Final resting places

Pedro Saavedra · Post by **Pedro Saavedra** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 10:11 am

I have taken up recently as a pastime visiting the graves of major league baseball players. There are web sites with databases on where they are buried and even one with pictures of their tombstones (I just visited Walter Johnson's last Saturday). I usually visit, say a prayer, and have been known to bring flowers in some cases.

I would not mind visiting the graves of the checker greats of the past if I knew where they were buried. Has anybody compiled such information?

whitefork · Post by **whitefork** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 11:27 am

I have locations in Scotland for Wyllie, Martins, Richard Jordan, and Drummond. (I'm not at home now, but let me know if interested)

Pedro Saavedra · Post by **Pedro Saavedra** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 11:50 am

>I have locations in Scotland for Wyllie, Martins, Richard Jordan, and
> Drummond. (I'm not at home now, but let me know if interested)

I personally doubt I will travel there (I am not a traveler) but I would like to see a compilation of resting places somewhere. Maybe if we get different ones listed here we can put up a file. I am fascinated by the data available for baseball players, and found several buried near my home or work place. In some cases an organization of baseball fans found a tombstone wanting and donated a new one. It is one way in which we can honor men who gave us endless hours of pleasure with their games.

whitefork · Post by **whitefork** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 1:21 pm

Wyllie and Drummond have beautiful grave markers. Wyllie's in white marble - I think - with an inscription referring to him as the Herd Laddie and other checkers fame. The location is very picturesque, overlooking the Firth of Forth.

Drummond's is a obelisk on a platform as I recall (in Denny), noting him as the author of the Scottish Draughts Player. Martins's is a flat sandstone (I think) marker somewhat worn but the inscription still readable (Douglas).

Jordan is buried in Edinburgh but the marker is pretty recent. I believe he was buried with very little in the way of a marker, being rather poor, but I guess some players got the funds together and gave him a nice stone.

Don't try to visit Robert Yates's grave unless you can tread water really well.

Norrie Reid put together a really comprehensive book about these early players and has some information here. http://www.wylliedraughts.com/
He took a day and drove me all over the area around Glasgow when we visited Scotland a few years ago. I should reciprocate some time, but I have no idea where most of the New England players ended up.

john reade · Post by **john reade** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 1:28 pm

I know where the Hynd brothers are buried. Unfortunately the graveyard they are buried in has been levelled and turfed over. State vandalism you might say.

The Hynd brothers were checkers pioneers of tne early 20th century. They are the only 2 brothers ever to both win the British Open. (In different years!) What was the secret of their success? The answer is of course that they had the benefit of Hyndsight!

Pedro Saavedra · Post by **Pedro Saavedra** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 10:09 am

> Wyllie and Drummond have beautiful grave markers. Wyllie's in white
> marble - I think - with an inscription referring to him as the Herd Laddie
> and other checkers fame. The location is very picturesque, overlooking
> the Firth of Forth.

If anybody has any pictures of the graves, I would love to see them.

whitefork · Post by **whitefork** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 12:16 pm

If there's a way to upload JPEGs, I'll see what I can do. I'll need to scan them. Does anyone know?

Palomino · Post by **Palomino** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 5:48 pm

I've created a "Virtual Cemetery" to list the final resting place of checker players.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cg ... vcid=20567

I will try to add to this list as I get more information and the time.

Regards, "Pal" bucker

Pedro Saavedra · Post by **Pedro Saavedra** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 11:17 am

For any of you who shares my passions for checkers, baseball and locating graves, Walter Hellman is buried in the same cemetery as Athletics' owner Charles Finley.

Thanks, Palomino, I enjoyed that page, and hope those who know of other resting places can contribute to enhancing it (and hope that none of us here enhances it with their presence too soon).

Pedro

Palomino · Post by **Palomino** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 11:09 am

I was happy to receive an email today and learn that Dennis Crane had visited the grave of Walter Hellmen yesterday
and that he had taken a picture of Mr. Hellman's grave maker. I called Dennis on the phone and he told me that the maker
was completely covered by grass and dirt and that he had a hard time finding it. He pulled away the grass and cleaned away
the dirt as best he could with a small broom he had in his car. Many thanks to Mr. Crane.

Regards, "Pal"

Alan Millhone · Post by **Alan Millhone** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 3:31 pm

Hello Everyone:

Mr. Hellman was a great World's Champion, pity he never wrote a book,etc. His marker covered with grass,etc. shows how soon most of us are forgotten. Do your good while you are here on Earth and have the opportunity. Many of us will be remembered when we depart, but when you are departed you cannot spread nor do any more good. I try and do some good every day of my life. I am far from perfect ,but hope to leave my 'mark' on Earth in some way.

Sincerely:
Alan Millhone, President
American Checker Federation

Bob Murr · Post by **Bob Murr** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 5:56 pm

Thank you very much Pal. I see what looks like a checker design near the bottom of the stone. Would it be possible to raise the stone a few inches, perhaps placed on a concrete pad? It would be a shame for this wonderful monument to disappear. I only met Mr. Hellman one time, that was in 1968 at the national tournament in Medora, ND .

Palomino · Post by **Palomino** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 6:51 pm

Hey Bob,

Yes there is some sort of checkered pattern border, I'm sure it's on all four sides. The cemetery is about a 3 hour drive from here, someday I will try and make it up there to the cemetery and raise it flush with the top of the ground, it wouldn't be much of a job for me to do that. I will have to do it some sunday afternoon when the office is closed and no one is there. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to work with some of the memorial park type cemeteries. Often flush markers have nothing at all under them, they just skim off 4 inches of dirt and set the maker into the hole. They will sometime put a little sand under them but they rarely have a concrete foundation. I may call the cemetery office and see if they will correct it but I won't count on them doing anything. Indiana law requires the cemetery to set aside money to make such repairs but the cemetery won't do anything untill someone complains.

Regards, "Pal"

Bob Murr · Post by **Bob Murr** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:37 pm

Maybe Alan, as president of the ACF could apply some executive pressure on them to take better care of our world champions.

Palomino · Post by **Palomino** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:46 am

I called the cemetery this morning and a lady in the office told me she would make out a work order to have Mr. Hellman's marker raised and leveled. I hope that I will be able to visit the grave sometime in the future and if so I will clean the stone.

Regards, "Pal"

The American Checker Federation