Try to be forgotten
Vol. 2, Issue 9
"I have never killed anyone, but I have read some obituary notices with great satisfaction." --Clarence Darrow
NEWS & NOTES
Forgotten no more
Descendants of enslaved people, descendants of enslavers, historians and other members of the community recently gathered at the Historic Brattonsville plantation in York County, S.C., to reconsecrate a cemetery.
The forested 5-acre plot on the Revolutionary-era plantation contains the bodies of at least 481 people who were forced to work the land and serve the owners. Although it is one of the largest enslaved burial grounds in the region, all but two of the enslaved people’s names are lost to history.
After receiving a grant to help document and preserve the boneyard, the Cultural and Heritage Museums had archaeologists use ground-penetrating radar to determine the location and number of graves. Now, the descendants of the interred have named the cemetery the Enslaved Ancestral Burial Ground and placed small metal markers on each grave.
Lisa Bratton’s great-great grandparents were enslaved there; she also shares blood with the Bratton family, who enslaved them. She attended the reconsecration to sing and pray and honor her ancestors.
“This is my ancestors’ wildest dream," Bratton said, per The Charlotte Observer.
FMI: Click here.
Bidding farewell
It is customary for mourners to pay tribute to the dead during funerals and memorial services. Some give flowers. Others make donations to charities in the deceased's name. And a few individuals will stand before the congregation of bereaved and give a speech known as a eulogy.
The goal of a eulogy is simple: celebrate the life of the deceased and provide some comfort to those who are grieving. These speeches are generally given by family, friends, colleagues or religious leaders, and several may be delivered during a memorial or funeral.
For people who are already in mourning, the idea of preparing and giving a speech may seem daunting. To help, death doula Catherine Durkin Robinson has created an excellent guide.
"...Writing a eulogy is an opportunity to share someone’s story and create a lasting memory for those who knew them," she said. "You can’t go wrong if you approach the task with empathy and sincerity for the person and their loved ones."
FMI: Click here.
The practical wisdom
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NOTABLE OBITS
* Classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, who was married to Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, died at 65. Sheriff's deputies recently found their bodies as well as the body of one of their dogs inside the couple's Santa Fe, N.M., home. Cause of death is under investigation. Arakawa began playing the piano at a young age. By the time she was 11, Arakawa was performing in front of thousands of people. She also co-owned Pandora's, a linens and home furnishings store in Santa Fe, and edited the novels Hackman wrote later in life. (Jonathan Wolfe, The New York Times)
* Trailblazing civil rights activist Hazel N. Dukes, 92, has died. For decades, Duke worked tirelessly to guarantee Black people equal access to housing, education, health care, jobs and the voting booth. Although she never held elected office, Dukes was pivotal behind the scenes. She was the first Black vice chairwoman of the Nassau County Democratic Committee, and president of both the New York N.A.A.C.P. and the Democratic National Committee. In 2023, a street in North Hempstead, N.Y. was renamed in her honor. (Sam Roberts, The New York Times)
* Rose Girone, who was believed to be the world's oldest Holocaust survivor, has died. She was 113. Born in Poland and raised in Germany, Girone was a young bride in 1938 when the Nazis launched Kristallnacht (the Night of Broken Glass) and engaged in widespread violence against the country's Jewish population. Less than a year later, while she was 8 months pregnant, her husband was arrested and sent to the Buchenwald concentration camp. When he was released, the young family fled, first to Shanghai, China, and then to the states. Once in the U.S., Girone opened two knitting stores in Queens. Her secret to a long, healthy life: Live every day with a purpose, have amazing children and eat lots of dark chocolate. (Ingrid Vasquez, People Magazine and Jordan Vallone, The Long Island Herald)
* Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, who was married to classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, has died. He was 95. Sheriff's deputies recently found their bodies as well as the body of one of their dogs inside the couple's Santa Fe, N.M., home. Cause of death is under investigation. During his six-decade career in Hollywood, Hackman starred in dozens of dramatic films, including "Bonnie and Clyde," "I Never Sang for My Father," "The Conversation," "Hoosiers" and "Mississippi Burning." He earned two Academy Awards, one for best actor ("The French Connection") and one for best supporting actor ("Unforgiven"). But Hackman also had a knack for comedy, as was evident in his performances in "Young Frankenstein," "Superman" and "The Birdcage." In later years, he wrote novels on his own and with fellow author Daniel Lenihan. (Mike Barnes and Duane Byrge, The Hollywood Reporter and Nicholas Gilmore, Santa Fe New Mexican)
* Former Secret Service agent Clint Hill has died at 93. Hill was in the presidential motorcade as it wove through Dealey Plaza in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963 when Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated President John F. Kennedy. In response to the attack, Hill leaped onto the trunk of the limousine and into the back seat to cover the president and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy from any additional shots. Even after Kennedy's death, Hill continued to protect the former first lady. He also served as a special agent in charge for President Lyndon B. Johnson and as the assistant director of the Secret Service during the Nixon and Ford administrations. But the events of that fateful day continued to haunt him. It would take decades for him to reconcile the guilt he felt. (Michael S. Rosenwald, The Washington Post)
* Singer David Johansen, 75, who fronted the proto-punk band New York Dolls in the 1970s and later reinvented himself as a solo artist under the name Buster Poindexter, died. The Dolls' 1973 self-titled album didn't lead to stardom, but their music appealed to a cult fan base and inspired other artists, such as Morrissey of the Smiths and R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe. In the ‘80s, he swapped out his glam rock duds for a pompadour and lounge lizard outfit, and released the hit song "Hot Hot Hot," a cover of a tune by soca musician Arrow. Johansen made numerous appearances on "Saturday Night Live," and later acted in several movies, including "Married to the Mob" and "Scrooged." His life and career were chronicled in "Personality Crisis: One Night Only," a 2023 documentary directed by Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi. (Gavin Edwards, The New York Times and Annie Zaleski, NPR)
* Soviet chess champion Boris Spassky died at 88. A former child prodigy, Spassky became a grand master by the time he was 18. He won the Soviet championship in 1961 and the world championship in 1969, but it was his involvement in the 1972 "Match of the Century" against American grandmaster Bobby Fischer that brought Spassky worldwide fame and admiration. When Fischer won, breaking the Soviet Union's long hold on chess supremacy, Spassky suffered both personally and politically for the loss. The two players would face off again 20 years later; even though Fischer triumphed on the board, the match would cost Fischer his freedom. (Emma Brown and Brian Murphy, The Washington Post)
* Grammy-nominated R&B singer Angie Stone died at 63. Stone broke into the music business as a member of the hip-hop trio The Sequence, which was one of the first all-female groups to release a rap single. After a stint with the R&B group Vertical Hold, Stone went solo in the late '90s and early 2000s, and found a new generation of fans with hit songs like "No More Rain (In This Cloud)" and "Wish I Didn't Miss You." She would eventually receive three Grammy nominations and two Soul Train Lady of the Soul Awards. Stone also appeared in several films and TV shows and played "Mama" Morton in the 2003 run of "Chicago" on Broadway. (Kristin Wright, NPR and Glenn Garner, Deadline)
* Actress Michelle Trachtenberg, who played featured roles in the hit TV shows "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Gossip Girl," died. She was 39. Trachtenberg was only 3 years old when she appeared in her first TV commercial. By the time she was 10, she had made regular appearances in the sitcom "The Adventures of Pete & Pete" and on the soap opera "All My Children." At 15, she found a new level of fame playing Dawn, Buffy Summers' little sister in the hit TV show "Buffy." Trachtenberg spent eight months training to play a figure skater in the film "Ice Princess," then joined the cast of the popular CW drama "Gossip Girl." Teen People Magazine once named her as one of "20 Teens Who Will Change the World." (Alex Williams and Michael Levenson, The New York Times and Tatiana Morales, The Early Show)
* Bestselling author Joseph Wambaugh, whose 16 novels and five nonfiction books helped to transform the portrayal of cops in America, died at 88. Wambaugh served three years in the Marines followed by 14 years with the Los Angeles Police Department before he made writing his full-time gig. His debut novel, "The New Centurions," spent 32 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list and was adapted into a film starring George C. Scott. His critically acclaimed true crime book, "The Onion Field," about the kidnapping of two undercover L.A. police officers, was also adapted into a movie. Wambaugh's writing prowess earned him three Edgar Allan Poe Awards; he also received the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America in 2004. (Steve Chawkins, Los Angeles Times and Cicero A. Estrella, Cal State L.A. Newsroom and Chris Koseluk, The Hollywood Reporter)
FAMOUS DEATHS IN HISTORY
On March 3, German composer Johann Pachelbel (53), Belgian comic strip artist Hergé (75) and actor Danny Kaye (76)
On March 4, banker/philanthropist George Foster Peabody (85), Canadian actor/comedian John Candy (43) and Dungeons & Dragons co-designer Gary Gygax (69)
On March 5, Italian physicist/battery inventor Alessandro Volta (82), country singer Patsy Cline (30) and comedian/actor/singer John Belushi (33)
On March 6, winemaker Ernest Gallo (97), former first lady Nancy Reagan (94) and film historian/TV host Robert Osborne (84)
On March 7, abolitionist/author Harriet Ann Jacobs (84), former New York State Attorney General Jacob K. Javits (81) and director/producer/screenwriter Stanley Kubrick (70)
On March 8, President Millard Fillmore (74), German general/inventor/founder of the Zeppelin airship company Ferdinand von Zeppelin (78) and actor/comedian/director Harold Lloyd (77)
On March 9, columnist/writer Charloes Bukowski (73), Boston lead singer Brad Delp (55) and Israeli actor Topol (87)
On March 10, nurse/abolitionist Harriet Tubman (91), author Zelda Fitzgerald (47) and English/Australian singer Andy Gibb (Bee Gees) (30)
RECOMMENDED SUBSTACK
FAMOUS LAST WORDS
"Try to be forgotten. Go live in the country. Stay in mourning for two years, then remarry, but choose somebody decent." --Alexander Pushkin to his wife Natalia after being mortally wounded in a duel with Georges-Charles de Heeckeren d'Anthès, who was rumored to be having an affair with Natalia
MOMENT OF GRATITUDE
Thanks to Gill Copeland, Historic Brattonsville, WBTV News - Charlotte, YouTube, the Cultural and Heritage Museums, The Charlotte Observer, Apple News, Catherine Durkin Robinson, A Death Doula's Substack, Kathryn Mannix, TED, The New York Times, CUNY TV, People Magazine, the Long Island Herald, the TODAY Show, The Hollywood Reporter, the Santa Fe New Mexican, The Washington Post, Showtime, NPR, Deadline, The Early Show, Los Angeles Times, Cal State L.A. Newsroom, On This Day, Playback.FM, Britannica: This Day in History, Time and Date, Wikipedia, Belinda Fewings, Unsplash, A Bit of Good News, Happy Death Club, Canva and Deposit Photos for art and story suggestions.
Congratulations to James H., a paid subscriber to The End Files. James’s name was randomly selected in our monthly giveaway. The March prize: A copy of "Obit" by Jim Sheeler.
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