Ginger Rogers

AKA:

Feathers

Birth Name:

Virginia Katherine McMath

Birth Date:

July 16, 1911

Birth Place:

Independence, Missouri

Death Date:

April 25, 1995

Place of Death:

40365 Sand Dune Road, Rancho Mirage, California

Age:

Cause of Death:

Heart Attack

Cemetery Name:

Oakwood Memorial Park And Cemetery

Claim to Fame:

Show Business

Ginger Rogers was an American actress, singer, and dancer, best known for her iconic film partnership with Fred Astaire during Hollywood’s Golden Age. Born Virginia Katherine McMath on July 16, 1911, in Independence, Missouri, she rose to fame in the 1930s and 1940s with a combination of dazzling dance routines and strong acting skills. Rogers starred in ten films with Astaire, beginning with Flying Down to Rio (1933), and their on-screen chemistry helped redefine the movie musical. Beyond her dance career, she proved her dramatic range by winning the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Kitty Foyle (1940). Over a career that spanned several decades, she appeared in over 70 films, as well as stage and television productions. She died at her Rancho Mirage home on April 25, 1995, from a heart attack at the age of 83.

Fun Facts

Ginger Rogers had two nicknames: “Ginger” and “Feathers.” Her stage name “Ginger” came from a young cousin who had difficulty pronouncing her real name, Virginia, calling her “Ginja”. She was also given the nickname “Feathers” for the feathers that came off her dress during the “Cheek to Cheek” dance in Top Hat.

Her parents separated shortly after she was born. After unsuccessfully trying to reunite with his family, McMath (her father) kidnapped his daughter twice, and her mother divorced him soon thereafter Rogers said that she never saw her natural father again.

At age 14, she won a Charleston dance contest, leading to a successful vaudeville career. She was famously known for dancing with Fred Astaire in nine films, revolutionizing the musical genre. In 1940 she won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in “Kitty Foyle” in 1940. And two years later she was Hollywood’s highest-paid star.

Rogers married and divorced five times. She did not have children.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Oakwood Memorial Park And Cemetery

22601 Lassen Street

Chatsworth, California, 91311

USA

North America

Map:

Map of Oakwood Memorial Park and Cemetery in Chatsworth, CA

Grave Location:

Vale of Memory, Section E, Lot 303, Space 1

Grave Location Description

As you first drive into the park, bear to the right (northeast) and go down to Section E. Notice that there is a metal grate running across the road (causing a slight dip in the road.) Park near this grate. Ginger’s grave is on the lawn on the left (northwest) side of the street. From the grate in the road, just walk back (southwest, towards the entrance) 2 1/2 rows. Then walk in on the grass about 15 or 16 spaces. Her grave is located between the second and third row up from the grate.