Final Resting Place : The Lives and Deaths of Famous St. Louisans

"The violets in the mountains have broken the rocks". These words grace the headstone of Tennessee Williams, one of those profiled in this fascinating look at the lives, deaths and burial places of well-known St. Louisans. "Final Resting Place" includes short biographies as well as descriptions and maps of the city's largest cemeteries, Bellefontaine and Calvary. Throughout the text are historical items such as the Mississippi River island where duels were fought, a dramatic plane crash that killed a mayor and his staff, and the elaborate funerals of the Busch family.

From the poet T.S. Eliot to sports editor Bob Burnes; from explorer William Clark to World's Fair promoter David Francis; from Civil War general William Sherman to airplane builder James McDonnell; from slave Dred Scott to Negro League baseball player James "Cool Papa" Bell; from St. Rose Phillipine Duchesne to Archbishop John May; from entertainer Josephine Baker to actress Betty Grable; from brewers Adolphus Busch to William Lemp, author Kevin Amsler weaves the stories of these prominent people into the rich history of the city.