Tag: graves

Erik Visits an American Grave, Part 442

By Erik Loomis

In General

On March 22, 2019

This is the grave of Meridel Le Sueur. Born in 1900 in Murray, Iowa, she grew up in a reformist family. Her family was involved in temperance, Populism, labor rights, the IWW, and other political movements. She imbibed deeply in all of them. Her parents divorced and her mother married the socialist ex-mayor of Minot, […]

General

Erik Visits an American Grave, Part 441

By Erik Loomis

On March 20, 2019

These are the graves of the Staple Singers. Roebuck “Pops” Staples was born in Winona, Mississippi in 1914. He grew up with the blues, but switched to gospel in the 1930s. He married Oceol

General

Erik Visits an American Grave, Part 440

By Erik Loomis

On March 19, 2019

This is the grave of James Cagney. What to even say about someone like Cagney? A true great of the early sound era. Everyone knows him for his gangster pictures–and they are amazing, real gritty

Erik Visits an American Grave, Part 439

By Erik Loomis

In General

On March 18, 2019

This is the grave of Jerry Chesnut. Born in 1931 in Harlan County, Kentucky, Chesnut moved to Nashville in 1958 to make it in the country music industry. Like so many aspiring performers, he really didn’t have it what it took to be a big star. But he was a very good songwriter and that […]

General

Erik Visits an American Grave, Part 438

By Erik Loomis

On March 16, 2019

This is the grave of Jean-Baptiste “Illinois” Jacquet. Born in 1922 in Louisiana, Jacquet and his parents moved to Houston when he was young. His father was a bandleader, though he didn

General

Erik Visits an American Grave, Part 437

By Erik Loomis

On March 15, 2019

This is the grave of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Jr. Born in 1914, the fifth child of FDR and Eleanor, Jr graduated from Groton in 1933, Harvard in 1937, and the University of Virginia School of Law in

Erik Visits an American Grave, Part 436

By Erik Loomis

In General

On March 14, 2019

This is the grave of Kate Chase. Born in 1840 in Cincinnati, Kate Chase was the daughter of the legendary Ohio politician Salmon Chase. Her mother died when Kate was five and she had a rough relationship with Chase’s next wife, although she didn’t live too long, just like Chase’s first two wives. Kate was […]

General

Erik Visits an American Grave, Part 435

By Erik Loomis

On March 13, 2019

This is the grave of Thomas Edison. So, what does one even say about Thomas Edison, especially when one is on a research trip across the country? Why even go over the entire biography in this setting?

General

Erik Visits an American Grave, Part 434

By Erik Loomis

On March 12, 2019

This is the grave of Jim Ed Brown. Born in 1934 in Sparkman, Arkansas, his family moved to Pine Bluff when he was a child. They frequently sang publicly as a family. In 1953, Jim Ed and his sister Max

Erik Visits an American Grave, Part 433

By Erik Loomis

In General

On March 11, 2019

This is the grave of Allan Pinkerton. Born in 1819 in Glasgow, Scotland, Pinkerton’s father died young. Forced to survive basically on his own, Pinkerton became a voracious reader and autodidact and then joined the Chartist movement. That’s, uh, a little ironic given his later career. In 1842, he emigrated to Illinois. He got involved […]

General

Erik Visits an American Grave, Part 432

By Erik Loomis

On March 10, 2019

This is the grave of Billy Sherrill. Born in Phil Campbell, Alabama in 1936, Sherrill’s father was a preacher. But it didn’t stick to young Billy. Instead, he found the glorious sin of mus

General

Erik Visits an American Grave, Part 431

By Erik Loomis

On March 9, 2019

This is the grave of William Kelley. Born in 1814 in Philadelphia to a Quaker family, Kelley’s father died when William was 2. That led to some very hard times for the family. His mother opened

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