There are a lot of Packers-related things to do and see when visiting Green Bay: Lambeau Field and the Packers Hall of Fame, the Packers Heritage Tour, the Titletown District, old City Stadium, houses of former players and coaches, and plenty more. (Hey, and you may as well stop at Kroll’s and Maricque’s while you’re at it.)
When in Green Bay this past weekend, my fiancée and I decided to tour a couple of local cemeteries, with one eye out for the graves of prominent Packers. Hey, cemeteries are history – and we found several prominent Packers players of the past, as well as a couple of people who were heavily involved with the team. We even got a bonus in the form of a Titanic victim who is buried in Green Bay.
When in the city, here are a few final resting places you can visit as a way of further … er, digging into the team’s history:
Allouez Catholic Cemetery
Earl “Curly” Lambeau (Section H) – The founder of the Green Bay Packers is buried in a small family plot, his grave marked by a small stone and a footer featuring an etching of Lambeau Field. When we were there, a Packers flag and a pinwheel also adorned the grave. Lambeau, of course, is the Green Bay native who had the idea of forming a city football team. More than a century later, the team’s stadium bears his name, and he remains a Packers legend as a founder, a player and a coach, with six NFL Championships to his name. Upon his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Lambeau said, “I had a lot of pleasure out of every single championship. It's just like having a baby — it takes a lot out of you.” It's well worth it for every Packers fan to visit Curly when in Green Bay.
Tony Canadeo (Mausoleum Phase I, Corridor A) – Canadeo was a Packer from 1941 until 1952, missing one season to serve in World War II. He is now interred in the cemetery’s military mausoleum, a peaceful beautiful place to visit. A do-it-all halfback, he led the team in rushing and passing in 1943, on his way to retiring as the team’s – at the time – career rushing leader with 4,197 yards. He also was just the third player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season (and these were NOT 17-game schedules). He also went on to serve on the Packers' board of directors. A Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee in 1974, his jersey number 3 is long since retired from use. Upon his induction, Canadeo said, “My dream came true, and I share it with my former teammates and all Green Bay Packers fans because it partly is theirs.”
Jack Vainisi (Section B) – Vainisi is a sometimes-overlooked figure in Packers history. Serving as the team’s personnel director/head scout from 1951 until 1960, he was responsible for drafting a number of future Pro Football Hall of Famers. Among those are Forrest Gregg, Paul Hornung, Ray Nitschke, Jim Ringo, Bart Starr and Jim Taylor – not to mention signing Willie Wood as an undrafted free agent during that time. When Vince Lombardi was hired as head coach in 1959, the cupboards were already pretty well stocked, thanks in no small part to Vainisi. He unfortunately died in 1960, at age 33, due to a heart condition. Vainisi is interred in a small family plot very near the Mausoleum.
Woodlawn Cemetery
Mike Michalske (grave location) – Michalske, another Pro Football Hall of Famer, played for the New York Yankees for three seasons before joining the Green Bay Packers in 1929. Nicknamed “Iron Mike,” he was known for playing a full 60 minutes – offense, defense and special teams, and is regarded as one of the top offensive guards in the early decades of the NFL. "He was as great as any football player Green Bay ever had," former teammate Johnny Blood once said of Michalske. After his playing career ended following the 1937 season, Michalske went into coaching at both the college and pro ranks. He died in 1980. His grave is easy to find, situated along a main roadway in the cemetery.
Dr. William Edward Minahan (crypt location) - Not a Packer, but a prominent Wisconsinite, Dr. Minahan was on vacation with his wife Lillian and sister Daisy in Ireland, deciding to return home sooner than expected due to an illness. They deemed it an honor to be able to travel home on the famed Titanic. The trio were awakened in their first-class cabin C-78 by a woman crying in the hallway, so they made their way to the deck. Lillian and Daisy were put into Lifeboat 14, and according to newspaper accounts, Dr. Minahan’s last words to them were, “Be brave.” Daisy reported seeing him waving goodbye to them as the lifeboat was being lowered into the ocean. His body was later recovered by a search party from the MacKay Bennett. While many of the recovered bodies were buried in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Minahan’s body was transported back to Green Bay by his brother for interment in a tomb overlooking the Fox River. It can be found at the back of Woodlawn down a short staircase.
NOTE: A number of other former Green Bay Packers players also are buried in Green Bay – here’s a comprehensive list.