Showmen's Rest: final

"I used to tell them before I retired that if I drop dead in the ring, make it funny and get me out of there."  Thomas Sink, aka Popcorn the Clown, lived & breathed circus life for over 30 years. He didn't expect this to be his lifelong career, but said he just had a knack for it. Popcorn also participated in an oral history interview, which you can read here:  https://www.loc.gov/podcasts/america-works/transcripts/AmericaWorks-Podcast_Season3Episode6_transcription.pdf

Zefta Loyal said to her daughter one day, “Dolly, I will retire center ring. I will never stay long enough to where I’m going to be in the side ring.” And that's just what she did. She retired in 1954 after nearly 30 years a center ring star. "I was center ring from the day I went in until the day I retired.”

Known as "Queen of the Bareback Riders" she was a member of the original Loyal-Repensky Troup, a family who performed amazing bareback horse riding stunts. For another interesting oral history, click here:   https://www.loc.gov/item/2017655385/

Circus folks aren't the only celebrities buried at Mt. Olivet. There's another section called Bull Rider's Reprieve. Several champion rodeo & bull riders are buried here. We were particularly interested in finding Todd Whatley's grave because an elderly friend of ours used to be a rodeo clown and knew Mr. Whatley.

Here are a few snapshots of some other headstones and interesting inscriptions, epitaphs to their life's work.

And finally, as a fitting close to my collection here, the inscription reads:

We have had the good life but the season ended.