The funeral service of Lee Oswald and the flowers from Virginia Leach

[Guest]

Apparently there were two floral arrangements, a white blanket of carnations and a spray of red carnations, from someone named

Virginia Leach(*).   Did anyone ever find who this nice lady is/was ?

I will contionue to look for her (keeping her name in a notebook I keep), but perhaps some of you know it already.....

(*) mentioned in a few books (e.g. 4 Days in November is one that comes to mind, and in a few newspapers)

 

Edited September 12, 2022 by Jean Paul Ceulemans

[Joseph McBride]

This may be relevant to your question; from my book INTO THE NIGHTMARE:

The Tippits’ “marriage was in trouble,” Greg Lowrey told me, pointing out what is now obvious but was concealed from the public at the time of the officer’s death. One report, printed in Myers’s book, has it that in 1963, Marie Tippit showed up at Austin’s Barbecue and made what a teenaged patron, Louis Cortinas, called a “big stink” while she questioned employees about J. D.’s relationship with Johnnie Maxie Thompson. Austin Cook reported in our interview, “The first thing I knew [about the romance], was Marie called me and asked me who put those flowers on the grave out there that said, ‘To the best man I’ve ever met or ever will meet,’ or something like that. I didn’t know. That could have been a lot of people. Then I found out, I don’t know how long it took me to find out, but it was probably a year before I found out all the truth about it, and I still don’t know all of it.”

When I asked Johnnie Maxie if she left the flowers, she admitted, “Well, I did. I was pretty crazy about him, and I couldn’t go to the funeral. It didn’t last very long, and we didn’t have the kind of relationship where we got to know each other very well.” What message did she leave with the flowers? “I might remember it but I wouldn’t repeat it.”

Edited September 12, 2022 by Joseph McBride

[Guest]

Thanks, will keep that in mind

[Guest]

On 9/12/2022 at 1:51 AM, Joseph McBride said:

This may be relevant to your question; from my book INTO THE NIGHTMARE:

The Tippits’ “marriage was in trouble,” Greg Lowrey told me, pointing out what is now obvious but was concealed from the public at the time of the officer’s death. One report, printed in Myers’s book, has it that in 1963, Marie Tippit showed up at Austin’s Barbecue and made what a teenaged patron, Louis Cortinas, called a “big stink” while she questioned employees about J. D.’s relationship with Johnnie Maxie Thompson. Austin Cook reported in our interview, “The first thing I knew [about the romance], was Marie called me and asked me who put those flowers on the grave out there that said, ‘To the best man I’ve ever met or ever will meet,’ or something like that. I didn’t know. That could have been a lot of people. Then I found out, I don’t know how long it took me to find out, but it was probably a year before I found out all the truth about it, and I still don’t know all of it.”

When I asked Johnnie Maxie if she left the flowers, she admitted, “Well, I did. I was pretty crazy about him, and I couldn’t go to the funeral. It didn’t last very long, and we didn’t have the kind of relationship where we got to know each other very well.” What message did she leave with the flowers? “I might remember it but I wouldn’t repeat it.”

Your book is definitely on my list, just waiting for Amazon to have one in the European stock.  When I import a book myself from the usa that would triple the price (shipping/duties/adm.fees/etc).  And I'm just not a Kindle fan

 

 

 

Edited September 29, 2022 by Jean Paul Ceulemans

[Guest]

In the files there's only one letter from someone how is not "the one" and Curry's response to it

 

 

Edited September 21, 2022 by Jean Paul Ceulemans

[Derek Thibeault]

Great documents - I think Joseph is talking about Tippit's funeral - but you are talking about Oswald's. Who was the Funeral Director? I assume the man who was in charge has passed, but is the company still in business? Some funeral homes will keep records - not sure if they will keep records of flowers. Any notes on the flowers themselves? I have to assume this could also be a complete nonissue. But it's interesting. Sure it wasn't Judith Baker - I mean, she did have a torrid affair with him.

[Guest]

44 minutes ago, Derek Thibeault said:

Great documents - I think Joseph is talking about Tippit's funeral - but you are talking about Oswald's. Who was the Funeral Director? I assume the man who was in charge has passed, but is the company still in business? Some funeral homes will keep records - not sure if they will keep records of flowers. Any notes on the flowers themselves? I have to assume this could also be a complete nonissue. But it's interesting. Sure it wasn't Judith Baker - I mean, she did have a torrid affair with him.

Joseph could be correct if the reporters mixed up stories 

About LHO's funeral I have not seen this mentioned by his brother Robert, neither by Marina.

I don't know if Marguerite mentioned it, I'm pretty sure she would have noticed.

They were the only relatives present I believe.

The name itself doesn't ring a bell nowhere, strange...

I'm gonna double check the newspapers, perhaps there is a lead in those

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Derek Thibeault]

4 minutes ago, Jean Paul Ceulemans said:

Joseph could be correct if the reporters mixed up stories 

About LHO's funeral I have not seen this mentioned by his brother Robert, neither by Marina.

I don't know if Marguerite mentioned it, I'm pretty sure she would have noticed.

They were the only relatives present I believe.

The name itself doesn't ring a bell nowhere, strange...

I'm gonna double check the newspapers, perhaps there is a lead in those

 

 

 

 

 

 

that makes more sense

 

[Guest]

Now, it wouldn't be the JFKA without some more strange things.

This excerpt mentions 1 unidentified couple that came to sign the guestbook at the undertaker

(who knew about the funeral and that LHO was even there ??)

Excerpt is fom script : WBAP-TV (Television station : Fort Worth, Tex.). [News Script: Oswald funeral], item, November 25, 1963

 

Edited September 29, 2022 by Jean Paul Ceulemans

[Guest]

Getting there, almost... with a card from " A VETERAN", apparently a Mr. John Crockett 

Close... but not Virginia Leach...

 

 

Edited September 29, 2022 by Jean Paul Ceulemans

[Guest]

Order of the above

 

Edited September 29, 2022 by Jean Paul Ceulemans