<\/p>\n

Mary Pickford died on May 29, 1979 many years after her parents and siblings had deceased. Much like the remaining years of her life, her memorial was very private. Mary was interred in the family plot in the Garden of Memory at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.\u00a0 Though a key is required to enter the garden, fans of the Pickford family are drawn to the images of the beautiful sarcophagus and the history that is interred in it.<\/p>\n

The History of the Pickford Family Plot<\/strong><\/p>\n

The beautiful garden plot was not the first area where the Pickford family was interred.\u00a0 When Charlotte (mother of Mary, Lottie and Jack) passed away in 1928 to breast cancer, five crypts were purchased in the Great Mausoleum (Dahlia Corridor location) by Mary Pickford Fairbanks.\u00a0 In 1931, Finley Benson (he married Mary\u2019s cousin Mabel) died and was interred in one of the family crypts right below Charlotte. Jack Pickford (Mary\u2019s brother) would soon take another crypt in 1933.\u00a0 Mary\u2019s aunt (mother to Mabel and Verna) was interred in 1935 and then lastly, Lottie (Mary\u2019s sister) in 1936.<\/p>\n

Mary had flowers placed twice a week on the crypts of Charlotte, Jack and Lottie.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

By 1940, Mary knew that since the Pickford section was being offered to extended family and friends, a larger plot was needed.\u00a0 With thanks to the Margaret Herrick Library in the Pickford special collection, correspondence between Mary and Forest Lawn still exists.\u00a0 At the time, Forest Lawn offered Mary two options.\u00a0 First option, to acquire a family room within the Great Mausoleum just a few steps from their current location.\u00a0 This, at first, was the best option because Mary was very reluctant to move her already interred family.\u00a0 This way, the room would be in view of her other memorials.\u00a0 The room offered 8 more interments, 6 of which were couch crypts and the other two crypts were located under the floor.\u00a0 The room was adorned by one of the most beautiful stained-glass windows in Forest Lawn, \u201cThe Good Shepherd\u201d by Italian artist Antonco Besesti.\u00a0 In 1940, the room was offered for $27,500.\u00a0 The second option, a garden plot with a statue in the Sweet Memories section.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In 1947, Forest Lawn reached out to Mary again informing her that the new Gardens of Memory was being made available.\u00a0 Even at that time, these gardens had all the privacy and permanence as the Mausoleum did.\u00a0Mary was still busy and in New York at the time to think of making any changes to the family plot.<\/p>\n

When Mary\u2019s cousin Verna Chalif died in 1948, Mary purchased the Gardens of Memory plot, where Verna was interred and then the rest of the family was moved (but first a telegram was sent to Lottie\u2019s daughter Gwynne in Italy for permission to change Lottie\u2019s location).\u00a0 The garden, crypt removals and a sarcophagus had a total cost of $48,222.50.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Pickford Sarcophagus<\/strong><\/p>\n

Very little in the Forest Lawn correspondents discuss the history of the sarcophagus in the Pickford plot.\u00a0 However, in a 1944 Forest Lawn souvenir book, I was able to find a little more information. The sarcophagus was originally located just outside of the Great Mausoleum where Jean Hersholt\u2019s sarcophagus is now.\u00a0 The Pickford sarcophagus is called \u201cMotherhood\u201d.\u00a0 Forest Lawn\u2019s description of the sculpture states, \u201cThe boundless power of God to create life and to sustain life throughout eternity is nowhere more forcibly expressed at Forest Lawn than in \u201cMotherhood,\u201d a famous original sculpture by Silvo Silva.\u00a0Into this group has been carved a powerful message of immortality.\u00a0 It depicts Motherhood as the eternal fountain from which all earthly existence flows\u2014trees, flowers, birds, creatures of the field and Man created in the likeness of God.\u00a0The tipped shell, spilling forth its bounty, symbolizes not only the unselfish love of a Mother for her children, but also the infinite love of the Great Creator for all mankind.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

With the sarcophagus in the family garden, there is now 22 interment possibilities; 11 crypts in the sarcophagus and 11 under the grass plot. Reference the figure to see the family layout within the sarcophagus.<\/p>\n

The New Pickford Family Plot<\/strong><\/p>\n

Forest Lawn founder, Dr. Hubert Eaton, personally communicated with Mary and Buddy Rogers on the landscape architecture and look.\u00a0 In 1965, there were issues with the yew trees dying or not staying healthy (even today when you see the trees around the plot\u2014especially behind the fence, they are not healthy).\u00a0 Dr. Eaton went as far to have new soil placed. Buddy also had concerns that the names engraved in the white marble were difficult to read.\u00a0 While they worked with Buddy on solutions by adding gold inlay and other options, the engravements stayed the same.\u00a0 On Mary\u2019s birthday in 1969, she had 2 marble urns placed on both ends of the sarcophagus.\u00a0 These urns are 9\u201d deep and 4 \u00bd – 5 \u00bd\u201d wide and can hold 1 \u00bd dozen roses with stem lengths of 14-16\u201d.\u00a0 Mary had previously discontinued her twice a week flower placement when purchasing the garden plot.The Final Interments<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Mary\u2019s cousin Mabel was interred in the sarcophagus in 1953.\u00a0 Mary\u2019s friends, Ivan Lebedeff (1953) and Wera Lebedeff (1988) were buried in the grass plot next to an assistant of Mary\u2019s, Agda Erickson (1963).\u00a0 There was even discussion that when Ford Sterling\u2019s widow was dying that possibly she could be buried in the Pickford plot since there was space, however, she ended up buried elsewhere.\u00a0 Buddy Rogers was not interred in the sarcophagus, even though there was a crypt for him, but rather he was interred with his last wife in Forest Lawn Memorial Park\u2014Cathedral City, California.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Memorial of \u201cAmerica\u2019s Sweetheart\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mary Pickford\u2019s memorial was May 31, 1979 at the Wee Kirk o\u2019 the Heather church at Forest Lawn.\u00a0 It was a very private funeral which had been requested by the star who was once the most famous in the world. \u00a0Just prior to her memorial on the same day, Mary was cremated at Live Oak Crematorium in Monrovia, California (as stated on her death certificate). \u00a0Gates, Kingsley and Gates were listed on her death certificate as the funeral directors.<\/p>\n

The service was conducted by Dr. William H. D. Hornaday of Founders United Church of Religious Science in Los Angeles.\u00a0 Mary had an Honor Guard by the Naval Sea Cadets.\u00a0 The organist was Dr. R. Donald Curry and played \u201cMary\u201d, \u201cMy Buddy\u201d, \u201cLet Me Call You Sweetheart\u201d and \u201cUnforgettable\u201d along with a violin solo by Rima Rudina.<\/p>\n

The eulogy was given by Mary\u2019s cousin, John Mantley.\u00a0 We are very fortunate to have his eulogy in our collection and hope one day to read it at a special Mary Pickford event or memorial.<\/p>\n

As John states in the eulogy, \u201cShe belonged to them as she belonged to us, and now, rightfully, and in God\u2019s good time, she belongs to the ages.\u201d<\/p>\n