Clara “Auntie Em” Blandick
Clara Blandick was born June 4, 1880, aboard an American ship in the harbor off Hong Kong.
She appeared in over 100 films, most notably as Auntie Em in The Wizard of Oz (1939).
In later years, she suffered from severe arthritis and failing eyesight.
On Palm Sunday, April 15, 1962, she returned from church, placed her favorite photos and memorabilia around her modest Hollywood apartment, and committed suicide by taking an overdose of sleeping pills and fixing a plastic bag over her head.
She left the following note:
I am now about to make the great adventure. I cannot endure this agonizing pain any longer. It is all over my body. Neither can I face the impending blindness. I pray the Lord my soul to take. Amen.
She is interred at Forest Lawn, Glendale, CA.