Updated June 13,  2009     URL is www.tentativetimes.net/dean/mildred.html
 

 

    Friends and fans, after years of wandering in Marion, Indiana's, largest cemetery, we found James Dean's mother's gravesite at last.  Here is the stone, which needs careful cleaning.  I will try to find out what to use to clean it safely.  Linda Levine owns some gravestone cleaner, she mentioned at the Gathering, and we all want to find out about it. 
        Goodness gracious, there is a lot to learn.  Please refer to www.gravestonestudies.org to learn the dangers cleaning and even of making rubbings!

    Since it took me ten years to find this stone, I am going to tell you just exactly how to find it for yourself.  (I just ordered  a Garmin GPS and I will soon give you the co-ordinates for this stone.)  The cemetery is on the by-pass, which is anything but a by-pass (also State Road 9 and State Road 15) in Marion,   You will drive south to the big gated entrance. If you see Staples office store, you are too far south.  That imposing catty-cornered gate is LOCKED.  You have to make a right turn and go to the small opening in the fence.

    You are in the cemetery now, so follow the road on your right that parallels the road you rode in on.

    Drive all the way to the last left turn, and turn left onto the road that runs parallel with the by-pass.

   CHANGE:   You aren't there yet.  Just drive a long way  You used to need to watch for the old, closed Sonic Drive-In on the far side of the by-pass,  but since I wrote this, the sign is gone.   Now you will have to  stop  near three trees that sort of stand out from the rest of the infinite row of trees.  The trees are on your right, inside the fence, across from the  old Sonic.  (The new Sonic .is farther on now, irrelevant.  It is pretty far down the road.)  Just to the south of the old Sonic is a large blue Indiana Oxygen building. 

    Leave your car and find the row of stones that starts with the Utsler family. 
 

    Be sure to stop for Timothy who also died too young.

    Keep walking down this row a long way, away from your car,  toward a grove of trees at the "end" of the row you are in.  Mildred Marie Dean's stone is before you get to the trees, and may be in the shadow of the trees if the afternoon is wearing on.  In this photo, it is in shadow.

    To exit the cemetery, just head away from the by-pass on the road where you parked. Take any road that goes back toward the road that led you to the cemetery fence opening.  Turn left out of the cemetery and you are headed back to the by-pass.

Head back to the First Annual Fan Club Gathering here:

This is a link to all the other  www.deaners.net pages

        Page made by Sandra Weinhardt, creator of www.deaners.net email secop@parlorcity.com
and no, I don't know north from south or west.  Ask a local!  Or Google it. Or try a GPS!! I plan to.