Grave Hunters: the offbeat search for a plot

One of America’s more lowly Presidents is Chester Alan Arthur, who served as President less than three years from 1881 to 1884. As vicepresident, he succeeded James Garfield who died from a gunshot wound. Arthur was essentially a lame-duck president whose own Republican party chose not to nominate him for reelection. Yet, a century after his death, Arthur continues to draw visitors to his obscure burial site in the Albany (NY) Rural Cemetery. One recent visitor traveled hundreds of miles simply to see Arthur’s grave as part of his personal quest to visit all the presidential graves scattered around the country.

That visitor is part of an unusual, and some would say quirky, group of people whose hobby is making their way through rows and rows of granite. They are referred to as “grave hunters” and are an eclectic assortment of history buffs, military enthusiasts, celebrity fans, determined genealogists and the simply curious. While cemetery tourism is common at places such as Gettysburg, PA, and Arlington National Cemetery, grave hunters are a different breed. They intentionally seek out individual plots of specific people. Although grave hunting appears to be a morbid leisure activity, those who participate say it is a fascinating way to experience a touch of history and culture. Here are some gravesites that continue to attract sizeable numbers of people.

Lucille Ball (1911-1989) ~ I Love Lucy, the situation comedy created by Lucille Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz in 1951, achieved unprecedented popularity. The original series ended in 1957, but continues to be syndicated worldwide to more than 80 countries and constantly gathers new viewers. This popular program was launched, in part, because Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz marriage was struggling. The two married in 1940, but both continued their respective careers. Lucy performed on radio and in “B” movies. Desi toured as a musician in a big band. Being separated created strain in the marriage.

Thus, when CBS executives proposed that Lucy transform her popular radio program, My Favorite Husband, into the emerging television market, she saw it as an opportunity to stabilize the marriage. Lucy agreed but only on the conditions that Desi be contracted to play her husband. The show was an enormous success, often being the number-one rated television program. Sadly for them both, their marriage ended three years after I Love Lucy ended. Desi retired, but Lucy resurrected her show twice. The first new series was called The Lucy Show and the second one, Here’s Lucy. In 1989, Lucy had open heart surgery but one week later suffered a ruptured aorta and died at 77. She was cremated and her ashes were originally interred in the Columbarium at Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills Cemetery. In 2002, her ashes were relocated to Lakeview Cemetery in Jamestown, NY. Her ashes are buried immediately next to her father, Henry Ball.

Bonnie & Clyde: Clyde Barrow (1909-1934) and Bonnie Parker (1910- 1934) ~ One of America’s most infamous couples met in Texas in July 1930. Bonnie, 19, was married to an imprisoned murderer. Clyde was 21 and unmarried. They met through a mutual friend and soon became inseparable. When Clyde was incarcerated for a robbery, it was Bonnie who smuggled him a gun which he used during his escape. Quickly recaptured, Clyde was sent back to prison, paroled in February 1932, and rejoined Bonnie where they resumed a life of crime. Although their exploits have been romanticized through a number of movies, the real Bonnie and Clyde were cold hearted thieves and killers. They were outlaws who outraged communities as they cut a path of crime through the south-central United States.

While the common perception is that the duo robbed “rich” banks, the harsh truth is that they stole whenever they needed cash. They robbed service stations, fruit stands, in addition to banks. Along the way, they became bolder, taking greater risks and killing 12 innocent people. Finally, the public, as well as law enforcement, had enough. Massive resources were put into apprehending them.

Before dawn on May 23, 1934 police officers from Louisiana and Texas concealed themselves in bushes along a highway near Sailes, LA. They had been tipped that Bonnie and Clyde were in the area and would be traveling on that road. In early daylight, Bonnie and Clyde appeared in their automobile. Upon seeing police, they attempted to flee. The officers opened fire, instantly killing both Bonnie and Clyde. To ensure there would be no escape, 167 bullets were fired.

The duo were not buried together although they are both interred in Dallas, TX. At age 23, Bonnie was buried at Crown Hill Memorial Park while her 25-year-old companion, Clyde, was interred beside his brother, Buck, at Western Heights Cemetery.

Mae West (1892-1980) ~ The U.S. movie star and actress was the sex symbol of the 1930s. Proud of her sexuality, she often joked about it. On one occasion, a friend greeted her saying, “Goodness, Mae, where did you get those beautiful pearls.” Her response was, “Never mind, but you can take it from me that goodness had nothing to do with it!”

West left school early to become a professional performer. By 14, she was a popular vaudeville actress, appearing in tight-fitting clothing and making sexual comments delivered in a throaty voice. In 1926, she wrote a play, appropriately titled Sex. Although it was very popular on Broadway running for 41 weeks, the entire cast was arrested during that 41st week. West was found guilty of “corrupting the morals of youth.”

In order to avoid future censorship issues, she relocated to Hollywood in 1931, where Paramount Studios offered her a contract. There, she became a successful and influential actress. After a decade, her allure and popularity began to decline. Over several decades she made many attempts to revive her career, but she never regained her popularity of the 1920s and 1930s. At 88, she suffered a stroke and now lies at Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn, NY.

Harry Houdini (1874-1926) ~ Born Ehrich Weiss in Budapest, Hungary, on March 24, 1874, Houdini adopted and adapted his stage name from the famous French illusionist Jean Eugene Robert Houdin. Beginning his professional life as an entertainer appearing at small county fairs, Weiss emerged becoming a world famous magician and escape artist. In front of audiences, Houdini was escaping from handcuffs, leg irons, straightjackets, prison cells. He was buried alive, thrown into rivers in padlocked crates, and hung upside down in water torture cells.

Prior to a performance in Montreal on Oct. 22, 1926, Houdini was visited in his dressing room by a student who brought along two friends. One of them, J. Gordon Whitehead, was an amateur boxer. He asked if Houdini could, as the press had reported, withstand punches to his abdomen. Mistaking Houdini’s nod as permission, the boxer delivered one leaving Houdini gasping for breath and explaining that he had not prepared by first tensing his muscles. The following night on a train heading to Detroit, the 52-year-old Houdini developed abdominal cramping and fever. He began his performance but collapsed onstage. He was suffering from a ruptured appendix and spreading streptococcal peritonitis. This was before the discovery of antibiotics. After battling the illness, Houdini died in Detroit on Oct. 31. His final words were to his brother, Dash: “I’m tired of fighting. I guess this thing is going to get me.” Houdini was buried in the same bronze coffin from which he had escaped on many previous occasions. His final resting place is Machpelah Cemetery in Queens, NY.

More on Harry Houdini.
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Victor Parachin is a freelance writer living in Tulsa, OK.