Seventh in a series

Burials at Jefferson Barracks, Basilica

(Editor's note: This is the seventh in a series about famous St. Louisans who are buried in local cemeteries. Information is from St. Louisan Kevin Amsler's book, "Final Resting Place: The Lives and Deaths of Famous St. Louisans.")

Other burial places for famous St. Louisans are Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery and the Old Cathedral and the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis.

Those buried in the Jefferson Barracks cemetery are people who had a history of military service. Those in the two cathedrals were all St. Louisans who were Roman Catholics.

The Jefferson Barracks cemetery was one of more than a dozen national cemeteries authorized by Congress in 1862. The local cemetery officially became a national cemetery in 1866.

But, one of the veterans buried there was from the Revolutionary War. There are more than 13,000 Civil War veterans there, including 1,100 Confederate soldiers.

The two cathedrals don't have open-space cemeteries. Those buried there are inside the buildings.

You can read about famous St. Louisans included in previous articles in this series. Go to the YSL.com home page and click on Past Stories and check October, 2006; November, 2006; December, 2006; January, 2007; February, 2007, and March, 2007.

(To buy Mr. Amsler's book, visit a local bookstore or visit www.STL-Books.com.)

The St. Louisans covered in this article are:

Private Richard Gentry
(1763-1843)

Private Richard Gentry, at the age of 17, was in the service at the Battle of Yorktown in October. 1781. That was the decisive battle of the Revolutionary War when the commander of the British forces, Lord Cornwallis, was captured.

Mr. Gentry was reburied at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery after it was brought into service after the Civil War.

Jack Buck
(1924-2002)

John Francis "Jack" Buck was a Baseball Hall of Fame broadcaster at KMOX. But, he was also a World War II veteran who received the Purple Heart when he was wounded by shrapnel in Germany.

Mr. Buck also was the first announcer for the station's "At Your Service" programming. That is considered to be the opening of "talk radio" in the country.

Besides his Cardinal baseball broadcasting, Jack Buck also was a voice of CBS for Monday Night Football, Super Bowls and World Series.

lst Lt. Michael Blassie
(1948-1972)

Lieutenant Michael Blassie was shot down over South Vietnam in 1972. Originally, he was interred in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

But, in 1998, his remains were identified with the use of DNA testing.

Hundreds of visitors, including U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen and St. Louis Archbishop Justin Rigali, attended the funeral later that year when Lt. Blassie was reburied at Jefferson Barrack cemetery.

Johnnie Johnson
(1924-2005)

Johnnie Johnson was called by some "The Founding Father of Rock and Roll" when he came to St. Louis in the early 1950s.

He asked St. Louis musician Chuck Berry to sit in with his band. Berry's famous "Johnnie B. Goode" is a tribute to Mr. Johnson.

Johnnie Johnson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

He was a Marine veteran.

Bishop Joseph Rosati
(1789-1843)

Joseph Rosati, a native of Sora, Italy, met New Orleans Bishop DuBourg in Rome. Bishop Dubourg offered him a position in New Orleans. Three years later, he became the first bishop in St. Louis.

He assisted Father Peter De Smet of the Jesuits in founding Saint Louis University.

He died in 1843 while in Rome and was first buried there. Then, 111 years after his death, he was returned to St. Louis for burial in a crypt in the St. Louis Cathedral.

John Cardinal Glennon
(1862-1946)

John Glennon immigrated to the United States from his native Ireland. He served first in the archdiocese of Kansas City. After coming to St. Louis, he served as archbishop here for 42 years.

He was later elevated by Pope Pius XII to the Sacred College of Cardinals in 1946. He was the first archbishop in St. Louis.

He died while visiting in Ireland. Before his death, he was asked where he wanted to be buried. He chose St. Louis where "I'll be among the people I love so well." He told the nurse he'd already picked up his burial crypt in the St. Louis Cathedral.

Joseph Cardinal Ritter
(1892-1967)

Joseph Ritter was ordained a priest in 1917 and later became one of the youngest bishops in the U.S. He served in Indianapolis and 10 years later became an archbishop.

In 1946, he moved to St. Louis, where he succeeded Cardinal Glennon. He integrated the St. Louis Catholic schools in 1947. He became a cardinal in 1960.

Cardinal Ritter chose to be buried in Calvary Cemetery. But, in 1994, Archbishop Rigali had his remains transferred to St. Louis Cathedral.

John Cardinal Carberry
(1904-1998)

John Cardinal Carberry because archbishop of St. Louis eight months after the death of Cardinal Ritter. He became a cardinal in 1981. He served in the Second Vatican Council and helped to elect two popes.

According to Catholic retirement rules, Cardinal Carberry retired at age 75.

Archbishop John May
(1922-1994)

John May became archbishop of St. Louis in 1980, replacing Cardinal Carberry.

Known as a diplomat, Archbishop Carberry became president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.

He was diagnosed with cancer in 1992. After his death in 1994, he was buried in a crypt in Cathedral Basilica.