A Visit to Carpinteria Cemetery

As I've previously shared, we were among thousands of people in our area who were forced to evacuate our home for several days in late May.

Although the uncertainty was difficult, we tried to make the most of the unexpected situation, finding that staying busy was better than sitting around worrying.

After spending a couple of nights with our son and daughter-in-law, we left our cat in their care and traveled north to Carpinteria to visit more relatives; we then ultimately ended up in the "Danish village" of Solvang for the first time in many years. (Shoutout to the very nice Hadsten hotel in Solvang which gave us an "evacuation discount.")

During this spontaneous trip we fit in visits to two cemeteries, which gave us the chance to break up our drives with exercise while also paying our respects to some notable filmmakers.

Our first visit was to Carpinteria Cemetery, in Carpinteria, California, south of Santa Barbara.

We only made two stops in this small cemetery, but it was very special for me to visit the final resting place of John Dehner.

Dehner had a fascinating career, including working as a Disney animator (he can be seen in that capacity in 1941's THE RELUCTANT DRAGON), along with an extensive acting career in radio, films, and television.

One of his best-known roles was guest-starring as slimy banker John Bates in the famous MAVERICK episode "Shady Deal at Sunny Acres" (1958), where he uttered the immortal line "If you can't trust your banker, Bartley, who can you trust?"

We also visited the final resting place of character actor Oliver Blake, born Oliver Bettle Prickett.

Film and TV fans may not know his name, but they will surely recognize his face:

Coincidentally Blake was also in a MAVERICK episode, "Relic of Fort Tejon" (1957). He was in movies from 1941, including five of the Ma and Pa Kettle films.

Related Post: Photos From the Road: Carpinteria and Santa Barbara (2018).

Additional photo posts on the final resting places of historic Hollywood figures: A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale, Part 1, A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale, Part 2, A Visit to the Forest Lawn Museum, A Visit to Hollywood Forever Cemetery (2014), A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - The Musicians, A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - The Comedians, A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - The Actors, A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - Writers, Directors, and More, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 1, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 2, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 3, A Visit to Desert Memorial Park, Los Angeles National Cemetery, A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 1 (2017), A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 2 (2017), A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 3 (2019), A Visit to Forest Lawn Cathedral City, A Visit to Oakwood Memorial Park, A Visit to Hillside Memorial Park, Part 1, A Visit to Hillside Memorial Park, Part 2, A Visit to Hollywood Forever Cemetery (2019), A Visit to Woodlawn Cemetery, A Visit to Valley Oaks Memorial Park, A Visit to Valhalla Cemetery, A Visit to Pacific View Memorial Park, A Visit to Glen Haven Memorial Park, A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale (2020), A Visit to Calvary Cemetery, A Visit to Home of Peace Memorial Park, Visits to Sedona and Las Vegas Cemeteries, A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale (2022), Visits to Orange County Cemeteries (Holy Sepulcher Cemetery and El Toro Memorial Park), A Visit to Inglewood Park Cemetery, A Visit to Mt. Sinai Memorial Park, A Visit to Palm Springs (Coachella Valley Public Cemetery), A Visit to Marysvale Cemetery, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 1 (2022), A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 2 (2022), A Visit to Rose Hills Memorial Park, A Visit to San Fernando Mission Cemetery, A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 1 (2023), A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 2 (2023), Memorial Service for Edmund Gwenn (2023), and A Visit to Evergreen Cemetery.

Articles on the final resting places of Western stars and filmmakers from my Western RoundUp column at Classic Movie Hub: May 2019, February 2022, November 2, 2022, November 29, 2022, April 2023, November 2023, March 2024, July 2024, February 2025, November 2025, and April 2026.

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