Colonel Sanders

Birth Name:

Harland David Sanders

Birth Date:

September 9, 1890

Birth Place:

Henryville, Indiana

Death Date:

December 16, 1980

Place of Death:

Jewish Hospital, Louisville, Kentucky

Age:

Cause of Death:

Pneumonia brought on by acute leukemia

Cemetery Name:

Cave Hill Cemetery

Claim to Fame:

Business and Finance

Colonel Harland Sanders was an American businessman and founder of fast food chicken restaurant chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (also known as KFC). When Sanders was only 6, his father died. So at a young age, he had to care for his siblings and did much of the family cooking. At 7 years old, Sanders already had mastered several regional dishes. When he was 40 years old, he began cooking for hungry travelers at a service station in Corbin, Kentucky. Sanders did not have a restaurant, but instead served guests at his own dining room table. As word spread and more people started coming for the food, he moved across the street to a motel and restaurant that seated 142 people. During the next nine years, he perfected his secret blend of 11 herbs and spices that is still used today. This special recipe remains a closely guarded secret. At age 65, Colonel Harland Sanders began franchising his chicken business using his $105 monthly Social Security check. Today, Kentucky Fried Chicken operates more than 5,200 restaurants in the United States and more than 15,000 units around the world.

Fun Facts

In 1952, Sanders devoted himself to the chicken-franchising business. He traveled across the country and cooked batches of his chicken for restaurant owners and their employees. It was agreed that for each piece of chicken sold, he would be paid a nickel. Deals were sealed with only a verbal agreement and a handshake. By 1964, there were more than 600 franchised outlets for his chicken. In that same year, Sanders sold his interest in the company for a mere $2.0 million, and remained a predominant spokesman.

His home during the last decade of his life was at 1337 Melton Drive in Missisauga, Ontario, Canada. His net worth at the time of his passing, including his simple ranch-style home in Canada was less than $1.5 million.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Cave Hill Cemetery

701 Baxter Avenue

Louisville, Kentucky, 40204

USA

North America

Map:

Map of Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky

Grave Location:

Section 33, Lot 57, Grave 1

Grave Location Description

From the Cave Hill Cemetery main entrance, at the corner of Baxter Ave. and E. Broadway, follow the road with the solid yellow line into the cemetery for 1.5 miles. The line ends at Col. Sanders grave in Section 33 right on the road.