This is for all of
you who do not know anything or very much about Stiffy Green..
A tribute by Mike McCormick... One of our classmates, Janie Kessel Poths (Class of '58)
is quite an expert on Stiffy Green and even gives
lectures to children at the Vigo County Historical
Museum. The following article was taken from the
Tribune-Star on Sunday, September 24th, 2000 and given to
my by Alyce.
"Even now,
people can come and be a part of the Stiffy Green legend"
by Barbara
Carney
Special to the Tribune-Star
The story of Stiffy
Green, part fact and part fiction, has been one of Vigo
County's most popular legends. It has been told many
times, especially in the fall of the year, but, like Stiffy, never grows old. The tale goes that Stiffy was a
pet of the John Heinl family. After his master's death in
1920, the dog sat outside the family mausoleum at
Highland Lawn Cemetery until he died of grief.
Because of his devotion
to his master, the surviving relatives had him stuffed
and placed inside the tomb. There he sat, guarding his
owner, and glaring out with cold, green eyes.
The legend persists
that Stiffy and his master sometimes took strolls
together and that barking and whining could be heard
throughout the cemetery on cool fall evenings. As the
years passed, "going to see Stiffy" became an adventure
for Terre Haute youths on a date. What better way to
frighten a girl into your arms than go to Highland Lawn
Cemetery, shine a flashlight into the tomb and see
Stiffy's green glass eyes glowing back at you?
Unfortunately, about 12
years ago vandalism occurred at the mausoleum. A bullet
passed through the glass door and shattered Stiffy's
glass eye. It was then that the great-grandchildren of
John Heinl made the decision to have the dog removed from
the tomb and given to the Vigo County Historical Society.
The Terre Haute Lioness (in the paper this way) Club took
on the project of having a replica of the mausoleum
constructed to create the proper atmosphere to perpetuate
the legend. The exhibit that resulted has been a favorite
of visitors.
Enjoy,
Rob
Robbins
To see a photo of Stiffy
Green, go
to: <http://www.egroups.com/message/THInd/1356>
or click "Stiffy"
And another Wileyite
writes...
Mike McCormick
<res02gwi@g...>
Date: Wed Dec 13, 2000
4:17am
Subject: The Legend of
Stiffy Green
FIND-A-GRAVE
posts this legend of "Stiffy Green." It is, of course,
more legend that fact. Incidentally, that website also
posts a photo of a mausoleum; however, the photo is NOT a
photo of the HEINL mausoleum!
Heinl, John G.
Notable for his grave
marker and its associated lore. The tale begins in the
early 1900's when John G. Heinl, a prominent Terre Haute
businessman, acquired a bull dog. The two became loyal
companions, very seldom seen without the company of one
another. In 1921, Mr. Heinl passed away. The dog refused
to leave his side, faithfully to attending the funeral
and standing vigil at the mausoleum. He stood guarding
the door, snapping and snarling at those who chose to
come within range of the mausoleum doors. Many times the
family tried to take him away, but he always found his
way back. One day, Mrs. Heinl came to the mausoleum only
to find that the dog had died. Conscious of the bond
between the dog and his master, she decided it was only
fitting to have the dog stuffed and entombed with his
master. On occasion, it was said that a peek into the
mausoleum would reveal that the dog had moved to a
different side of the tomb, and one would always see the
glowing green eyes peering out. At times some claimed to
have seen the head tilt or the tail wag. It was said that
in the early hours of the morning you might see the
figure of a man and his dog strolling the area close to
the mausoleum. The dog was removed in 1985 due to
vandalism to the mausoleum. It was placed in a replica of
the mausoleum at the Vigo County Historical Society
Museum.
Highland Lawn Cemetery,
Terre Haute, Indiana, USA.
Specific Interment
Location: Section 1, Lot 20.
- And there is
more...
- Mike McCormick
<res02gwi@g...>
- Date: Wed Dec 13, 2000
4:39am
- Subject: The Craig
Gravesite at Highland Lawn
-
- Though I focus more on
facts than legend and lore, the Craig gravesite at
Highland Lawn Cemetery receives nearly as much attention
as the HEINL mausoleum, together with its "legend of
Stiffy Green." A photo of the gravestone can be found at
the FIND-A-GRAVE website.
-
- John Robert Craig
- b. April 2, 1877. d.
December 31, 1931. Traveling salesman with a cheating
heart. He had traveled to be with a lover and celebrate
the coming new year at a prominant hotel in Indianapolis.
While in bed with his lover he suffered a heart attack
and died. The lover fled the scene. After authorities
found out who he was and where he lived, they contacted
the new widow and informed her of her husband's passing
and the situation in which it happened.
- The wife, now very
hurt, said "He made his bed. Now he'll lie in it." So,
she brought him back to Terre Haute and put him in
Highland Lawn Cemetery. She had a special tombstone built
just for him. It resembles a bed, so it will remind
everyone just how he died. She even had him buried on his
side of the bed.
- Highland Lawn Cemetery,
Terre Haute, Indiana, USA
- Cause of Death: Heart
attack.
|
