2OLOTR (Two Old Ladies on the Road) Roxbury, Connecticut

On the last runaway trip with Teague, I came up with a new title for us. 2OLOTR. Two old ladies on the road. I was looking forward to our getaway to the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts. But before heading there, I wanted to make a stop. To visit a place I have wanted to visit for some time.

As with a lot of our ramblings another dumb trail was involved. The place I wanted to visit was a cemetery. Great Oak Cemetery in Roxbury, Connecticut. I'm fortunate that Teague is a good sport and enables and indulges in my fantasies. So we took a 2 or so hour drive to Roxury, Connecticut so I could visit

the grave of my hero and favorite actor of all time, Richard Widmark. I fell in love with Mr. Widmark when I was 8 years old and saw the movie Take The High Ground.

Another fan left a DVD case of the movie The Halls of Montezuma. Someone also left an America flag. Because of a perforated eardrum, Widmark wasn't able to serve in the military during WWII, but he was an air raid warden and entertained service men.

On his headstone, I left a pale pink, quartz heart.

Widmark is buried with his first wife, Jean Hazelwood and there's a waiting marker for his second wife, Susan Blanchard, ex-wife of Henry Fonda.

It wasn't until I was going through my photos of the trip did I notice that Widmark's headstone is sinking.

There were lots of famous neighbors buried here. In front of the Widmark's is writer, Arthur Miller and wife Inge Morath

Frank McCourt, author of Angela's Ashes. The inscription on his grave reads: 'Tis.

Playwrite, "Pete" Gurney is also buried here. He wrote the play Love Letters. Teague and I saw that performed by Robert Wagner and Jill St. John.

So, this trip to the cemetery to see Richard Widmark's resting place brought me full circle.

Richard Widmark spread from Here There Be Dragons, my Minnesota travel journal

In 2006, the Young One accompanied me to a convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  While at the convention my friend, Frau, came from Iowa to show us around when not busy with convention stuff.  I documented this trip in a book shaped like the state of Minnesota that Frau gave to me.

She had asked if there was anything that I wanted to do. I asked her if Sunrise, Minnesota was nearby. She said it was about an hour away and near where her parents had a summer place. Sunrise, Minnesota was the birthplace of Richard Widmark

On the way to Sunrise we passed through fields and fields of wheat. A friend had visited the Hollywood Walk of Fame and took a picture of Richard Widmark's hand, footprints, and his neatly written Palmer method, signature.

Online, I had seen a sign announcing Sunrise was the birthplace of  Richard Widmark, but I didn't expect that someone had made a shrine in the vacant field where the house he was born in once stood. The dedication sign reads:

Richard Widmark's Birthsite "Hollywood Legend"

In the summer of 1914, Carl and Ethel Mae left Braham, MN to take a job as a clerk in Elias Nordgreens Mercantile Store  

It was here on December 26 at 12:26 AM when Carl ran across to the existing house and announce to Harry Wolleat they had a son.

Richard Weedt Widmark

He would go on to Movie Stardom, starting in 1947's "Kiss of Death" as the infamous Tommy Udo, "Don't Bother to Knock" with Marilyn Monroe 1953, and "The Alamo" with John Wayne 1960. From 1947 to 1991 he made 74 films. In 1949 his hands were place in cement at Hollywoods Walk of Fame, and his legend, and legacy

were made permanent

Pictures in the spread of me worshipping at the shrine and refusing to leave.

Not only was there the large Welcome to Sunrise sign which I had seen online

Est 1853

Welcome to 

The Historic Village of

Sunrise 

Birthplace of Hollywood Actor  Richard Widmark

and Illinois Governor Frank O. Lowden

"Almost a President"

but someone also had a museum of Richard Widmark memorabilia. We walked across the street to the museum which was in someone's garage. There didn't seem to be anyone around, and we didn't knock on the door.