Posted on 12/06/2006 4:32:44 PM PST by SandRat
TOMBSTONE — There were a few tears, but there also were many memories.
Memories of a man who was known for his ability to make others laugh, but who was always apparently amazed by the effect his alter ego had on the people he met. Emmett Kelly Jr., otherwise known as Weary Willie, the world’s most famous circus clown, was laid to rest on Tuesday, following his death at the age of 82 last Wednesday.
A resident of Tombstone, friends and family gathered to remember and say farewell to the seasoned entertainer at the town’s First Baptist Church.
The group of mourners outside of the small church made for an interesting sight.
The Arizona Rangers were there to honor a former member, along with the Tombstone Vigilantes, to which Kelly also belonged, dressed in full Victorian regalia.
There was standing room only inside the church, where three balloons brought a splash of color to remind those attending the memorial service about the kind of life Kelly had led.
They were placed beside a painting depicting Kelly looking into a mirror and a reflection of Weary Willie.
Described by Pastor Randy Elliott as having “circus in his blood,” Kelly was born in 1923 in Dyersburg, Tenn., on the closing day performance of the John Robinson Circus.
His father, Emmett Kelly, also was known around the globe as the clown Weary Willie, and Kelly Jr. soon followed in his footsteps.
He made his clowning debut in Peru, Ind., at the 1960 Circus City Festival.
In 1964, Eastman Kodak signed Kelly to appear at its pavilion at the New York World’s Fair.
“He became one of the top live attractions of the entire fair, as well as the most photographed, with an estimated five million photos taken,” Elliott said.
“For four years after the fair closed, Kelly visited more than 2,500 children’s hospitals across the country, acting as Kodak’s ‘silent spokesman and ambassador of goodwill.’ ”
The congregation heard the clowning tradition continues in the Kelly family, with Kelly’s son, Joseph, following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps.
During the service, family members each said a few words about their father, including Joseph.
“We appreciate all the people that admired and loved dad,” he said. “Without you, he would not have been half of what he was. I’m just grateful that I got to spend some quality time with him for Thanksgiving.”
Following the service, members of the Arizona Rangers lined up outside the church to “present arms” and honor Kelly.
The mourners, led by Kelly’s family, including his daughter, Cherry Ann Kelly-Knapp, who lived with her father for the last five years, then walked along Allen Street to the Tombstone Vigilantes Hall, where they gathered to swap their memories and stories of Weary Willie.
The father of six, grandfather of 12 and great-grandfather of 11, was buried at Southern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Sierra Vista.
HERALD/REVIEW reporter Amanda Baillie can be reached at 515-4683 or by e-mail at amanda.baillie@svherald.com.
Pastor Randy Elliott of the First Baptist Church in Tombstone, talks about the life of Emmett Kelly Jr., who passed away on Nov. 29 in Sierra Vista. (Ed Honda-Herald/Review)
| Cherry Ann Kelly-Knapp, daughter of Emmett Kelly Jr., a well-known circus clown, sheds a few tears for her father, who died recently in Sierra Vista, as she walks with John Hyatt down Allen Street in Tombstone following a memorial service. (Ed Honda-Herald/Review) |
Memorial for the Passing of the World's Most Famous Clown
God bless him.
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