Howdy Geoffs! This week we’ve got a whole lotta wild stuff for you. First Madison is giving us the lowdown on Benjamin Franklin’s basement of bones, then Spencer fills us in on why thousands are flocking to see the body of a nun in Missouri! We’ve got an obituary that had us in our feelings and one written by the deceased. OH we didn’t forget, we’ve also got some dumb.ass.criminalllllls!!!!




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New episodes come out every Thursday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.




Follow along online: @obitchuarypod on Twitter & Instagram @obitchuarypodcast on TikTok




Check out Spencer’s other podcast Cult Liter wherever you’re listening!




Write to us: obitpod@gmail.com




Spencer Henry & Madison Reyes

PO Box 18149 Long Beach, CA 90807




Get a cameo from us: https://www.cameo.com/obitchuarypodcast







Sources:




https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/27706817/george-winston-backman

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/modern-day-miracle-catholics-flock-rural-missouri-witness-incorrupt-nun

https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/who-was-sister-wilhelmina-lancaster-whose-body-is-now-the-center-of-attention-in-missouri/91326

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12139607/The-incredible-story-Sister-Wilhelmina-Missouri-nun-body-shows-little-sign-decay.html

https://benedictinesofmary.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/SW2019.pdf

https://www.abccolumbia.com/i/two-women-arrested-for-glitter-attack-in-florida/

https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/when-it-comes-to-bodies-just-how

https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/famous-inventors/10-ben-franklin-inventions.htm

https://www.history.com/news/11-surprising-facts-about-benjamin-franklin

https://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/skeletons-in-ben-franklins-basement.htm

http://mentalfloss.com/article/30448/time-they-found-those-bodies-ben-franklins-basement

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/bodies-in-the-basement-the-forgotten-bones-of-america-s-medical-schools

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/meet-grandison-harris-grave-robber-enslaved-and-then-employed-georgia-college-medicine-180951344/

https://www.wtxl.com/news/florida-news/police-florida-man-calls-911-claiming-he-paid-for-sex-but-got-ripped-off

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/spokesman/name/gaye-robinson-obituary?id=16586636&fhid=12347

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

106: OBITCH yakety yak don't talk back!

Each week hosts Spencer Henry (Cult Liter Podcast) and Madison Reyes sit back and read outlandish, hilarious, and sometimes scathing obituaries. Every Thursday they come to the table with bizarre history, strange funeral traditions, and so much more! Each episode ends with a 'dumb criminals' segment in which they each talk about hilarious run-ins with the law.&nbsp;

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Comedy

True crime

Calling alllll Geoffs! This week Madison is putting us to bed with bed burials! But first Spencer is giving us an overdue lesson on autopsies. We’ve got an obituary for a girl who took snacking too far, one for a glam socialite and one self-written! We’ve also, of course, got some dumb.ass.criminallllllls! 







Buy our book: prh.com/obitchuary




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Come see us live on tour: obitchuarypodcast.com




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New episodes come out every Thursday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.




Follow along online: @obitchuarypod on Twitter & Instagram @obitchuarypodcast on TikTok




Check out Spencer’s other podcast Cult Liter wherever you’re listening!




Write to us: obitpod@gmail.com




Spencer Henry & Madison Reyes

PO Box 18149 Long Beach, CA 90807




Sources:

https://www.eernissefuneralhome.com/obituaries/Troy-W-Stuart?obId=31185354&fbclid=IwAR3BfKvriaW0icCJ28vmrA6G6qIqVjkMtVjz8OtwPzNt0D2uwpR-cNbp7sU_aem_AVtISkLj28wd_vmFm7-0VGIz-gKU4E0QrBPyE2eFmR7k68zduzlFxIEPYt4YX3z_2q4

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bed_burial

https://www.iflscience.com/-64678

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/mar/16/cross-bed-anglo-saxon-grave

https://archaeology.co.uk/articles/features/sleeping-by-the-riverside.htm

https://theclio.com/entry/56447

https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-pinellas/tarpon-springs-rose-cemetery-included-in-school-curriculum-to-teach-students-black-history

https://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/rose-hill-cemetery-nominated-for-the-national-register-of-historic-places/2305180/

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=53993

https://www.al.com/living/2013/07/vanished_in_bermuda_triangle_e.html

https://www.tripadvisor.com/FAQ_Answers-g30644-d7244270-t2458355-Why_would_this_be_considered_things_to_do_on_this.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grancer_Harrison

https://www.al.com/life-and-culture/erry-2018/08/236b174dc9535/these-2-alabamians-were-buried.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13254899/Florida-woman-caught-shoplifting-1-000-worth-Walmart-merchandise-tells-cops-just-playing-GAME-giggles-says-really-fun.html

https://www.tmz.com/2024/04/17/brazilian-woman-arrested-dead-uncle-bank-secure-loan/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autopsy

https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/20-things-you-didnt-know-about-autopsies










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149: OBITCH that'll make your tongue tingle!

Oh boy are y’all in for a show this week! Spencer takes us through the history of espionage and all of the wild weapons spies used back in the day to kill, but first Madison is giving us the lowdown on LA’s most famous final resting place, the Hollywood Forever Cemetery! We’ve got an obituary for Madison’s loved one, and one that’s absolutely scattttthing! Oh, and we’ve also got some dumb.ass.criminalllllllls! 




Buy our book: prh.com/obitchuary




Get your Merch: wonderyshop.com/obitchuary




Come see us live on tour: obitchuarypodcast.com




Join our Patreon: Patreon.com/cultliter




New episodes come out every Thursday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.




Follow along online: @obitchuarypod on Twitter & Instagram @obitchuarypodcast on TikTok




Check out Spencer’s other podcast Cult Liter wherever you’re listening!




Write to us: obitpod@gmail.com




Spencer Henry & Madison Reyes

PO Box 18149 Long Beach, CA 90807




Sources:

https://www.newser.com/story/347943/cops-insurance-scam-costs-man-both-legs.html

https://la.curbed.com/2014/2/20/10142088/hollywood-history-daeida-wilcox-beveridge

https://ivypanda.com/essays/history-of-hollywood-california/

https://losangelesrevisited.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-women-at-hollywood-and-highland.html

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7940724/highland-mary-price

https://lastreetnames.com/street/highland-avenue/#:~:text=It's%20named%20for%20a%20woman,Thomas%20worked%20as%20a%20blacksmith.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffith_J._Griffith

https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2019-10-25/four-hours-hollywood-forever-cemetery

https://lorenwoodcuts.medium.com/the-strange-history-of-hollywood-forever-cemetery-ffddb69358a

https://www.route66ca.org/hollywood-cemetery/

https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/california/articles/a-history-of-l-a-s-hollywood-forever-cemetery

https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/arts-letters/articles/burial-plots

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0259747/plotsummary/?ref_=tt_ov_pl

https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/cemetery-of-the-stars-hollywood-forever-cemetery-1692207/

https://hollywoodforever.com/premium-memorialization-and-funeral-services/

https://etandoesla.com/178-hollywood-forever-cemetery-hollywood/

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hollywood-forever-cemetery

https://www.grunge.com/1342790/untold-truth-hollywood-forever-cemetery/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_interments_at_Hollywood_Forever_Cemetery

https://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/15/magazine/getting-in.html

https://hollywoodforever.com/cemetery/#pageTop

https://www.discoverlosangeles.com/visit/hollywood-forever-the-story-of-an-la-icon

https://www.hollywoodphotographs.com/gallery/Hollywood-Forever-Cemetery/G0000Hhm5Vu2Itmw/

https://variety.com/2024/film/obituaries-people-news/oj-simpson-dead-cancer-1235967744/

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/copyranter/20-cool-kgb-cold-war-devices

https://stayweird.com/weird-spy-weapons-and-gadgets/

https://www.historyhit.com/coolest-spy-gadgets-in-espionage-history/

https://www.nww2m.com/2011/09/weird-weapon-with-a-hollywood-connection/

https://www.spymuseum.org/exhibition-experiences/about-the-collection/collection-highlights/lipstick-pistol/#:~:text=Meet%20the%20lipstick%20pistol%2C%20used,ultimate%20%E2%80%9Ckiss%20of%20death.%E2%80%9D

https://theweek.com/articles/470079/poison-pens-lipstick-guns-8-reallife-spy-weapons

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

148: OBITCH Hollywood is forever!

Geoffs, have you or someone you know been injured by an umbrella? Statistically speaking….probably! Spencer will explain. Afterwards Madison is ditching the victorian era to tell us a crazy tale from the Georgian era that’ll have you screaming. We’ve got an obituary for somebody who met a terrible demise, and one for a gal who got married out of convenience, and of course, we didn’t forget, we’ve got some dumb.ass.criminalllllls! 




Buy our book: prh.com/obitchuary




Get your Merch: wonderyshop.com/obitchuary




Come see us live on tour: obitchuarypodcast.com




Join our Patreon: Patreon.com/cultliter




New episodes come out every Thursday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.




Follow along online: @obitchuarypod on Twitter & Instagram @obitchuarypodcast on TikTok




Check out Spencer’s other podcast Cult Liter wherever you’re listening!




Write to us: obitpod@gmail.com




Spencer Henry & Madison Reyes

PO Box 18149 Long Beach, CA 90807




Sources:

https://www.newspapers.com/image/760444517/?article=1290f50f-cde6-460a-abad-dea8f5762d6a&terms=umbrella

https://www.foxnews.com/health/motorcyclist-dies-after-freak-accident-with-umbrella

florida woman umbrella

https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/story/lifestyle/2017/05/18/his-common-household-item-is-killing-millions-of-people-worldwide/116637412/

https://www.wtkr.com/2016/06/08/death-investigation-underway-at-virginia-beach-oceanfront

https://www.wtkr.com/2016/06/08/death-investigation-underway-at-virginia-beach-oceanfront

https://www.iflscience.com/the-astonishing-true-story-of-the-poisoned-umbrella-assassination-69989

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgarian_umbrella

https://www.newspapers.com/image/647037489/?article=f6997925-2f28-4f24-8b5a-3aefdcb3cf5c&terms=haunted

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/montereyherald/name/bettye-sollecito-obituary?id=53008831

https://benjaminpauley.net/c18booktracker/node/3926

https://www.geriwalton.com/mourning-in-georgian-era/

https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/history/chm/outreach/irish_giant/thestory/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hunter_(surgeon)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_College_of_Surgeons_of_England#Hunterian_Museum

https://georgianera.wordpress.com/2020/06/17/the-colour-of-mourning/

https://thelondondead.blogspot.com/2014/01/maria-van-butchell-died-1775-hunterian.html

https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/discover/curious-tale-martin-van-butchells-first-wife

https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/library-and-publications/library/blog/martin-van-butchell/

https://www.kiro7.com/news/trending/auto-shop-employee-uses-forklift-catch-suspected-thief-midair/6HPUSR76CRF3PPHPZLT7W522S4/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/867735802/?terms=%22martin%20van%20butchell%22&match=1

https://www.reddit.com/r/askportland/comments/1bv5xi9/anyone_know_where_to_hire_funeral_clowns/?rdt=40084 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

147: OBITCH you can stand under our umbrella...

Oh Geoffs….put your seatbelts on because we are going on a journey this week! First up, Madison goes nuclear talking about doom towns! Afterwards, Spencer’s taking the driver’s seat to talk all about ghost towns! We’ve got an obituary for a man who’s legacy continues to this day, and one for a sweet man who deserves all the recognition. Oh, and of course, we’ve also got some dumb.ass.criminalllllllls! 







Buy our book: prh.com/obitchuary




Get your Merch: wonderyshop.com/obitchuary




Come see us live on tour: obitchuarypodcast.com




Join our Patreon: Patreon.com/cultliter




New episodes come out every Thursday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.




Follow along online: @obitchuarypod on Twitter & Instagram @obitchuarypodcast on TikTok




Check out Spencer’s other podcast Cult Liter wherever you’re listening!




Write to us: obitpod@gmail.com




Spencer Henry & Madison Reyes

PO Box 18149 Long Beach, CA 90807




Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/ghost-town

https://www.history.com/news/6-famous-ghost-towns-and-abandoned-cities

https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=509#:~:text=The%20town%20is%20named%20for,few%20dozen%20to%20a%20boomtown

https://medium.com/@scarestreet/strangest-disappearances-d5e024e0fd9e

https://www.factinate.com/places/ghost-towns-facts

https://www.farandwide.com/s/dangerous-ghost-towns-75a6a5bf1b9e43ee

https://nemasket.theweektoday.com/article/lorenzo-wood-vi-61/65904

https://www.reddit.com/r/hiking/comments/1bi12yq/found_tucked_in_a_tree_near_the_top_of_mt/ 

https://www.nps.gov/mapr/learn/historyculture/secretcities.htm

https://www.britannica.com/event/Manhattan-Project

https://archive.curbed.com/maps/map-fake-cities

https://www.oddee.com/item_99521.aspx

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/making-public-what-was-once-secret-los-alamos-and-manhattan-project

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Trinity_basecamp.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_(nuclear_test)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Robert_Oppenheimer

https://www.afnwc.af.mil/About-Us/History/Trinity-Nuclear-Test/#:~:text=Department%20of%20Energy)-,The%20world's%20first%20nuclear%20explosion%20occurred%20on%20July%2016%2C%201945,the%20test%20was%20%22Trinity.%22

https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/operation-doorstep-1953/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgpo0qAfwDk&t=166s

https://allthatsinteresting.com/operation-doorstep

https://nnss.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/DOENV_1243-1.pdf

http://netwagtaildev.unl.edu/nebstudies/en/1950-1974/civil-defense/witnessing-an-atomic-blast/

https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/watch-nuclear-test-footage

https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/what-happened-to-the-atomic-test-dummies#

https://history.nebraska.gov/behlen-buildings-survive-atomic-bombs/

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/vital-records-protection-nuclear-test-file-cabinets-operation-teapot

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

146: OBITCH we're goin to town!

You’re in for it this week Geoffs! This week Spencer is telling us the incredible story of Florence Nightingale and how she ended up symbolizing the Nurse Honor Guard. Next, Madison is rounding out our postmortem photography lessons with the history of headless photography. We’ve got an obituary for We’ve also got some dumb.ass.criminallllllllls! 




Buy our book: prh.com/obitchuary




Get your Merch: wonderyshop.com/obitchuary




Come see us live on tour: obitchuarypodcast.com




Join our Patreon: Patreon.com/cultliter




New episodes come out every Thursday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.




Follow along online: @obitchuarypod on Twitter & Instagram @obitchuarypodcast on TikTok




Check out Spencer’s other podcast Cult Liter wherever you’re listening!




Write to us: obitpod@gmail.com




Spencer Henry & Madison Reyes

PO Box 18149 Long Beach, CA 90807




Sources:

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/peninsuladailynews/name/virgil-johnson-obituary?id=32328187

https://abc7.com/alabama-subway-robberies-jared-diet-zachary-torrance/376960/

https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1393643/the-head-of-john-the-photograph-rejlander-oscar-gustav/#:~:text=Rejlander%20probably%20intended%20this%20photograph,to%20Salome%20on%20a%20plate.

https://www.thevintagenews.com/2021/12/13/victorian-era-headless-portraits/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beheading_of_John_the_Baptist

https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/oscar-gustav-rejlander-pioneered-combination-printing/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/895621263/?terms=%22Oscar%20Gustave%20Rejlander%22&match=1

https://www.infobae.com/en/2022/04/23/joel-peter-witkin-the-controversial-photographer-who-seeks-to-turn-corpses-mutilated-and-deformed-bodies-into-an-art-form/

https://www.vintag.es/2023/06/horsemaning.html

https://www.artsy.net/artwork/joel-peter-witkin-man-without-a-head

https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/joelpeter-witkin--the-controversial-us-photographer-who-uses-human-remains--opens-first-solo-australian-exhibition-20170802-gxo086.html

https://rockwellcenter.org/student-research/the-beauty-on-the-ugly-the-kiss-joel-peter-witkin/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/995025781/?article=6445a292-cfd0-4dc9-a16e-5c69a3603a6a&terms=%22poodle%22

https://www.healthecareers.com/nurse-resources/georgia-nursing-january-2024/nurse-honor-guard-a-symbol-of-tradition-respect-and-compassion

https://www.ajc.com/pulse/nurse-honor-guards-pay-tribute-to-health-care-heroes-at-funerals-nationwide/TFNS6CV5LFDRTFPDCP5RVTPUGM/

https://www.opeiunursescouncil.org/NursesHonorGuard.aspx

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Nightingale

https://www.theguardian.com/century/1910-1919/Story/0,,126410,00.html#:~:text=Monday%2015%20August%201910&text=We%20greatly%20regret%20to%20announce,of%20death%20was%20heart%20failure

https://www.arizonacollege.edu/blog/10-things-you-should-know-about-florence-nightingale/

https://www.countryjoe.com/nightingale/funeral.htm

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

106: OBITCH yakety yak don't talk back!

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