Today I’m going to do something I rarely do and focus on just one monument instead of covering a cemetery. I think in this case, it’s the right thing to do.

Somewhere along the line, I had seen photos of the monument to Otis Henry. When I realized we’d be in Texarkana, Otis’ monument immediately went on the list. It’s located in Rose Hill Cemetery in Texarkana, Texas. Mind you, there’s also a Texarkana, Ark. The border between Texas and Arkansas runs vertically down the middle of Texarkana.

I normally would have lingered at Rose Hill Cemetery to photograph the rest of it, but we simply didn’t have time. Established in 1874, the cemetery has about 4,250 memorials recorded on Find a Grave.

We drove in the front entrance that morning and headed for the back where I knew Otis’ monument was located. It’s pretty hard to miss.

Mother and Son

I get a little choked up when I think about Susan Tate, Otis’ mother, because I’m a mother of a son, too. I know that special bond between a mother and her boy. Sean and I have that. I have no doubt that Susan and Otis had it, too. So that’s where I’ll start. With Susan.

Born in Upshur County, Texas in 1859, Susan Tate was the daughter of Thomas Tate and Martha Barnes Tate. Thomas was a farmer. Susan was one of several children the couple had. I noticed that Thomas was from Georgia and Martha was from Alabama, so they grew up in my neck of the woods (so to speak).

In 1885, at age 25, Susan married Jack Henry in Longview, Texas. By the 1890s, the couple was living in Denison, Texas near the Oklahoma border. Their only son, Otis, was born there on June 22, 1894. Jack was working as a brakeman for the railroad, according to the 1900 U.S. Census. By this time, they were living in Johnson County, which is south of Fort Worth.

There is no trace of him after that 1900 census record so I’m fairly sure he died. Susan raised Otis in Denison. She married Stewart Wilder in March 1910 in Arkansas. He also worked for the railroad. I noted that the 1910 U.S. Census reported the fact that Susan had given birth to five children before that time but only one had survived. That would be Otis, making him quite precious indeed. But he was not living with them at that time.

Off to France

Otis’ World War I draft card gives us some clues as to what came next. I noticed he listed his home address as 1002 S. Leila in Texarkana. It was a bit of a jolt to discover that Rose Hill Cemetery is located at 104 S. Leila. He apparently had lived very close to his final resting place.

At that time, however, Otis was working as a “soda dispenser” (often called soda jerks back in the day) at a drugstore in Shreveport, La. But in 1917, he was putting on an Army uniform along with thousands of other young men. He served in the 359th Infantry, 90th Division, Company H.

After completing individual and collective training, the regiment served in France during World War I, including duty in the Villers-en-Haye, Battle of Saint-Mihiel, duty in the Puvenelle Sector of Lorraine, and the Meuse–Argonne offensive. It must have seemed like a totally different world to Otis.

A Mother’s Grief

We don’t know exactly how events transpired, but Corp. Otis Henry died on Oct. 6, 1918. His monument says he was “gassed one kilometer southeast of Vincey (Lorraine)”. Otis would be noted as the first man from Bowie County, Texas to be killed in World War I. His death came only a few weeks later when Germany signed an armistice agreement with the allies on Nov. 11, 1918. Otis was only 24 at the time.

I could not locate an obituary for Otis but I’m sure his death made headlines in Texarkana. I’m also sure Susan was devastated. By 1920, she and Stewart were living in Texarkana. Otis’ remains were returned to her in 1921.

Susan made it her goal to provide a monument that expressed her love for her son and recognized his sacrifice on the battlefield. But she and Stewart were of modest means. It would take a lot of scrimping and saving until 1931 until it would be erected. The Henry plot is surrounded by an handsome iron fence.

I learned that according to the Smithsonian Institute, the monument was designed by Morris U. Allen, Sr. and built by his company, Allen Monuments (located in Texarkana). However, according to Ancestry.com, the statue of the doughboy at the top was probably fabricated by McNeel Marble of Marietta, Ga. It seems appropriate that it came from there considering his father was from Georgia. This is one of five known stone designs similar to American sculptor Ernest Moore Viquesney’s “Spirit of the American Doughboy” but which lack the full battle gear.

In one hand, Otis is holding aloft a grenade while in the other, he is holding a rifle that rests on a tree stump. As you know from my past posts, a tree trunk symbolizes signifies a life cut short. On the ground below, we see the statue of “suited Otis” as he likely appeared before he left Texas. I think there’s some kind of symbol on his belt buckle, but I cannot make out what it is now.

Two angels flank the “suited Otis” on the ground below. One is looking down with her arms folded across her waist, holding onto the end of an inverted torch by her side. The other hand holds a flower wreath that contains roses, which can mean valor rewarded. The inverted torch usually signifies death or a life snuffed out.

On the other side is a larger angel. She is in a typical pose of mourning and her tunic is covered with stars, representing the five wounds of Christ. One of her hands, unfortunately, has broken off.

Stewart died of a heart ailment in January 1937 at age 69. He has a memorial on Find a Grave and is listed as being buried at Rose Hill Cemetery. He may be in the Henry family plot, but I noticed he does not have a stone there. As it was 1937 and the depths of the Great Depression, perhaps Susan couldn’t afford a marker for him. She died on April 9, 1941 at age 81. She and Otis share a small marker at the foot of his monument. Finally, she and her boy were together again.

As I told you, this one hit me hard. I thought of Susan, mourning for her Otis. How the memories of him as a baby in her arms, the shouts of laughter as he chased a butterfly, the day he got his first job must have haunted her. The agony of knowing he had been killed in France. At times, they must have washed over her like a flood. Perhaps planning, saving, then seeing his monument erected gave her some degree of comfort.

I have seen quite a few doughboy statues in cemeteries, but they are almost always located in the Midwest or in other parts of the country. We just don’t have that many in the South. I don’t know why but we don’t. So this one was special to me for that reason as well.

It was time to head on for Shreverport, La. next. But as I got into Sarah’s car, I thought of one of the last pictures I took of the larger angel. Inscribed twice below the folds of the gown were the words “Remember, Remember”.

I will remember Otis and Susan. I hope by telling their story here that you will, too.

The Oklahoma portion of our trip was now over as we started heading east for our return to Georgia. I knew there was one place I wanted to try to get to. Not for historic reasons, really. More for nostalgia. The grave of actor Dan Blocker, best known for his role as Hoss Cartwright on the TV show Bonanza, is located in Dekalb, Texas. That seemed like a worthy reason to stop.

Located about an hour and a half east of Hugo, Okla. in the upper corner of northeast Texas, Dekalb’s population is close to 1,500. The last time Dekalb made major headlines was on Dec 31, 1985 when another TV star (and musician) Ricky Nelson died in a plane crash close to Dekalb. He was on his way to Dallas for a New Year’s Eve performance. All seven passengers were killed in the accident when the plane caught fire. The pilot and co-pilot were able to escape and survived.

Dan Blocker is buried in Woodmen Cemetery, as in Woodmen of the World. You’ve read blog posts about them here before. I was looking forward to seeing the many WOW markers they might have.

But first, we stopped at a nearby Mexican restaurant for something to eat. I promise this plays a part in our cemetery visit, so stay with me. We ended up dining at a place called Maggie’s Mexican Grill. I’ve been eating Mexican food most of my life, but the food I had there was incredibly spicy and a bit salty. To me, it was good. The service was also top notch so I had no complaints at the time.

Woodmen Cemetery isn’t far from Maggie’s. With close to 3,500 recorded memorials on Find a Grave, it is a decent sized burial ground. The earliest recorded death date is 1896 and its for an unmarked grave. So most of the graves are from after 1900s. It is an active cemetery so burials are still taking place there today. I don’t know if it is associated with a specific WOW camp or chapter.

I zeroed in on Dan’s grave first. I didn’t watch a ton of Bonanza, but many people did back in the day. It ran from 1959 to 1973, so it had quite a run. It was also the first western that was broadcast in color.

On Bonanza, the character of Hoss was the middle son of Ben Cartwright and his second wife, Inger. Each of the Cartwright sons had a different mother, apparently. Poor Ben was widowed three times! Eric “Hoss” Cartwright was the lovable gentle giant of the show, his nickname coming from his large size. It was implied that Hoss wasn’t as quick on the uptake as his brothers. But in real life, Dan Blocker was anything but intellectually slow.

A Memorable Birth

Bobby Dan Davis Blocker was born on Dec. 10, 1928 in Dekalb, Texas to Ora (or Orren) Shackleford “Shack” Blocker and Mary Arizona Davis Blocker. Dan reportedly weighed 14 lbs. at birth, foreshadowing the size he would eventually become. That is one big baby! Shack was a farmer and the family struggled to stay afloat during the Great Depression.

When he was six, Dan and his family moved to O’Donnell in West Texas where Shack operated a grocery store. At age 12, Dan entered the Texas Military Institute in San Antonio, Texas. It’s now known as TMI Episcopal. That’s why he’s wearing a military-type uniform in the photo below. In 1946, he enrolled in Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. He played football there and later at Sul Ross State University, where he completed his degree. Some sites say it was in drama, others say English or speech.

Teacher and Family Man

After serving in the Korean War as an infantry sergeant, Dan returned to Sul Ross and obtained a master’s degree in drama in 1952. That same year, he married classmate Dolphia Lee Parker. Dan worked as a teacher in Sonora, Tex., and Carlsbad, N.M., before moving to California in 1956 to work on his Ph.D. at the University of California at Los Angeles. He also worked as a substitute teacher at Glendale, and began his career as a professional actor in Los Angeles.

Dan and Dolphia had four children together: Dirk, David, Debra Lee, and Danna Lynn. Dirk would go on to become an actor like his father, while David became a Hollywood producer. Dan was definitely a family man and preferred being at home with his wife and kids than attending Hollywood galas.

Meet Hoss Cartwright

Dan played a few minor roles in 1957 and 1958 on shows like Gunsmoke and Wagon Train. But lightning struck in 1959 when he was cast as Hoss on Bonanza. As a bit of trivia, I learned that Hoss’ trademark hat happened as a joke. He wore it to the audition as a gag, but when the casting team and other actors saw him wear it, they knew it was perfect for Hoss. So he wore it throughout the series.

One thing I didn’t know was that Dan Blocker started the Bonanza Steakhouse chain. The first Bonanza (called Bonanza Sirloin Pit) opened in Westport, Conn. in 1963. Sam Wyly and his brother Charles Wyly bought the small Bonanza restaurant chain three years later. The company grew to approximately 600 restaurants by 1989, when the Wylys sold it to Metromedia. The company bought the Ponderosa chain of steakhouses in the 1980s and the two merged. The chain went bankrupt in 2008, but there are supposedly a few Bonanzas still hanging on out there.

By 1970, Bonanza had made the top five in Nielsen ratings nine years in a row — a record that wouldn’t be broken for years to come. Dan became a wealthy man as a result and was also a savvy businessman. But from all accounts, Dan liked to live simply and was not showy with his wealth.

A Sudden Death

In May 1972, Dan went into the hospital for routine gallbladder surgery. He suffered an unexpected pulmonary embolism and died on May 13, 1972 at age 43. It was a complete shock for his family and his many fans.

Bonanza writers took the unusual step of referencing a major character’s death in the show’s storyline that fall. It is thought to be the first time in TV history that a show actually addressed the death of a character. Specifics were not revealed in the series, but some years later, in a subsequent series, Bonanza: The Next Generation, one character stated that “Hoss drowned trying to save another’s life”. Bonanza ended after that 13th season.

Dan is buried with his parents and his sister, Ora, who died in childhood. I don’t know if he or his father were members of Woodmen of the World.

I have no idea what became of Dan’s widow, Dolphia. She worked to keep her family’s life private when Dan was alive. She may have remarried. She may still be alive today.

WOW Markers

I found this WOW marker for T.H. Russell and it’s one of the more unique ones I’ve seen. On the top is a stone “log” with the WOW seal on the front. On the base, you can see the crossed axe and mallet. That’s not a motif I see as often.

I had a hard time finding any information about T.H. Russel. His epitaph indicates he was married. On Find a Grave, it has him connected to John W. Russell and Debbie Weaver Russell, who had an estimated 10 children together. But I cannot find T.H. listed on their census records.

Killed in Action

This one for John Hartwell Moore made me stop. A native of Dekalb, John was killed in action on July 18, 1918 while serving his country in World War I. He was only 25.

Second Lieut. Moore was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroism:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Second Lieutenant (Infantry) John H. Moore, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company D, 3d Machine-Gun Battalion, 1st Division, A.E.F., near Cutry, France, on 18 July 1918. While courageously leading his section in the face of intense fire, Second Lieutenant Moore was knocked down by a shell explosion, but continued his leadership as soon as he regained consciousness and personally reconnoitered the area in advance to find a less dangerous route. He succeeded and thereby made it possible for his men to go forward, but he himself was killed in the undertaking.

I do find it interesting that John’s family chose a WOW marker instead of a military one. I could find no obituary for him online that describes his funeral at Woodmen Cemetery, but his fellow WOW members may have served as pallbearers.

A True Woodman of the World

But I found a true Woodman of the World when I photographed the grave of William Wiley “Willie” Loven. When I looked up his memorial on Find a Grave, I saw that one of his relatives had posted a photo of Willie with his fellow WOW members. They are all dressed in their Woodmen uniforms and are holding axes! This is indeed a rare find and I was thrilled to see it.

Willie was a native of Dekalb, born in 1884. He married Callie Hogland in 1907 when he was 23. They had two children together, Willie and Ovies. He was a farmer. He died at age 35 on Jan. 7, 1919. I could not find an obituary for him, so I don’t know what caused his death. But Spanish Flu would have been a likely cause. Callie, who died in 1964, is buried beside him.

Heart Trouble

I had noticed soon after I’d photographed Dan Blocker’s grave that I was experiencing a tightness in my chest, something I’d never felt before. It got worse as I walked around the cemetery. Sarah had set up a camp chair near her car and was reading. I went over to her and told her, “Something is wrong.” She thought at the time I mean something was wrong with Dan’s grave but that wasn’t the problem. It flashed through my mind that I might be having a heart attack. While I love cemeteries, I really didn’t want to die in one.

Thankfully, Sarah is a level-headed person and she calmly asked me a few questions. I could breathe fine, and I could talk. But I needed to get off my feet and out of the cemetery. The pain was not sharp but it wasn’t pleasant. We started heading toward Texarkana, where our hotel was. I felt better sitting down.

She offered to take me to the hospital but I began to suspect it was heartburn. I’d only had heartburn once or twice when I was pregnant with my son, and that was very minor. I thought perhaps my incredibly spicy meal might have been the culprit, not any coronary issue.

We checked into our hotel and Sarah drove off to get me some Tums. When she returned, I gratefully munched on a few. Within about 15 minutes, the discomfort was totally gone. WHEW! While I had Maggie’s Mexican Grill to thank for my scare but I don’t hold it against them. I realized I just can’t handle a combo of super spicy/salty food. That isn’t there fault. Lesson learned!

I do wish I’d been able to linger a bit longer at Woodmen Cemetery but that wasn’t meant to be. We had a stop to make in the morning before we continued west.

It’s time to wrap up my visit to Showmen’s Rest in Mount Olivet Cemetery. There are still plenty of tales to tell from this enchanting place.

The Great Huberto

Herbert “Herbie” Weber (1914-1991) and his wife, Chatita Elodia “Chata” Escalante, were known as Los Latinos, a dancing act. But Herbie was better known for his high wire walking over the years, and headlined as the Great Huberto that practiced his “slide for life”. This involved Herbie walking up an incline wire to the top of the circus tent and then sliding backwards to the bottom.

Herbie’s resume is quite impressive because it crosses over entertainment genres, not just the circus world. He appeared on Broadway in Orson Welles’ adaptation of Jules Verne’s “Around the World in 80 Days” and “The Big Circus”. He also performed in the movie “Until the Clouds Roll By” with Judy Garland. He appeared on TV’s Ed Sullivan Show as well. In addition, he served as actor/dancer Donald O’Connor’s stunt double for several years.

Herbie was a creature of habit when it came to his own act, I’m told. He would walk, run, jump, and dance across the wire wearing baskets on his feet. To excite the crowd, Herbie would attempt a jump and dramatically fall from the wire. Audiences would gasp, then the ringmaster and Chata would run to his side and beg him not to try it again. Herbie would insist and complete the jump on the second try, bringing the audience to their feet cheering.

Herbie performed with many circuses over the years, including Ringling Brothers, Clyde Beatty-Cole Brothers, and A.B. Barnes. Herbie also produced his own show, Circus Flamante, for several years. Chata died in 1985 and Herbie remarried to Maricela Sanchez Hernandez in 1988.

Herbie died on Dec. 8, 1991 in Texas. He was 77. As far as I know, Maricela is still alive.

Queen of the Bareback Riders

The grave of Zefta Loyal includes a picture of her wearing her circus finery. She was one in a long line of Loyals that worked in the circus world over the decades. The Loyal-Repensky Troupe is regarded as one of the best equestrian acts in circus history. They have a memorial “wheel” at the Circus Ring of Fame in Sarasota, Fla.

Zefta was born in Italy on Sept. 23, 1916. She performed with her family in Europe before they came over to America in the 1930s, occasionally returning to tour the Continent. She was a tiny woman but performed her bareback riding with skill and style alongside her family members.

The Loyal-Repensky family came to America for the Ringling show and subsequently performed in many American circuses. The Repensky name came from Jules Loyal’s mother’s maiden name, and was used for its impressiveness. There were never any performing Repenskys — only Loyals. Jules was Zefta’s father. The Loyal family’s Ringling act was marked by an unusual seven-man pyramid based on five horses, with four Roman post riders and three top-mounters.

Zefta married twice and had two children. She died on April 26, 1996 in Longview, Texas at age 79.

Popcorn the Clown

You can’t have a circus without a clown and there’s at least one buried at Showmen’s Rest. That would be Thomas Edward Sink, better known as “Popcorn” on the front of his grave marker. He entertained circus goers for over 30 years. While his initial dream was to be a magician, he ended up becoming a clown. He said he just had a knack for it.

Popcorn entertained people, young and old, throughout the Midwest for more than 30 years. You can listen to an interview he did with the American Works podcast series before he died. He said he stole his name from someone he knew that wasn’t a clown.

Popcorn settled in Hugo after he retired. He died on June 30, 2012 at age 72.

Mister Circus

The inscription on the base of Ted Bowman’s grave is reflective of his life as a man of the circus.

“There’s nothing left but empty popcorn sacks and wagon tracks— the circus is gone.”

Ted didn’t fly on the trapeze or train elephants. He was in management. But he loved the circus.

According to Find a Grave, Ted Bowman started his circus career with the Terrell Jacobs Wild Animal Circus in 1949. He also worked for Royal American Shows, Fairyland Circus, Gil Gray Circus, and the Al G. Kelly – Miller Bros. Circus. Ted usually held treasurer and management level positions. He was general manager of the Carson & Barnes Circus for 17 years.

Ted was also a circus historian who specialized in collecting circus routes. He verified complete and partial routes for thousands of circuses using route cards, route books, diaries, and newspapers. He was known by many as Mister Circus because of that.

Ted died on July 30, 1999 at age 72 in Hugo, Okla.

Wheel of Death

Thank to Kathleen Maca, I learned that Samuel Perez was a member of the famous Perez Family from Mexico City, who perform with the Kelly Miller Circus.

He was a talented trapeze and acrobatic performer whose act included jumping rope on top of a spinning wheel known as the “Wheel of Death”, shown on the back of his marker.

The term “wheel of death” is bound to get anybody who is on the fence about attending a circus to purchase a ticket. According to Wikipedia:

The “wheel” is actually a large space frame beam with hooped tracks at either end, within which the performers can stand. As the performers run around on either the inside or outside of the hoops, the whole apparatus rotates. Performers also perform balancing skills with the wheel in a stationary position.

Samuel died on Feb. 21, 2001 at age 31 from an illness.

The Showman

The last marker I’d like to share is for a man whose love for the circus started from an early age. His marker includes a quote that I’m sure reverberates with many circus folk.

“We actually live the life that most people only dream of.”

James “Jim” Zajicek was born on Oct. 31, 1961, in Chicago Heights, Ill.

Jim joined the Franzen Bros. circus in the summer of 1979 and returned immediately following his high school graduation. There he perfected his juggling skills, performed Rolla-Bolla. Although he had a fear of heights, Jim learned to walk the high wire.

He later joined the Culpepper-Merriweather Show, where he trained and performed with an elephant and was featured on National Geographic magazine in March 1987. He moved on to Hawthorn Farms, where he cared for, trained, and performed with four elephants.

He started operating his Big Circus Side Show and was curator of this unusual show for almost 10 years. Jim’s career took him to all 48 continental states as well as Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.

Jim died at age 52 on July 3, 2014. I believe he died of cancer.

It was hard to say goodbye to this special cemetery. So many wonderful stones to walk among. But it was time to leave Oklahoma and start heading east to get back to Georgia. But there were still many stops to make before we got there.