on March 4, 1996 at the age of 83.  She was laid to rest in the Cannon Family plot at Mount Hope Cemetery in Franklin, Tennessee.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Minnie Pearl, take a voyage to your public library or Amazon.  It's all in books.
  
  
• While there is currently no dedicated Minnie Pearl Museum, you can find permanent exhibits at the Grand Ole Opry as well as the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, both of which are in Nashville.
  
  
• While not known for her singing, Pearly did reach the Billboard Top 10 chart in 1966 with her song Giddyup Go Answer.  Check it out on YouTube.
  
  
• In the late 1960s, Pearl started her own fast-food restaurant chain called Minnie Pearl's Chicken, with the slogan "how-dee-licious!"  It failed to catch on, however, and is today seen as something of a marketing disaster.  Check out this documentary on YouTube.
  
  
• In the 1980s, Pearl did a series of commercials for Spic and Span cleaner.  Check out this one on YouTube.

Death With Louie

 

"I hope I'm not on 'E True Hollywood Story' 'til I'm dead."

Louis Perry "Louie" Anderson was born in St. Paul, Minnesota on March 24, 1953.  He was the tenth child born to father Louis, a trumpeter, and mother Ora Zelly, who could trace her ancestry back to the Mayflower.

Anderson was a gifted comedian from the start.  He made his professional debut in 1984, appearing on Rodney Dangerfield's Young Comedians Special on HBO.  That same year, he made his silver screen debut as well, appearing as a cab driver in the Dabney Coleman spy thriller Cloak and Dagger.  He would later famously appear opposite Eddie Murphy in the classic comedy Coming to America (1988) and its subsequent sequel Coming 2 America (2021).  I didn't see it either.

In 1999, Anderson assumed hosting responsibilities for the long-running game show Family Feud.  He was the third such comedian to host the program, following Richard Dawson and Ray Combs.  In 2002, he was replaced by Home Improvement alum Richard Karn.  He later predicted to the press that the show would be off the air in less than a year.  However, in 2017, he returned as a contestant on Celebrity Family Feud, now hosted by comedian and talk show host Steve Harvey.

Around 2010, Anderson was diagnosed with a lymphoma, a fact he kept private for more than a decade.  It ultimately took his life on January 21, 2022.  He was just 68 years old.  He was cremated, and his ashes were entombed at Acacia Park Cemetery in Mendota Heights, Minnesota.

Location: Niche #5, South, #R-3, #01

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Louie Anderson, take a voyage to your public library or Amazon.  It's all in books.
  
  
• In 1986, Anderson was cast in the pilot episode of Perfect Strangers opposite Bronson Pinchot.  Executives felt they lacked chemistry however, and the role was recast with series lead Mark Linn-Baker.
  
  
• In 1997, Anderson won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program for playing himself on the series Life With Louie.  Check out the intro on YouTube.
  
  
• That same year, Anderson began paying hush money to Richard John Gordon, who was blackmailing the comedian over a 1993 encounter at a casino in Hawthorne, California.  By 2000, Gordon had raised his rates, at which time Anderson finally reported him to the authorities.  Gordon subsequently spent two years in prison.
  
  
• Proving that they too had a sense of humor, former retail giant The Sports Authority hired Anderson to promote their products in a series of silly commercials, like this one.  Coincidentally, the brand filed for bankruptcy in 2016.

Fay Wray

 

"Every time I'm in New York, I say a little prayer when passing the Empire State Building.  A good friend of mine died up there."

Vina Fay Wray was born in Alberta, Canada on September 15, 1907.  She was born into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was the granddaughter of church pioneer Daniel Webster Jones.  The family lived in Salt Lake City for much of her youth before moving to Hollywood in the 1920s.

She began her acting career while still a teenager, appearing in the 1925 silent picture The Coast Patrol.  It led to a contract with Paramount Pictures and her first leading role in the 1929 Erich von Stroheim film The Wedding March.  She'd leave Paramount one year later, signing with rival studio RKO.

In 1933, she starred in the film that would define her career - King Kong.  Not only did the film launch Wray to super stardom, it also saved the studio itself, which was on the brink of bankruptcy.  Her film career spanned more than twenty years, and by the 1950s, she found steady work on television, putting in memorable guest appearances on such series as Perry Mason, 77 Sunset Strip, and The Real McCoys.  Her last credited role was the 1980 made-for-TV movie Gideon's Trumpet.

Fay Wray died in her sleep on August 8, 2004.  She was 96 years old. Two days later, the Empire State Building dimmed its lights for 15 minutes in honor of her memory.  She was laid to rest in a modest grave at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Location: Section #8 (Garden of Legends), Lot #2300, Grave #7

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Fay Wray, take a voyage to your public library or Amazon.  It's all in books.
  
  
• While there is no dedicated Fay Wray museum, there is a memorial fountain in her hometown of Alberta, as well as local history displays.  You'll find them at the Courthouse and Heritage Museum.
  
  
• In 1997, Wray was offered the role of adult Rose in James Cameron's Titanic, later saying "I think to have done Titanic would have been a tortuous experience altogether."  The part eventually went to actress Gloria Stuart.
  
  
• During the 1998 Oscar awards telecast, host Billy Crystal ambushed Wray on live television declaring her the "beauty who charmed the beast."  Wray was caught completely off guard and seemed uncomfortable with the recognition.  Curious?  Check out this clip on YouTube.
  
  
• In 1993, Type O Negative released a tribute song entitled Fay Wray Come Out and Play.  Check it out on YouTube.

Jesse James

 

"My pistols, however, I always kept by me."

Jesse Woodson James was born near Kearney, Missouri on September 5, 1847.  He was the son of Robert, a Baptist minister and farmer, and Zerelda.  Jesse had two full siblings, older brother Frank and younger sister Susan, as well as four half-siblings.

James fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War.  He wasn't an actual soldier per se, rather, he served brutal guerrilla leaders commonly referred to as "bushwhackers."  These included William Quantrill (see headstone below) and William "Bloody Bill" Anderson.  Exact numbers are unknown, but James participated in several mass killings during this time.

After the war, Jesse continued serving with the bushwhackers in a deeply divided Missouri, before later starting his own gang with brother Frank and the Younger Brothers (Cole, Jim, John, and Bob). Over the course of this collaboration, the gang was credited with 12 bank robberies, 7 train robberies, and 5 stagecoach heists.  Jesse himself would be credited with killing as many as 26 people.

By 1882, Jesse was Missouri's most wanted fugitive.  Governor Thomas Crittenden had made his arrest a top priority.  Although he was barred from offering a bounty himself, Crittenden convinced railroad officials, the most frequent of Jesse's victims, to offer $5,000 for his arrest and another $5,000 for his conviction.  The total amount was later claimed by gang member Robert Ford, who betrayed and murdered Jesse on April 3rd, 1882, at the age of 34.

Jesse was initially laid to rest on the family farm in Kearney (see Trivia below).  In 1902, he was relocated to Mt. Olivert Cemetery and the family plot.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to know more about Jesse James, take a voyage to your public library, or Amazon.  It's all in books.
  
  
• There is no shortage of Jesse James museums in Missouri.  You'll find the James Farm in his hometown of Kearney.  Stanton is home to the Jesse James Wax Museum.  The Jesse James Home and Museum is in St. Joesph, while the Jesse James Bank Museum is in Liberty.
  
  
• Following his death, several people came forward claiming to be Jesse, the most famous of which was J. Frank Dalton of Oklahoma.  Check out this 1948 news clip from Movietone News.
  
  
• Hollywood has produced more than 30 films about the outlaw, who's been portrayed by Roy Rogers, Tyrone Power, Brad Pitt, and more.  The most notable actor to ever play him, however, was his own son, Jesse James, Jr., who appeared in Jesse James Under the Black Flag and Jesse James as the Outlaw, silent films that were released in 1921.  You can watch the first one on YouTube.
  
  
• Jesse's father Robert was one of the original founders of William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri in 1849.  I bet they have an interesting History curriculum.
  

This blog will return on August 14th.

The Schott Heard 'Round the World

 

Editor's Note: This blog finds and documents the final resting place of the famous, and sometimes, the infamous.  They're not always nice people.

"When you don't have kids and you're in a Catholic family - one of my sisters has ten children in eleven years - she's part rabbit - you feel kinda guilty about that.  So, I want to do things for other people's children."

Marge Schott was born Margaret Carolyn Unnewehr in Cincinnati, Ohio on August 18, 1928.  She was one of five daughters born to a family that earned its wealth in the lumber industry.  She doubled that fortune when she married Charles Schott, who's family owned several car dealerships in the Cincinnati area, all of which she'd inherit upon his death in 1968 (see Trivia below).

Like many in the Queen City, Schott was a huge baseball fan and of her home team, the Cincinnati Reds. She bought a minority interest in the team in 1981, buying control interest just three years later.  She is notable for being the first woman to buy an MLB team.

Her ownership years represented both sides of the coin.  While she was praised for keeping seats and concession prices below average and for creating a family friendly environment, she was also criticized for failing to invest in the team itself.  While most owners would be thrilled with a World Series victory, which the Reds claimed in 1990, Schott publicly criticized her own team for winning it in four games, one shy of a major financial windfall.  As a result, she refused to pay for a post-game celebration, leaving the winners to pay for it themselves. 

Her mouth got her into trouble on more than one occasion.  In 1993, she was suspended for one year and fined $25,000 for using derogatory language against her minority players.  She faced a similar suspension just three years later, after making public comments praising Adolf Hitler.  By 1999, the MLB had had enough, and she was forced to sell the team.

By 2004, a lifetime of smoking had finally caught up with Schott.  She was hospitalized on February 9th, the reasons for which are still unclear.  She developed breathing problems during her stay however, and was eventually put on life support.  She ultimately passed away on March 2nd at the age of 75.

Marge Schott was laid to rest at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Montgomery, Ohio.  She is wearing her signature red suit.

Location: Section #1, Lot #49, Grave #32

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Marge Schott, take a voyage to your public library, or Amazon.  It's all in books.
  
  
• As is custom, this blog began with a famous quote.  That statement really was the nicest thing this blogger could find attributed to Schott, who was known for saying some truly awful things.
  
  
• Schott owned two car dealerships in the Cincinnati area, both of which bore her name.  She did her own commercials for them too.  Check out this one on YouTube and tell 'em Schottzie sent you!
  
  
• Despite the controversies, Schott was known for her philanthropy.  She made frequent donations to the University of Cincinnati, who in turn, named their baseball stadium after her.  Her name was taken down in 2020, however, and is today simply known as the UC Baseball Stadium.  When she died, she left an estate valued at $124 million to charity.
  
  
• Schott is not the only controversial figure you'll find at Gate of Heaven Cemetery.  It's also the final resting place of Charles Keating, Jr., who made headlines in the 1980s for his role in the savings and loan scandal.  He ultimately served four and half years for wire fraud and bankruptcy fraud.