In my quest to visit historic cemeteries, Oakwood Memorial Park was low on the totem pole. Located in Chatsworth, it’s just far enough away from LA/Hollywood to make it an inconvenient trip. Last month though, I finally rectified that situation! The area surrounding the cemetery which opened in 1924 is plagued by 1990s faux adobe architectural style, and the entrance to Oakwood is not much better, littered with mismatched signs. How could this be the final resting place of a classy guy like dancer/actor Fred Astaire, seen below in a behind-the-scenes shot from “Easter Parade” (1948):
And yet, here’s where he lies for all of eternity. The cemetery is pretty much all markers vs. headstones. Unlike most of the cemeteries I have visited, this one just feels a bit sterile without much character. Even Fred’s marker is a bit curious; I “assume” his last wife, Robyn Smith, is the “I” in the inscription. No birth/death dates listed, either. I wonder how his kids feel about this, as the “I” definitely leaves them out of the picture. Wouldn’t “we” have been a bit more inclusive? Ah, the things one could infer from a single sentence.
Fred’s sister and initial dancing partner, Adele, has a more traditional inscription:
Fred and Adele’s mother:
Fred’s first wife, Phyllis, who died of lung cancer in 1954, leaving him devastated:
Although they were just about the most famous dancing pair from Old Hollywood, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were never married to each other or even linked romantically. Just work buddies.
Below is the marker for Ginger and her mother, Lela. I’m not sure how it happened, but yes, Fred & Ginger are buried at the same cemetery.
You might remember Oscar winning actress Gloria Graham from “It’s a Wonderful Life” (pictured below), “The Bad and the Beautiful,” or “Oklahoma.”
She is buried here at Oakwood, too. She was married four times; #2 was director Nicholas Ray and #4 was her stepson, Anthony Ray. Talk about all in the family…
Nearby is the historic Pioneer Church, which was built in another location in 1903 and originally called the Chatsworth Community Church. A lot of great info about this place on the Chatsworth History website.
In 1962, the building was set to be demolished, but instead ended up being moved to its present location in 1965.
The fundraising to move the building was begun by a $1000 donation from the famed Dale and Roy Rogers. The two also held an “Appreciation Reception” at their ranch, attended by over 200 people. Any of my readers in attendance? Interestingly enough, Dale and Roy are buried elsewhere (in Apple Valley), not here in Chatsworth.
When the foundation of the church was removed, the Church Cornerstone revealed several items including a bible, a Sunday School attendance roster dated January 8, 1903 and a membership list of the church’s ladies aid society. The items were saved, but exposure to the air after being stored in the stone, with no protective container, caused them to crumble within the week. Oops.
Inside the entrance to Oakwood is the Chapel of the Oaks, built in 1933. At least this building has a bit of authentic character.
Wikipedia lists actor Earl Holliman (shown below with Cloris Leachman) as a “resident” of Oakwood, yet he was nowhere to be found. Upon further investigation, the Find A Grave website lists him as being buried at Valhalla Memorial Park in North Hollywood. AI says that Holliman’s ashes were scattered at sea, but that he has a memorial cenotaph at Valhalla.
With inhabitants Bea Benadaret and Oliver Hardy, I guess I need to add Valhalla to my list of places to visit!
See more cemetery photos at my main website.
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