Slocum Search

[Craig_Slocum]

Today, my family and I went to the Las Vegas Library, we've lived here for six years, first time we've gone to the library! While my daughter and her father were looking at books, I was downstairs in the newspapers room, looking through microfilm, doing a search for Craig Slocum's obituary. I thought it might be in the New York Times. He died on Sept. 12, 1978. The only dates the library had were, Sept. 16 - 30th of that year. I did not find anything in those dates. It might be in the missing dates. Maybe the New York Library has the complete month. I know there are some members of the Forums who live in New York. Is there anyone who can check on it at the library there? I don't know how soon obituaries are posted in the newspaper after a person's death, but since I checked all the other dates, there's only three more days it could be in, Sept. 13 - 15. A librarian here did a web search, but she only came up with Dark Shadows related things on Craig Slocum, and of course, my website for him. It could be too, that his obituary was never in the New York Times. Does anyone know what other papers there were in NYC in 1978? I asked Jim Pierson how Craig Slocum's death date was discovered, and the answer I got was that one of the fans in New York probably saw it in the newspaper, and reported it.  If anyone can help me, I would sure appreciate it. I am trying to find out where Craig is buried. I don't know if an obituary listing in the newspaper would even give any clue to it, just a guess.  

[Cassandra]

Cheryl I can check out the library here in Yonkers, but Im not sure if they would have it.  A good friend of mine works there so I can ask her about it.

Did you try to go to the NY Times webpage?  You may have to join or become a member first to search out the archives.

There's also the Daily News and the NY Post and it could be that perhaps his obituary may be listed there.

I'll most likely be heading off to the City around the Holiday season and could possibly check something out there at the library.

Keep searching though, Im sure something's bound to turn up soon! Good luck!  :-)

[jennifer]

Hey good luck Cheryl

jennifer

[Raineypark]

Cheryl, I'm registered on the NY Times Web site....but nothing is available on-line before Jan 1, 1996.

Other newspapers in the area would have been The Daily News, The New York Post, and Newsday (on Long Island).  Have you also considered "Variety" which covers entertainment news?

Good Luck!
Raineypark

[Craig_Slocum]

I did a web search last night, and I found Craig listed as Rusty Slocum in the National Obituary Archive. They published an obituary for him that can be viewed here, but it doesn't give any burial information,

www.nationalobituaryarchive.com/obituary/obituary.asp?ObituaryID=49929634

Through the site, I was able to come up with seven entries of funeral homes in the zip code range where he lived at the time of his passing. I will contact them. Maybe I can locate the cemetery through one of them. Even if I do find out where he is buried, I still would like to have the newspaper obituary of him from 1978.

Thanks Cassandra, I would greatly appreciate your checking at the NYC Library. If anyplace has the info, it would be there I'm sure! Raineypark, I checked in the NY Times website a couple of years ago, and came up with the same thing you did, doesn't even get anywhere close to his death date. Thanks for the names of the other NY newspapers. I don't know if the Las Vegas Library would have them. I will call and find out.

[Luciaphile]

Cheryl,

I can suggest a couple of things.

1. Is the library you went to a branch?  If so, you might want to check out the central library, they may have more resources than a branch would.  Is there a college or university library that you could go to?  Again, they may have more resources.  The other thought I had was see if you can locate one of the Family History centers (run by the mormons--they have great genealogical resources).

2. I did a search on the social security death index

Social Security Death Index

and did turn something up under "rusty slocum" but not craig.  Do you know what his real name was?

3.  You're most likely going to have to use print indexes to newspapers.  The NY Times has a print index as do some large newspapers.  If, however, you're looking for a smaller paper, the situation can change drastically.

4. I checked "Biography and Genealogy Master Index," a couple of proprietary newspaper and magazine databases and came up with zip.  Given that he died in 1978 and wasn't that well known, probably not surprising.  

5. There's always Google Answers

Google Answers

Again, not sure what they could come up with for you, but some of the researchers have access to lots of resources print and net.  You basically formulate a question, assign a monetary value to it.  If no one answers it, you're out $.50, if someone does, you pay the amount you rated the question.  People ask for citations to newspaper obits there on occasion.

Hope that helps,
Luciaphil

[Craig_Slocum]

The Las Vegas Library is the Central Regional Library here, also the Library District's administrative headquarters. There is a library at the college, UNLV, it's not open to the public though. I haven't done much with genealogical searches. I did a search on the Social Security Death Index last night, and found that info. Craig is his real name. Rusty is his nickname, because of his red hair. His close friends called him that, and some people only knew him as Rusty. When I was at the library yesterday, the librarian did a Google search on the computer, while I was looking through microfilm. She was unable to come up with anything that would help. I will keep searching. I have a lot to go by now. I also am going to request a copy of Craig Slocum's original SS-5 application. When I get that, it might help me further. Thanks for your help Luciaphil!

[Bette]

I've been out of touch with the Board the last few days and only saw these posts today. Since I work at a large library which has Variety obits compiled in book form, I checked the index to see if they had an obit for Craig Slocum. Sadly, they did not. However, they did have a listing under Slocum, Craig (mother of).

All it said was that the mother of actor Craig Slocum died on June 20, 1965. She was survived by her husband, son and daughter. It didn't even give her first name!  I believe it also stated that she was 60 years old.

Bette

[Luciaphile]

I haven't done much with genealogical searches. I did a search on the Social Security Death Index last night, and found that info. Craig is his real name. Rusty is his nickname, because of his red hair. His close friends called him that, and some people only knew him as Rusty.

The thing that puzzled me was that his social security entry was under "Rusty" and not Craig.  

Luciaphil

[Nancy]

The thing that puzzled me was that his social security entry was under "Rusty" and not Craig.  

Luciaphil

Unfortantely, Social Security makes many factual errors. One of my grandmothers was said to be almost 60 when she had my father.  And, no, that was not the case.

Nancy

[Craig_Slocum]

I have heard of Variety. Is that like the National Inquirer? Raineypark also mentioned it in her reply, she suggested checking Variety. Thanks for checking, Bette! I want to learn all I can about Craig, so I am glad to get whatever info I can. I had wondered if his parents were still living, glad you found out about his Mom, now I at least know about her. I knew that Craig has a sister. I hope she is contacted. I have requested it, just have to wait and see on that. It's probably a slow boat to China!  

[Bette]

I have heard of Variety. Is that like the National Inquirer?

Variety is a trade paper for the entertainment industry. There is Variety, a weekly, published in NY and covering theater, movies, tv, etc. There is also Daily Variety, which is published in LA and focuses on the LA entertainment industry. I believe that they are owned and published by the same people, so there is some duplicate info.  Both papers include obituaries of people who have worked in the Industry. The obits I checked were published in the NY Variety.  There is a website, Variety.com, but it is not a free site and I doubt that their online archives go back far enough to get any further info from them.

Bette

[Craig_Slocum]

I'm sure I have seen Variety, just don't remember it. Bette, can you make a copy of that info you found and mail it to me? I just called some funeral homes in New York, so far one sounds like it might be promising, this man I spoke to is going to get the records from 1978, will try to do it today, and let me know what he finds out. This is the closest funeral home to where Craig lived. If that doesn't work, I have some more to call.  

[Luciaphile]

I'm sure I have seen Variety, just don't remember it. Bette, can you make a copy of that info you found and mail it to me? I just called some funeral homes in New York, so far one sounds like it might be promising, this man I spoke to is going to get the records from 1978, will try to do it today, and let me know what he finds out. This is the closest funeral home to where Craig lived. If that doesn't work, I have some more to call.  

If you don't mind some advice, I think you might be jumping the gun.  You need to think about what you already know and try and exhaust the obvious sources first.  Get all the information you can,organize it, see if you can fill the gaps by going back to the obvious sources and then work to the harder and more obscure sources later.  

You've mentioned in other posts that you want to write a biography of Slocum.  If that's the goal, then I wouldn't start with funeral directors.

1. You found a mention of him in a James Dean biography--if he had a connection to Dean, then he might have been mentioned in other Dean biographies.  Look for those; Lord knows, there are enough of them.  See if he's mentioned.

2.  If you know the names of the plays and films he's done, look for reviews.  I know one of his films was showcased on MST3K (haven't seen it) but that's not great news, because MST3K never made a practice of picking A pictures.  But you might start with that.  You'll need to go to a library that has access to the New York papers and a reasonable collection of newspaper indexes for the plays.

Frankly, Cheryl, if you're serious about this, you need to do a lot of footwork in the libraries first.  There's a lot online, but this stuff is old and that means microfilm, which is hell.  While you're at it, I would also be keeping notes of what you found and in what source you found it.

3. If I were you, I would be looking into genealogical stuff.  It's probably going to be a lot easier to find material that way anyhow.  A caveat: you probably won't be able to get your hands on a death certificate as you're not a direct relative.

Hope that helps,
Luciaphil

[Craig_Slocum]

I want to know where Craig Slocum is buried, that is more important to me than a biography. Thanks for your advice Luciaphil. The problem is I cannot use a lot of the information I have on Craig, it's too personal. I have to find information that I can use.

The biography I want to write will be a short one, not planning on writing a book, just a few paragraphs that can be put on a couple of websites. Checking out other James Dean biographies is a good idea. I doubt that I'm going to get all the info I need at the Las Vegas Library, need to go to the NYC Library, and I can't get there. I will check the library here again when I get the chance. I just spoke to a NYC funeral director who is trying to locate Craig's grave, waiting to hear the results.