Famous Endings Museum provides a unique and intriguing look into American history and pop culture
By Jennifer Kneuss
Many people are collectors. Some collect baseball cards; others glass figurines or classic cars. John Herzig, however, has a very unique collection. Herzig collects memorabilia from the funerals of the rich and/or famous.
Herzig’s Famous Endings Museum, located in the Toland-Herzig Funeral Home in Dover, Ohio, is a fascinating destination for those who like their museums to be a little out of the ordinary. Herzig, a long time funeral director, has found that often the circumstances surrounding the end of famous people’s lives is even more interesting than what came before. The funeral director’s collection includes memorial programs, handwritten instructions for detailed funeral arrangements written prior to death, and odd tokens handed out at funerals, such as flashlights, caricature decorated cookies, yarmulkes, and stuffed animals.
Peeking into the museum’s glass cases is like seeing a Who’s Who of theatre, literature, politics, entertainment, media, science, and almost any other field imaginable. Memorabilia from the funerals and memorial services of Frank Sinatra, Eva Gabor, Jackie Gleason, and Buddy Holly is there; so are items from Robert Frost, Will Rogers, Paul Harvey, Jesse James, and Ronald Reagan. Bob Hope’s items are nestled in with Walter Cronkite’s, Jim Henson’s, and Andre the Giant’s. Of course, Herzig has memorabilia from the final moments of the lives of mega personalities like Johnny Cash, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, and even Presley’s mother. Many are one of a kind items, such as the handwritten funeral instructions for Will Rogers and General George Patton’s funerals.
Herzig is not the only one who collects such items. He has found a friend and fellow collector in Robert M. Boetticher, Sr. D.H.L., of Texas. “Bob is the director of the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston,” explains Herzig. “We have become friends, and we talk once or twice a week. Bob also happens to be in great demand as the funeral director responsible for many of the funerals of famous people and political figures from all across the country.” Herzig noted that the funeral preparations of the very famous are often intricately complex. “Sometimes Bob will work on the pre-arrangement plans for a political figure for several years. Because there are camera crews everywhere, having everything go exactly as planned is critical. Bob’s U.S. Ceremonial Funeral team actually has several ‘rehearsals’ per year of such things as where and when to enter or exit a personal home or how to go about maneuvering about in Arlington National Cemetery for specific future gravesites. It is really fascinating to see how much time and effort really goes into those funerals.” Because of Boetticher’s connections, Herzig was able to be part of the funeral team that handled the arrangements of Alexander Haig, four-star general and former chief of staff for several presidents. “There were directions for the caisson, the riderless horse, and all of those things,” explained Herzig. “When someone has two separate residences, there may even be funeral plans in place for each of those locations, with specific directions in case the person should pass away in one rather than the other.”
The museum, in spite of its theme, is not dark or macabre in any way. There are plenty of amusing things to see, including one of the items handed out at the funeral of James Dooham, ‘Scotty’ of Star Trek fame. The flashlight is inscribed with the words, ‘Beam me up, Scotty’. The funerals of famous animals are immortalized here, too. There are items from racing thoroughbred legend Man-Of-War, Seattle Slew, and even much-loved Benji of big screen fame.
“I have well over 1,200 items in my collection,” said Herzig, who admits that there is simply not room for all of the items to be on display at all times. “Recently, I have also acquired memorabilia from celebrities like Lena Horne and Senator Ted Kennedy’s funerals to add to the museum.”
Regardless of their interests, visitors are sure to discover several historical or famous people whose funeral arrangements fascinate them. For Herzig, who is literally a walking encyclopedia of facts and trivia about hundreds of celebrities, each and every one is important.
The Famous Endings Museum, which has been recognized by Ripley’s Believe It Or Not and Neil Zurcher’s Ohio Oddities, is Herzig’s passion. “My Famous Ending collection has become quite an ‘undertaking,’” he writes on his blog. “If you are like me and enjoy history and pop culture - you will love learning about the lives and deaths of some of the most influential people in American and world history.”
Famous Endings Museum is located inside the Toland-Herzig Funeral Home at 803 N. Wooster Avenue, Dover, Ohio. Visitors and tour groups are welcome.
For more information and hours, contact the Museum at 330-343-6132.
