Take This Grave and Fill It - Johnny Paycheck

 

"I'm a man who believes that right is right and wrong is wrong.  Treat me right, and I will give you my all.  Treat me wrong, and I will give you nothing.  They don't like me for that, but that's the way I am."

Johnny Paycheck was born Donald Eugene Lytle in Greenfield, Ohio on May 31, 1938.  He is remembered as one of the pioneers of outlaw country music, most famously remembered for his 1977 signature hit Take This Job and Shove It, an anthem still played on radio stations every Friday afternoon at 5:00.

He started playing the guitar when he was only six and was performing professionally by 15.  It was then that he picked up stakes and hit the rails as a drifter, performing in clubs under the stage name the "Ohio Kid."  

After an unsuccessful tour of duty with the United States Navy, resulting in a court martial and dishonorable discharge, Paycheck made his way to Nashville, where he worked with such artists as Portner Wagoner and George Jones (more on him later).  It was during this time that he adopted his now famous stage name, in honor of a former heavyweight champion from Chicago.

Over the course of his career, Paycheck released 70 albums, spawning dozens of hit singles, only one of which made it to number one.  Unfortunately, his legal problems continued during this period as well.  In 1985, he was sentenced to seven years in prison for a shooting a man in Ohio.  Paycheck claimed self defense and was ultimately released just two years into his sentence.  He became a born-again Christian while in the joint, giving up many of the vices of his former life.

Years of smoking took their toll however, and Paycheck died of emphysema and asthma on February 19, 2003.  He was just 64 years old.  He was laid to rest at Woodlawn Memorial Park in Nashville, Tennessee.

Location: Chapel Garden

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Johnny Paycheck, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• Paycheck was broke at the time of his death.  Country music legend George Jones covered all of the funeral expenses and donated a spot in his family plot.  Now that's a good ol' boy.
  
  
• Early in his career, Paycheck used the stage name Donny Young, even recording songs under that name.  Take a listen to Shakin' the Blues on YouTube.
  
  
• Paycheck was one of the many country music stars to portray themselves on The Dukes of Hazzard when he found himself snared in Boss Hogg's celebrity speed trap.  You can watch him sing his signature hit, much to the disdain of Boss himself, on YouTube.
  
  
• Speaking of that signature hit, it inspired a movie of the same name starring Robert Hays and Barbara Hershey.  Paycheck even had a small role in the film and is credited as "Man with Hamburgers."  You can check out the trailer for Take This Job and Shove It on YouTube.

Shirley Booth - TV's "Hazel"

 

"Burt Lancaster advised me against doing 'Hazel.'  'Don't do television,' he warned.  'It'll ruin you!'  Burt is a doll and a heck of an actor, but I'm glad I didn't follow his advice.  Everybody under 40 knows me better from 'Hazel,' not from my movies."

Shirley Booth was born Marjory Ford in Brooklyn, New York on August 30, 1898.  Admittedly, she's an actress that I know very little about, but she has a pretty cool grave.  She grew up in Brooklyn and then later Philadelphia, where she learned to appreciate the theatre.

She first hit the stage when she was just 17 years old, playing Lola Delaney in the drama Come Back, Little Sheba, a role she'd later reprise on the silver screen.  She made her Broadway debut just a few years later, starring opposite Humphrey Bogart in the three-act play Hell's Bells.

After an early Hollywood marriage that ended in divorce, Booth married William H. Baker, Jr., a regular joe serving his country during World War 2.  This marriage was short-lived too however, as Baker died of heart disease in 1951.  Booth never remarried.

Shirley Booth is best remembered for her role as the wisecracking housekeeper Hazel on the sit-com of the same name.  It premiered on NBC in 1961 and ran for four seasons before being canceled.  CBS picked it up for an additional season, before Booth finally called it quits in 1966.  Along the way, she won two Emmy awards for the role, which she'd continue to play in commercials after the series was canceled (see Trivia below).

Booth retired from acting in 1974.  For her final acting role, she provided the voice of Mrs. Claus in the animated special The Year Without a Santa Claus. 

By 1976, her health was in decline.  Over the next decade, she'd break her hip and suffer a stroke, the latter of which caused mobility issues and took her sight.  She ultimately died on October 16, 1992, at the age of 94.  She was laid to rest in the Baker family plot in Mount Hebron Cemetery in Montclair, New Jersey. 

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Shirley Booth, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• In 1979, Booth was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in New York City.  She was unable to attend the ceremony however, and the award was accepted on her behalf by actress Celeste Holm.  Additionally, she is one of 15 actresses to have won the Triple Crown of Acting - an Oscar, a Tony, and an Emmy Award.
  
  
• As her Hazel character, Booth did a series of commercials for the Ford Motor Company.  Here's one.  Here's another.  Here's one more.
  
  
• Ever watch Seinfeld?  George Costanza once referenced Shirley Booth and Hazel in this classic clip.
  
  
• Mount Hebron is also the final resting place of several other notable figures, including actress Olympia Dukakis, paint tycoon Benjamin Moore, and Allen Balcom DuMont, the man who gave the world television.

Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!

 

"I would never watch my show.  I'm not interested in it."

I honestly do not know why I haven't done this blog sooner.  Back in the 90s, I was a huge fan of The Jerry Springer Show, so when I was passing through Chicago in 2024, I knew I had to stop and pay my respects. 

Jerry Springer was born Gerald Norman Springer in London, England on February 13, 1944, during the height of World War 2 (see Trivia below).  His family immigrated to America in 1948, eventually settling in Queens, New York.

As a teenager, Springer became interested in politics.  He was impressed by then-Senator John F. Kennedy and decided to pursue a similar career for himself, earning a Bachelor's degree in political science from Tulane University.

After graduation, Springer worked on Robert F. Kennedy's political campaign, which was cut short by an assassin's bullet.  Springer relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he began practicing law and running for office.  He was first elected to the city council in 1971 but resigned three years later after being caught with a prostitute (see Trivia below).  The voters forgave him however, and he was re-elected the following year.  He'd eventually retire from politics after losing his bid for the Ohio state house in 1982.

Around the same time, Springer began his career as a political journalist and commentator for the local NBC affiliate.  He was an overnight success, and it was clear that the public wanted more.  The Jerry Springer Show was launched in September 1991 to meet that need.  When it began, it reflected his experience and interest in politics.  Early guests included Oliver North and Jesse Jackson, and it would cover broad social topics still in play today, such as gun control and homelessness.  The best was yet to come.

By 1994, the show's ratings were in serious decline.  Springer and his producer revamped the format to appeal to a broader audience.  Gone were the politicians and issues, replaced by transvestites, cheaters, and midgets.  The switch worked, so much so that by 1998, Jerry was winning the daytime ratings war, beating out the longtime queen herself, Oprah Winfrey.  It remained a television staple for the next 27 years, most of which I watched.  He finally called it quits in 2018.

This blogger attended a taping of The Jerry Springer Show in 2016.

In early 2023, Springer was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  The battle would not be a long one however, as it took his life just a few months later, on April 27th.  He was only 79 years old.

Jerry Springer was laid to rest at Memorial Park Cemetery in Skokie, Illinois.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Jerry Springer, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• Jerry was born in London's Highgate station, an underground facility used as a bomb shelter during World War 2.  Both of his grandmothers perished in concentration camps, one in Poland, the other in Czechoslovakia.
  
  
• Springer's visit with a prostitute came to light as a result of his having paid for it with a personal check, something he'd admit to in later political campaigns.  Check out his confessional campaign spot on YouTube.
  
  
• This blogger was fortunate enough to attend a taping of The Jerry Springer Show in 2016.  Prior to the show, Springer addressed the audience, taking questions from a few of the fortunate, this blogger included, while passing out "Jerry beads" to others.
  
  
• During the early days of the show, Springer appeared as himself in a classic episode of Married With Children, wherein Al Bundy and his friends take "the masculine feminist" hostage during his talk show.  Check out a clip on YouTube.
  
  
• In 1998, Springer appeared as himself in the box office film Ringmaster, which was loosely based on the show.  You can check out the trailer on YouTube.
  
  
• Memorial Park Cemetery is also the final resting place of Brady Bunch star Robert Reed, previously profiled by this blog.

Danny Kaye is now a Bench!

 

"I became an entertainer not because I wanted to but because I was meant to."

Danny Kaye was born David Daniel Kaminsky in Brooklyn, New York on January 18, 1911.  He was the youngest of three sons born to Russian-Jewish immigrants.  Sadly, his mother would pass away when he was still just a teenager.

As a young boy, Kaye aspired to be a surgeon, but medical school was not a financial reality.  His second option was show business, a career that would sustain him for the rest of his life.

He got his first break in 1933, when he joined a vaudeville dance act.  It was during this period that he adopted his stage name.  He had also recently met Miss Sylvia Fine, the woman he'd spend the next five decades with.

Kaye's career lasted just as long.  He'd star in such box office hits as White Christmas with Bing Crosby and The Court Jester with Angela Lansbury.  He was no stranger to television either.  After a slew of specials in the early 1960s, he'd eventually host his own variety series, The Danny Kaye Show, which ran from 1963 to 1967.  

In 1983, Kaye underwent quadruple bypass heart surgery.  During the procedure, he contracted Hepatitis C, from which he'd never recover.  It ultimately contributed to his death on March 3, 1987.  He was 76 years old.  He was cremated and the ashes were given to Sylvia.

Now, this is where it gets weird.  Sylvia died four years later and she was cremated as well.  Her ashes, as well as her husband's, were placed inside of a memorial bench at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York.   

Location: Valhalla Plot, Section #19, Lot #1

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Danny Kaye, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• A one-hour documentary entitled American Masters: Danny Kaye - A Legacy of Laughter was released in 1996.  You can watch it in its entirety on YouTube.
  
  
• Prior to her death, Sylvia donated a score of materials to the Library of Congress, including recordings, scripts, awards and other memorabilia.  Many of these items are available online via the Library of Congress website.  Check out the Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine Collection.
  
  
• Kaye served as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, eventually raising more than $5 million for the charitable organization.  For his work, he was awarded France's highest civilian accolade, the Legion of Honor. 
  
  
• Kaye was a certified commercial pilot.  During one flight, he correctly diagnosed himself as having appendicitis.  He landed the plane at the nearest airport and went to a hospital, where he underwent an emergency appendectomy.  Believe it or Not!

Karen Ann Quinlan and the Right to Die

 

Note: This blog does not take positions on social or political issues.  We just tell you where to find dead people.

Karen Ann Quinlan was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania on March 29, 1954.  She came to national attention in 1975 as the subject of one of America's first right-to-die cases.  

It all began on April 15th, just a few weeks after her 21st birthday. Karen went to a party at a local bar in Byram, New Jersey.  She had several gin and tonics with a valium chaser.  The combination put her into a coma from which she'd never recover.

As her body began to shut down, Karen suffered irreversible brain damage, putting her in a persistent vegetative state.  Over the next several months, she lost alot weight as well, dropping from 115 to merely 80 pounds.  No longer able to breathe on her own, she was hooked up to a ventilator.

On September 12th, Quinlan's parents, Joseph and Julia, filed a suit requesting that the ventilator and extraordinary means prolonging her life be terminated.  They argued it was their right and that the Garden State had no grounds to interfere.  The case was appealed all the way to the New Jersey Supreme Court, which eventually granted their request.

Karen's ventilator was removed in May 1976, and to everyone's surprise, she continued breathing on her own.  She was moved to a private nursing home, where she was fed by artificial nutrition.  She lived an extraordinary nine years in this condition, before finally succumbing on June 11, 1985.  She was just 31 years old.

Karen was laid to rest at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery and Mausoleum in East Hanover, New Jersey.  When Joseph passed away in 1996, he was also buried in the family plot.  As of 2026, Julia is still alive and approaching 100 years of age, but she will no doubt join her family here one day.

Location: Section #29, Block A, Grave 44 2A
Inscription: A Precious Gift

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Karen Ann Quinlan, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• In 1977, NBC produced the made-for-TV movie In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan, which starred Brian Keith as Joseph and Piper Laurie as Julia.  You can watch the film in its entirety on YouTube.
  
  
• In 1980, Joseph and Julia opened the Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice, which now has four locations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
  
  
• In 1976, the band Starz released a single called Pull the Plug in tribute to Karen.  Give it a listen on YouTube.
  
  
• Gate of Heaven is also the final resting place of famed mentalist The Amazing Kreskin, previously featured in this blog.

Buffalo Bob Smith

 

"We do constructive things.  We talk about safety and good manners and encourage the kids to go to their place of worship on Sunday.  And the show is an emotional outlet for children.  They like to see Clarabell chase me with a seltzer bottle because its something they'd like to do."

Buffalo Bob Smith was born Robet Emil Schmidt in Buffalo, New York on November 27, 1917. He graduated from Masten Park High School in 1935 before joining the local radio scene.  He got his start at WGR-AM before moving to WBEN-AM in 1943.

Schmidt was an overnight success, beating long-time ratings champ Don McNeill, who's Breakfast Club morning program had topped the local charts for several years. Schmidt's success caught the attention of NBC, who brought him to their flagship New York station (WNNNNNNBC) in 1945.  It was there that he first created The Howdy Doody Show and the character of Buffalo Bob.

In 1947, Smith took the series to television and had a series of Howdy Doody marionettes created (see Trivia below).  Before each program, he would record Howdy's dialogue, then interact with the puppet throughout the show.  He rounded out the cast with a clown named Clarabell, who took an early vow of silence, only speaking once during this emotional farewell in the final episode.  Smith also included a live studio audience, nicknamed the Peanut Gallery.  The series ran for 13 years before ultimately being canceled in 1960.

When it was over, Smith toured college campuses, bringing an eclectic mix of contemporary humor and nostalgia.  He would make occasional television appearances on such shows as Happy Days and What's My Line.  He even turned up in the 1991 film Problem Child 2.

Smith eventually retired to Flat Rock, North Carolina.  It was there that he died of lung cancer on July 30, 1998.  He was 80 years old.  Headline News filed this report.  He was laid to rest at Pinecrest Presbyterian Church Memorial Garden. His marker even bares his trademark name.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Buffalo Bob Smith, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• The original Howdy Doody marionette was created by puppet expert Frank Paris in 1947.  It would only last for one season however, as Paris and Smith could not agree on merchandising rights.  After a brief absence from the show, a new puppet premiered in 1948, with Bob announcing that Howdy Doody had undergone plastic surgery.  I'm not making that up.
  
  
• Buffalo Bob participated in the A&E documentary series Biography in 1995.  You can catch that Howdy Doody-themed episode in its entirety on YouTube.
  
  
• Buffalo Bob later appeared in a live infomercial on QVC promoting Howdy Doody memorabilia, just four weeks before his death.  It would ultimately be his final public appearance.  It's also available on YouTube.
  
  
• Buffalo Bob was no stranger to late-night TV back when it was good, making regular appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman.
  
  
• Buffalo Bob passed away three days before fellow puppeteer Shari Lewis, who's own show had, ironically, taken over his old timeslot.

The Future Grave of an American President

 

Lancaster, Ohio is home to a 200-year-old historical curiosity - Stonewall Cemetery Park, the future final resting place of any American President who wants to claim it.

The story began in 1817, when local resident Nathaniel Wilson III set aside a strip of land on his estate to be used as a family burial ground. In October of that year, he deeded the site to President James Monroe and his successors forever in trust.  Wilson passed away in 1839, but his son completed the project, surrounding it with 7-foot-high sandstone walls. 

An inscription reads:

"This wall, which encloses the family burying ground of Nathaniel Wilson (one of the early Pioneers of the West, who emigrated from Cumberland County, Pennsylvania and settled near this place AD 1798, when all around was one continued and uninhabited wilderness) was commenced by him AD 1838 and finished in the following year by his son Gustin, the former having suddenly died May 12, 1839."

Monroe never took ownership of the property, but for several generations, Fairfield County officials made a point to notify subsequent administrations of the cemetery's availability.  They later claimed the property in 1960 and turned conservatorship over to Fairfield County Parks.  Today, it's something of a unique tourist attraction.

Book your tour today!

Happy Presidents Day!

Trivia

• For more information about this unique Ohio tourist attraction, please visit Roadside America.
  
  
• President Monroe visited the nearby state capital of Columbus in August 1817 as part of a 15-week tour aimed at building national unity.  Could this have been the inspiration for Wilson's gift?  
  
  
• Planning a trip to Lancaster?  Consider taking a tour of the abandoned and supposedly haunted Fairfield County Infirmary, which features remnants of the anthology series American Horror Story: Freak Show.  Check it out on Roadside America.