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Showmen's Rest - Part 6 

Submitted by Member on   5/8/2004
Last Modified

Showmen's Rest - Part 6

by Peter & Joyce Rosa
CLICK HERE to find the complete series


To All Showfolks and Fans:

We continue the SHOWMEN'S REST series with the gravestone of:

DUDLEY HAMILTON


Pictured left to right are Dudley, Jordan, Justin and Joyce


Pictured are Dudley and Joyce, Feb. 3, 2003

At this time, we would like to give a pachyderm sized credit to our friend Dudley Hamilton for introducing us to Showmen's Rest and for providing the majority of information that we have presented in this series. Dudley is a walking encyclopedia of information on the history of the Circuses based in Hugo, Oklahoma and Showmen's Rest. His respect for Circus owners and showfolks of the Hugo based Circuses is as high as an elephant's eye. One can sit for hours and enjoy the company of Dudley and his Southern charm. When we talked to Dudley this week about this series and the email you are currently viewing, Dudley was quick to remind us that he likes pretty showgirls and lots of elephants.

We would appreciate your participation in this series. In the next email, we will send photos of the gravestones of JESSE & LORRAINE JESSEN, LUCIANO JOSEPH LOYAL and ZEFTA LOYAL. If you have information you would like to see included with these photos, please send it not later than Friday, February 20, 2004, to peterscircus@AOL.com. We would especially like to list the shows that these showfolks trouped with during their careers. Also, if there are any corrections to information we list in this series, please contact us immediately so we may set the record straight.

All photos were taken in the SHOWMEN'S REST section of Mount Olivet Cemetery in Hugo, Oklahoma. We will scan photos and send at least three per email over the next few weeks.

The photos in this email are the gravestone of:

DUDLEY WARNER HAMILTON
JAN 12, 1929
STILL LIVING

Dudley Hamilton is currently the winter quarters superintendent of the Kelly Miller Circus. He was an agent for both the Carson & Barnes Circus and the Kelly Miller Circus.

Dudley's monument features an impressive elephant long mount which was taken from a Carson & Barnes Circus poster with four showgirls. The monument also has a large shade tree which Dudley said he thought would add to the scene and the words
MAY ALL YOUR DAYS BE CIRCUS DAYS
on the front of the gravestone and the logos of Kelly Miller Circus and Carson & Barnes Circus on the back of the monument.




Photo provided by Toni McIntyre





Photo provided by Toni McIntyre


HOST NOTE: Photos will be sent so they show in the body of the email. We will also attach them to the email so those of you who are able to open attachments can view them at full size. Also, we will note the text etched on each gravestone if it is hard to read in the photo. This series is being done because it is felt that many folks will not be able to journey to Hugo, Oklahoma to see these magnificent monuments.

These gravestones have been erected to honor the memory of those whose varied skills have allowed the circus-going public to view the wonder of the CIRCUS. We would like you to note that all of the showfolks interred at Mount Olivet will not be represented. Only those monuments that noted a circus motif were photographed. If you have photos and information of other showfolk's monuments, please send as soon as possible to: peterscircus@AOL.com

Sincerely,

Peter and Joyce Rosa

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