Mourning Now in Munchkin Land

As coroner, I must aver, I've thoroughly examined her. And she's not only merely dead; she's really most sincerely dead.

And now, Meinhardt Raabe, the actor who portrayed the coroner in that wonderful "Wizard of Oz," is dead.

First of all, kind of ironic. I wonder if his coroner dared sing something when he made the announcement. Probably not, but wouldn't that have been grand? I'm sure Raabe would not have minded. He'd have probably applauded.

I'm writing about this, of course, because I'm a long-time fan of "The Wizard of Oz." I loved watching the show when it aired on CBS, especially when Dad sang along with the Cowardly Lion.

But I really loved the Munchkins, too, especially the Lollipop Guild. I wanted to learn to dance like they did, but as a self-conscious little kid, I never dared show my practices in front of anyone.

Lewis A Croft

An odd little Munchkin connection: One of the Munchkin soldiers was from Shelley, Idaho, not far from where I grew up -- Lewis A. Croft, who died on April 29, 2008. Saw him in an occasional Fourth of July Parade, but never met him. Too bad.