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ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Meinhardt Raabe
1915 – 2010
As coroner, I must aver
I thoroughly examined her.
And she’s not only merely dead,
She’s really most
sincerely dead.
[Confirmation that the Wicked Witch of the East was dead,
1939 movie “The Wizard of Oz.”]
Meinhardt Frank Raabe
Parents Henry and Eleonora Raabe (pronounced Robby); sister Marion [Zieglemann].
Born on Sept. 2, 1915, in Watertown. Growing up on his family farm outside of Watertown, town of Farmington, Raabe grew to the height of only 4-feet-7 inches.
Died April 9th, 2010, in Orange Park, Fla., at 94, at the Penney Retirement Community in Penney Farms, Fla., where Mr. Raabe had lived since 1986.
At the time of his death Mr. Raabe was one of a handful of surviving Munchkins from the film.
After graduating from Johnson Creek High School Raabe went to the former Northwestern College in Watertown for four years. He paid for his first year of college by selling the rabbits and ducks he and his sister had raised. After that he spent his summers working at the Chicago World's Fair Midget City. After Northwestern he went on to the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he graduated with an accounting degree.
With his ability to speak German he found a job at Oscar Mayer in Madison. He soon heard that MGM Studios was making a movie starring Judy Garland and was looking for lots of little people to play roles in the film.
After being featured for all of 13 seconds in the classic 1939 movie “The Wizard of Oz” Raabe came back to Wisconsin and for more than 30 years worked as "Little Oscar" a marketing representative for Oscar Mayer. He traveled the country in the Weinermobile selling Oscar Mayer products and during one of his travels he met his wife Marie, another little person.
Raabe became a member of the Civil Air Patrol. After many trials and tribulations he received his pilot's license and worked as a ground instructor during the war teaching navigation and meteorology to young students. During that time he said he flew every kind of single-engine airplane made.
click to enlarge
1939 August. Meinhardt Raabe, “Little Oscar” on bumper of Weinermobile, at the premier of the film The Wizard of Oz in Watertown.
He was here for an in-person appearance at the Classic Theater on Main Street.
After life as Little Oscar and the Munchkin Coroner he went on to receive a degree in horticulture which his sister said she believes is his passion in life.
His life's journey of growing up on his family farm outside of Watertown, going through college, searching for a job, becoming Little Oscar for Oscar Mayer and playing a role in "The Wizard of Oz," is portrayed in his autobiography book "Memories of a Munchkin: An Illustrated Walk Down the Yellow Brick Road," by Raabe and co-authored by Navy Lt. Daniel Kinske.
A memorial service was April 20 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Farmington with the Rev. Richard Pagels officiating. Burial took place in Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Farmington. Hafemeister Funeral Home 611 E. Main St. Watertown
Meinhardt Franz August Raabe was born on Sept. 2, 1915, son of Henry H. and Eleonora Mina (Rummler) Raabe. He was baptized and confirmed at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Farmington and remained in contact with the church and the community all of his life.
Meinhardt graduated from the eighth grade at Maple View School, a neighborhood, one-room schoolhouse. He was a graduate of Johnson Creek High School and attended the former Northwestern College in Watertown for three years. He then transferred to the University of Wisconsin-Madison and graduated with a degree in accounting in 1937. While seeking higher education, summers were spent at world fairs and expositions to earn tuition money for the next school year. Meinhardt went on to receive an M.B.A. from Drexel University in Philadelphia in 1970.
In June 1937, he began working for the Oscar Mayer Company in accounting and then as “Little Oscar,” promoting their products. Then in November 1938, Meinhardt took a leave of absence to film “The Wizard of Oz” and was cast as the Munchkin Coroner. He then returned to the Oscar Mayer Company and continued his career, billed as the World's Smallest Chef, traveling with the Weinermobile promoting Oscar Mayer products. He worked a combined 30 years for the company. Meinhardt received his private pilot license in 1944 and joined the Civil Air Patrol in 1945 as a ground instructor, teaching navigation and meteorology. He had also taught school in Delaware, Pa., and worked in various capacities for other food brokerage firms as well.
Meinhardt married the former Marie Hartline on Dec. 15, 1946, in Akron, Ohio. She preceded him in death on Oct. 22, 1997. As “The Wizard of Oz” gained popularity, so did Meinhardt and the other remaining Munchkins. He appeared at Wizard of Oz Festivals throughout the country and was present when the Munchkins were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Meinhardt co-authored a book, “Memories of a Munchkin” with Lt. Daniel Kinske, USN. He was a member of Little People of America.
He is survived by a sister, Marion Ziegelmann of Watertown; other relatives and friends.
Meinhardt was also preceded in death by his parents.
___________________________________________________________________________________
___ 1932 __________________
JOHNSON CREEK HIGH SCHOOL BAND MEMBER
___ 1934 __________________
RAABE, AGED 18, MIDGET VILLAGE
RESIDENT
WHS_013_239
Having pursued a two-year course in accounting in the commercial classes of Northwestern College, Meinhardt Raabe, who is one of the inhabitants of the Midget Village at the World's Fair gladly cooperated today (June 22nd) with Dr. C. W. Dupertius, of Harvard University in a bit of scientific research. The doctor, who is director of the Anthropometric Laboratory in the Social Science Hall, measured the heads and bodies of the midgets for the purpose of comparing the statistics with fully grown adults. Meinhardt, a resident of Johnson's Creek, Wis., is 48 inches tall, weighs 58 pounds and is crazy about tennis.
___ 1934 __________________
Watertown Daily Times, 09 22 1934
WATERTOWN’S MIDGET,
FOUR MONTHS AT FAIR,
RETURNS TO STUDIES AT COLLEGE
Meinhardt Raabe, the 19-year-old midget at Northwestern College, is back at his studies here following almost four months in the Midget Village at the World Fair.
Meinhardt,
who is only 48 inches tall, and a son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Raabe, Johnson
Creek, route 1, entered the village on May 20 and remained until just a short
time ago. He would have liked to stay
longer, but he already had missed two weeks of school work and felt he should
return to his studies.
While in the village, Meinhardt had three different jobs. When he arrived, he was placed on the "barker" stand, where he stood for several hours each day urging, in the usual professional lingo, fair goers to see the sights in the village. After serving as barker for a couple of weeks, he was assigned to a bookkeeping position at one of the restaurants in the village. There his job was to keep track of what the midgets ate. The restaurant, as well as other concessions on the grounds, was operated privately, but the meals the midgets ate were paid for by the "boss," S. Graham.
After seven weeks of this kind of work, Meinhardt was placed in a souvenir stand. "Of the three jobs, which did you like the best," a Daily Times reporter asked him when he was being interviewed in one of the news rooms on the second floor of the Times' building. With a flash in his eyes he quickly replied, "I liked the bookkeeping job the best." And this was only natural, for Meinhardt is taking a business course at the local college.
Many Countries Represented
Nearly every country in the world was represented by midgets in the village, Meinhardt states. There were midgets from Sweden, Scotland, Austria, Hungaria, Ireland, Italy, France, Poland, Russia, England, Germany and so on.
When
asked how many midgets there were at the village,
Meinhardt did not give an immediate answer.
"That all depends on how you figure it. By actual count there were about 100 midgets
on the grounds, but according to the press releases, there are 150."
Germany was represented by a professional troupe of midget dancers and entertainers considered to be the finest in the world.
This year all the concessions were operated by outsiders, renting the space from the owner of the village, Mr. Graham. Last year Mr. Graham ran all the concessions himself, but with the village larger and many more other things to take care of, Mr. Graham leased the concessions. A large number of the midgets, however, were employed in the stands. The stage performances were in charge of N. Eagle.
Has Many Memories
Many amusing memories fill Meinhardt's mind. He never knew that people could ask so many foolish questions. One incident, in particular, he found very amusing. Two midgets were standing on a stand beside a giant, who was eight feet and one-quarter inches tall. The giant was 19 years old, and so were the midgets. An inquisitive woman came up to the three, and much in earnest, asked the giant: "Are you the father of these two midgets?”
Meinhardt also found that people are poor judges of height. "The smallest man in the world was supposed to be one of the features of the village. The public was told that he was 18 inches tall." Actually, Meinhardt states, he was 25 or 26 inches in height. When people saw him they actually thought he was 18 inches in height.
Strictly speaking, Meinhardt states he is not a midget at all. He found that a real midget is not more than 42 inches in height. He is 48 inches tall, so technically speaking he is out of the midget class.
Broadcasts
About half of the midgets were not professional, he says; that is, they did not earn their livelihood by virtue of the fact that they are much below normal in height. A postmaster from a town in Michigan was at the village during the summer; a midget who ran a big dry cleaning establishment in Texas also was there and a real estate man and his wife from New York also were present.
During his stay at the fair, Meinhardt broadcast twice — once over WGN in Thompson's restaurant at the fair and another time over WCFL in the administration building. Each time he told the world about the Midget Village.
Meinhardt not only found his almost four months at the fair educational but a real experience. Financially, the summer was a success also. "I earned enough money to pay my board and room at the college, and that's more than I could have done if I stayed home."
___ 1937 __________________
05 26 “Meinhardt Raabe, former Northwestern College midget, who
spent the past year at the University of Wisconsin, has secured a position with
the sales department of the Oscar Mayer & Co. at Madison. Meinhardt, who stands four feet high, is well
known to a large number of Watertown residents. One of his ambitions always
has been to secure a position in the business world. He has spent some time in midget villages at
four different expositions, and while he enjoyed the experiences, he determined
that he never cared to earn his livelihood by going on
exhibition . . . At the university this past year, he has served as a page at
the Loraine Hotel. WDT
Postcard, Meinhardt Raabe
(“Little Oscar”), sales department of the Oscar Mayer & Co.
___________________________________________________________________________________
___ 1950 __________________
Watertown Daily Times, February 9, 1950
MEINHARDT RAABE VISITS IN CITY
AFTER MIDGET WEDDING
(Picture)
Former Student At Northwestern Now is Salesman
Meinhardt Raabe, who during
his student days at Northwestern college became known as the Northwestern
college midget, was in Watertown yesterday, enroute with his wife from Ashley,
near Wilkes-Barre, Pa., to their home in Wausau. They were among those who attended the
wedding of two other midgets, Mrs. and Mrs.
Jospeh Kotalik, which was solemnized in Holy Rosary church in Ashley last
week. More than 2,000 persons
attended the wedding, which also included many of the “little people” from
different cities.
The Daily Times published a
photograph of the wedding party in its issue on Tuesday of this week . . . Mr.
and Mrs. Raabe were among six midgets who attended the couple at the wedding .
. .
. . . Mr. Raabe told the Daily
Times that the wedding was an event he and his wife would cherish a long
time. His wife, the former Marie
Hartline, and the bride appeared in shows together and both the bride and
groom and Mr. Raabe appeared together at the Midget Village at the
Chicago Century of Progress exposition.
Mr. Raabe, who now is a
salesman, with headquarters at Wausau, is employed by a food brokerage
concern. He travels as a salesman
throughout northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. He formerly worked as a salesman for the
Oscar Mayer Co. of Madison and Chicago.
He attended Northwestern college and then went to the University of
Wisconsin where he majored in business and accounting. He received his B. A. degree from the
university.
Some years ago he went to Hollywood to appear
in the film “A Wizard of Oz” with Judy Garland and Bert Lahr.
He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry A. Raabe of Johnson Creek. He and his wife reside in Wausau at 1016 ½
South Fourth Avenue.
Drives Own Auto
Mr. Raabe drives a standard car, which is equipped with special
attachments which enable him to operate it.
He likes driving, but says the highways are getting too unsafe for
comfort and that the territory he covers has had a lot of snow and driving
conditions have been rather hazardous this winter.
He mentioned many of his old classmates at the college here and says he
would like to be remembered to his teachers and
professors. Whenever he has time he looks some of them up, but on this trip he was in
too much of a hurry to spend time here.
He said he and his wife had been away from home for over a week and they
had to get back home and he was preparing to resume
his business on the road. They like
Wausau and the people there. But he
always finds a warm welcome in Watertown and enjoys coming here, he said.
He posed [for the accompanying picture] at the Daily Times yesterday. Not
until he had left did the Times learn that his wife was waiting in their car not far from the
Times building. Had this fact been
disclosed earlier, she too would have been in the picture. She is as cute as a little doll.
___ 2005 __________________
06 05 Marion Ziegelmann, resident of Highland House of Watertown,
thought something was up when she recognized a vehicle outside Tuesday
morning. It was her dear brother “Meine”
Meinhardt Raabe, famous munchkin coroner actor in the classic 1939 film, “The
Wizard of Oz.” The two haven’t seen each other for two years. Raabe, 89 years old and about 4 feet, 7
inches, lives in Florida at a retirement home but has been driving across the
country and into Canada signing autographs for his recently published
autobiography book, “Memories of a Munchkin: An Illustrated Walk Down the
Yellow Brick Road.” The book is
co-authored by Navy Lt. Daniel Kinske, and Kinske’s mother, Patricia, has been
driving Raabe from place to place for the book.
Raabe played the coroner in the film confirming the Wicked Witch of the
East was killed. His famous quote was,
“As coroner, I must aver, I thoroughly examined her, and she’s not only merely
dead, she’s really most sincerely dead!” WDT
William F. Jannke III with Meinhardt in 2006 at book signing at Books & Co. in Oconomowoc.
04 09 DEATH OF, 9 Apr 2010 (aged 94), Penney Farms, Clay County, Florida
One
of the last surviving Munchkin-actors in The Wizard of Oz, he was also the last
surviving cast member with any dialogue in the film. At 4'7", he played the coroner in The Wizard
of Oz in 1939, with his lines being: "As coroner, I must aver. I thoroughly examined her. And she's not only merely dead, she's really, most sincerely dead!" These lines, like most of those delivered by
the Munchkins, were dubbed over with the speeded-up voices of other
performers. In addition to his role in
the film, Raabe worked for many decades as a spokesman for Oscar Mayer, where
he was known as "Little Oscar, World's Smallest Chef". He traveled in the first Wienermobile,
produced in 1936. Raabe joined the Civil
Air Patrol during World War II. After
the war he earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of
Wisconsin and, years later, a master's degree in business administration from
Drexel University. He married a cigarette
girl who was his height, Margaret Marie Raabe (1915-1997). They were married for 50 years until her
death in a car accident in 1997. Raabe
published an autobiography, Memories of a Munchkin: An Illustrated Walk Down
the Yellow Brick Road. He appeared in an
October 2005 episode of Entertainment Tonight with eight other surviving Munchkins, and made a guest appearance on The Jimmy Kimmel
Show on April 11, 2005. On November 21,
2007, he appeared with six other surviving Munchkin actors, including Jerry Maren
at the unveiling of a Hollywood Star for the Wizard of Oz Munchkins on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame. On September 19,
2009 he appeared on National Public Radio program
Weekend Edition Saturday. Raabe still
made occasional appearances at Wizard of Oz conventions and celebrations across
the country. In 2008 he was honored by
the International Wizard of Oz Club with the organization's L. Frank Baum
Memorial Award. [Bio courtesy
of: Wikipedia]
Burial at Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery, Farmington, Jefferson County, WI
___ 2014
__________________
BETHESDA
BENEFACTOR
Because he grew up near the Bethesda Lutheran Home in Watertown, Meinhardt was familiar with their work in supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. And because he experienced discrimination and prejudice based on his appearance and perceived abilities, like many of the people Bethesda supported, he gave to the institution with an open hand and an open heart. Blessed by his career in show business, Meinhardt donated more than $3.5 million to Bethesda through estate gifts and legacy donations before he passed away in 2010. In summer 2015, his estate donated another $1 million to Bethesda. 2014-2015 Bethesda Annual Report
___ 2015 __________________
08 26 100th ANNIVERSARY OF RABBE’S BIRTH
Theme of the celebration” “There’s No
Place Like Home.”
The Towne Cinema will be hosting a four day celebration of the life of Meinhardt Raabe, who was the Munchkin Coroner in “The Wizard of Oz” with free showings of the iconic movie to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Rabbe’s birth. Raabe was born in Watertown, raised in Farmington, went to high school in Johnson Creek, attended the former Northwestern College in Watertown and went on to graduate from the University of Wisconsin- Madison.
There will be four free showings of the “Wizard of Oz” on Wednesday, Sept. 2 and Thursday, Sept. 3 at 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 4 at noon and 7 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 5 at noon. On Sept. 2 before the 6:30 p.m. showing there will be a birthday cake celebration. Sept. 2 would have been Raabe’s 100th birthday. He was born in 1915.
A birthday cake with 100 candles along with some group singing will take place. One hundred cupcakes from Sweet Talkin’ Treats will be given away in honor of Raabe. Oz costumes are encouraged.
The Oscar Mayer Weinermobile will be in attendance at the event on Wednesday. Raabe toured the country for 30 years in the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, promoting hot dogs as Little Oscar, the Worlds Smallest Chef. He retired in 1971.
Image Portfolio Classic Theater Event
09 03 CELEBRATION OVER THE RAINBOW ...
“Oh I wish I was an Oscar Mayer wiener, that is what I truly wish to be, ‘cause if I were an Oscar Mayer wiener, everyone would be in love with me.” Meinhardt Raabe was as close to an Oscar Mayer wiener as you can get, before he was known as the Munchkin Coroner in “The Wizard of Oz” he was “Little Oscar, World’s Smallest Chef.”
A celebration of Raabe’s 100th birthday brought around 200 people to Towne Cinema on Wednesday night the see the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile and a free showing of the iconic movie.
The historic theater was the right setting for a mini museum featuring photos of Raabe from the Watertown and Wisconsin Historical Societies and with the iconic hot dog parked outside nostalgia was alive and well in Watertown. The centerpiece of the event was a large tornado fashioned from cotton, which reached the ceiling, a yellow brick road and guests dressed up in their best costumes.
The role in the
film brought Raabe international fame and was a huge presence throughout his
life. After the film according to his book, “Memories of a Munchkin,” published
in 2005, he was a pilot and an instructor in the Civil Air Patrol during World
War II, continued his work as the “World’s Smallest Chef,” was a horticulturist
and teacher as well as during later years toured fan conventions.
Raabe died at the
age of 94 in 2010 and is buried in Farmington. His sister Marion Raabe
Ziegelmann, died late last year at the age of 95 in Watertown. WDTtimes article
09 03 THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE MAIN STREET TO
REMEMBER MEINHARDT RAABE
09 03 MUNCHKIN CORONER RECALLED ON 100th
Munchkin coroner recalled on 100th. Daily Jefferson County Union article
09 08 BETHESDA TO CELEBRATE A RESIDENT OF
"OZ"
TODAY’S
TMJ4
TODAY’S TMJ4
On Saturday, September 12, Bethesda
is celebrating the legacy of Meinhardt Raabe, a longtime donor and supporter of
Bethesda, who played the Munchkin Coroner in the Original Wizard of Oz film,
and served as Oscar Mayer’s spokesman “Little Oscar,” driving around the famous
Weinermobile and making appearances for the company
09 10 BETHESDA TO CELEBRATE RAABE'S LIFE
Meinhardt Raabe will be celebrated at Bethesda on Saturday.
The celebration will honor "The Wizard of Oz" actor who played
the munchkin coroner and was known as Little Oscar the
World's Smallest Chef. He retired from
that role in 1971. Raabe, who was born
in Watertown, died at the age of 94 in 2010 and is buried in Farmington. Raabe was an avid supporter of Bethesda
during his life. The event is timed to
coincide with Raabe's 100th birthday, which would have been Sept. 2. The celebration includes a picnic, hot air
balloon rides for $10, an opportunity to see a collection of Meinhardt Raabe
memorabilia, a scavenger hunt, a costume contest and a
showing of "The Wizard of Oz."
Cross References:
09 15 2015 "There's No Place Like Bethesda:" Meinhardt Raabe's Legacy to Disabled Adults
09 15 2015 WUWM-NPR audio clip
___ 2017 __________________
08 08 GARMENTS AND MEMORABILIA
Donated by state historical society (set of 16 images)
___ 2018 __________________
05 24 WIENERMOBILE WILL BECOME MUSEUM PIECE
DEERFIELD — When the restoration work is finished this month, the vehicle that has been turning heads for decades will no longer be road-worthy. There will be no gas tank, transmission, brake lines or side-view mirrors. The General Motors straight 6-cylinder engine will be junked and the four Goodyear tires filled with a hardening foam to prevent flats.
The days of taking the “Old Number 7” Oscar Mayer Wienermobile for a ride are over. It’s about to become an immersive and accessible museum piece and forever serve as a reminder of Madison’s role with an iconic, homegrown company that pumped out millions of hot dogs, slices of bologna and packages of Lunchables.
The fleet of six Wienermobiles from Oscar Mayer’s parent company, Kraft Heinz, still roams the country touting the brand and showing up at fairs, parades, festivals and promotional events. The $50,000 Wienermobile restoration is an effort by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Wisconsin Historical Foundation and the Mayer family, which is funding the project (along with a $15,000 endowment for continued maintenance of the vehicle), to preserve a reminder of Wisconsin’s manufacturing heritage.
Over the years, the historical society has acquired multiple items from Oscar Mayer and Kraft Heinz. They include toy wiener whistles, ice picks, packaging and work clothes. There are two types of shovel, one stainless steel for moving meat and one plastic yellow used for removing meat that may have fallen to the floor and was no longer edible.
The hybrid banjo-ukulele used by Richard Trentlage to compose the “Weiner Song” also has been preserved along with Little Oscar chef uniforms worn by Meinhardt Raabe, a Watertown man who served as an Oscar Mayer pitchman for 30 years and played the Munchkinland coroner in the “The Wizard of Oz.”
The items will ultimately be stored in the nearly completed $46.7 million, four-story, 188,733-square-foot archive preservation facility for the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Wisconsin Veterans Museum at 202 S. Thornton Ave. Some will be displayed at times at the Wisconsin Historical Society Museum on Capitol Square, but the Wienermobile is too big for the museum so it will be relegated to being parked outside the museum for special events and shown off at other spots around the state.
This particular Wienermobile was built at the Oscar Mayer plant in 1969 on a 1967 Chevy chassis. The 23-foot-long vehicle included taillights from a Ford Thunderbird and four exterior speakers to blare out the famous “I wish I were an Oscar Mayer wiener” jingle, and had a top speed of 45 mph. The square hatches on both the passenger and driver’s side, used to pay tolls, will be sealed along with a roof hatch, from which wiener whistles were thrown during parades.
___ 2019 __________________
08 23 UW-MADISON ONLINE PODCAST & TRANSCRIPT
Watertown's Meinhardt Raabe was the Munchkin coroner who pronounces the Wicked Witch of the East dead. But the story doesn’t stop at The Wizard of Oz. This UW-Alumni Assn podcast tells how Raabe "dealt with discrimination because of his size, how he saved lives during World War II, and how he left a legacy for the people of Watertown."
Webmaster's note: Upon reading the transcript one finds "Bethesda Lutheran Communities" is mistakenly noted as "Bethel Lutheran communities."
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Additional Cross References:
Watertown Daily Times feature article of 05 07 2005
Watertown Daily Times article of 04 12 2010
New York Times obit, 04 09 2010
Huffingtonpost.com posting on death of Meinhardt
Wikipedia reference
Wienermobile returns to
Watertown, 2000
'Little
Oscar' inducted into Meat Industry Hall of Fame, 2011
Wienermobile acquired by Wisconsin
Historical Society, 2017
RAABE TOURED OCTAGON HOUSE: Meinhardt Raabe, a graduate of Northwestern College, played the Munchkin coroner in the classic film and pronounced the Wicked Witch of the East, “Really most sincerely dead.” You can read all about it in his recently published autobiography entitled Memories of a Munchkin, written in collaboration with Lt. Daniel Kinske, U.S.N. The book tells of his life growing up in nearby Farmington and Johnson Creek and of his career as “Little Oscar” for the Oscar Meyer Co. Many years ago, one of our guides had the pleasure of giving Meinhardt Raabe and his equally diminutive wife a tour of the Octagon House while they were here for a visit.
History of Watertown, Wisconsin