While wandering around the Whispering Pines section of Forest Lawn Glendale recently, I came across this unusually touching and somewhat anonymous marker:
Next to it was a marker for Burton C. Brownell with the same death year, 1937. I imagined that K.B. was Burton's wife and they had lived to a ripe old age, with his heart giving out soon after her passing, like stories I've heard told about other widowers who just couldn't live without their true loves.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Katherine Perkins Brownell was 34-years-old when she committed suicide on June 16, 1937. The coroner determined that she inhaled ether while sitting in a bathtub of the affluent View Park (now known as Windsor Hills) neighborhood home that she shared with her husband, Burton.
Burton, a petroleum engineer, reported that he and his wife quarreled over going out to dinner, he left the house and upon his return found Katherine's body and two suicide notes ~ one for him and one for the police. The contents of the notes were not revealed.
On August 10, 1937, Burton, also 34, died, too. No articles explained his death, just a simple obituary listing. I'll look him up next week when I go to the Recorder's office on a research run. Whatever the cause of death I find listed, I will still believe he died from a broken heart.
These are the stories that make this hobby so endlessly fascinating. Thank you for sharing this and researching it. Poor KB. Poor Burton.
Posted by: Steve G | Feb 25, 2010 at 23:55
Wow. Very interesting story. "KB"--those are my initials too.
Posted by: Karie Bible | Feb 26, 2010 at 00:37
Lisa I always enjoy reading your blog, is by far one of the best! I have a question, how do you search these people up? I truly admire your dedication to what you do.
Posted by: Valentina | Feb 26, 2010 at 01:12
I loved this Lisa. It amazes me what stories you find. beautiful.
Posted by: Kim, Queen of the OC | Mar 01, 2010 at 23:49