Last in a 12-part series

Famous St. Louisans buried elsewhere

(Editor's note: This is the last in a 12-part series about the burial spots of famous St. Louisans. Information comes from St. Louisan Kevin Amsler's book, "Final Resting Place: The Lives and Deaths of Famous St. Louisans.)

Author Kevin Amsler puts most of his emphasis on famous St. Louisans who were buried in local cemeteries. Those local celebrities were covered in the first 11 articles in this series.

But, he saved a final chapter to talk about St. Louisans who were born here but made their names elsewhere. And, they also were buried elsewhere.

(You can read the first 11 articles in this series by going to the Past Stories listing on the top of Young Saint Louis.com's home page. The series started in October, 2006, and we've had an article every month since then.

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

Some St. Louisans buried elsewhere were:

Eugene Field
(September 2, 1850-November 4, 1895)

Eugene Field was born in St. Louis to Roswell and Frances Field in 1850. His father was an attorney for Dred Scott, the slave who sued for his freedom in a famous pre-Civil War case.

The family lived at 634 S. Broadway, the building that is now the Eugene Field House and St. Louis Toy Museum.

His mother died when he was 7. He was sent to Amherst, Mass., to live with aunt, who became his foster mother. His first newspaper job was with the St. Louis Evening Journal in 1872.

After working at several other papers, he joined the staff of the Chicago Daily News in 1873. He worked at that paper until his death over 20 years later. He wrote a national column, "Sharps and Flats," that took a humorous look at American society.

But, his biggest fame came from his children's poems. The most famous were "Little Boy Blue," "Wynken, Blynken and Nod" and "Dutch Lullaby."

He died in 1895 after giving a lecture at the First Congregational Church on Delmar Ave.

After a funeral Mass in Chicago, he was buried in Graceland Cemetery on Chicago's near north side.

T.S. Eliot
(September 26, 1888-January 4, 1965)

Thomas Stearns Eliot was born in St. Louis, the 7th son of Henry and Charlotte Eliot. His father was president of the St. Louis Hydraulic Press Brick Co. His grandfather, William Greenleaf Eliot, was a founder of Washington University.

T.S. went to Harvard where he got his undergraduate degree in three years and a master's degree in the fourth. He then studied at the Sorbonne in Paris.

He became established as a poet with publication of "The Love Song to J. Alfred Prufrock." Five years later, he published his epic poem, "The Wasteland."

He moved to England before World War I and became a British citizen in 1927. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1948.

Playwright Andrew Lloyd Webber based his production of "Cats" on Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats," written in 1939.

He died in 1965 and his funeral was at St. Stephen's church in East Coker, England. Eliot was cremated as he wished and his ashes were buried at St. Stephen's.

Josephine Baker
(June 3, 1906-April 12, 1975)

Josephine Baker was born Freda McDonald at Female Hospital of St. Louis. Her mother was an impoverished 20-year-old laundress. The family was so poor and the baby slept with three siblings on a single mattress.

Her early schooling was minimal. She'd rather watch musicals, movies and vaudeville at the Booker T. Washington Theater at 23rd and Market streets.

She was married at 13, which was illegal. In all, she was married four times. She took her stage name from her second marriage to Billy Baker.

After a time on the New York stage, she went to Paris in 1925. After near-nude dancing in "La Revue Negre," she moved to the Follies Bergere. There, her costume was a skirt of bananas.

She was a resistance fighter for France in World War II. After the war, she attempted to build a resort on her 300 acres in southern France. But, she went broke. She got back on her feet financially with the help of Princess Grace of Monaco.

In her later years, she began to adopt children of varied origin. She called them the "Rainbow Tribe."

She had bitter memories of St. Louis and America. In an interview in 1961, she said, "I was born in America and grew up in St. Louis. I was very young when I first went to Europe. I was 18 years old. But, I had to go. I wanted to find freedom. I couldn't find it in St. Louis, of course. It was one of the worst cities in American for racial discrimination."

She died in 1975. One funeral was held in France and another in Monaco. She is buried in a cemetery in Monaco which overlooks the Mediterranean Sea.

Vincent Price
(May 27, 1911-October 25, 1993)

Vincent Price was born the youngest of four children in his family's home at 3748 Washington Ave. His family tree was traced all the way back to Peregrine White, who was born on the Mayflower in Boston Harbor shortly before the first Thanksgiving.

Vincent's grandfather was a chemist who invented baking powder. His father was president of the National Candy Co., which made a fortune at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.

He finally broke into the theater business in 1935. He went on to star opposite famed actress Helen Hayes.

But, his biggest break came when he moved into motion pictures, primarily low-budget horror films. He joined Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff as villains. Price's first was "House of Wax" in 1953.

About his role as a villain, Price said, "The best parts in movies are the heavies. The hero is usually someone who really has nothing to do. He comes out on top, but it's the heavy who has all the fun."

Price was a gifted storyteller and an avid art collector. He also was an accomplished cook who wrote best-selling cookbooks with his second wife, Mary.

At Price's funeral, movie critic Leonard Maltin said, "Other actors may have made better movies, but few lived better lives, or touched so many people with warmth and gentility." Price was cremated and his ashes were scattered at sea, as he had requested.

Harry Caray
(March 14, 1914-February 18, 1998)

Harry Caray was born in St. Louis as Harry Carabina. He became one of the nation's premiere baseball announcers with stints with the St. Louis Cardinals, the Oakland Athletics, the Chicago White Sox and finally the Chicago Cubs.

His 7th inning stretch rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," became his trademark. He led the whole crowd from his spot in the press box.

He was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. He died in 1998.

He is buried in All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines, Ill. That's the same cemetery where former catcher Gabby Hartnett, another Hall of Famer, is buried.

Betty Grable
(December 18, 1916-July 2, 1973)

Movie star Betty Grable was born Ruth Elizabeth Grable in South St. Louis to Conn and Lillian Grable.

In only a few years, she was appearing in vaudeville shows at the West End Lyric Theatre and singing on radio shows.

At age 13, her mother took her to Hollywood. Her big break came in 1941, when producer Daryl Zanuck signed her to appear in a musical, "Down Argentine Way."

She appeared in more than 40 films. But, she might be best known for her pinup pictures which was a favorite of soldiers during World War II. Her salary of $300,000 a year was the highest paid to any actress in the mid-1940s.

She said, "I had the best of both worlds. A family and a career. And millions of friends all over the world."

She was diagnosed with inoperative lung cancer in 1972 and died a year later. She was 56. She is buried in Inglewood Cemetery in Inglewood, Cal.