In Memorium - Jerry Maren - Wizard Of Oz
The true end of an era, Jerry Maren, the last surviving star of the classic MGM film, The Wizard of Oz has died. He was 98. While the cause of death is unknown, he had suffered from dementia. Doctors at the San Diego nursing facility where he was living suspect that it might have been the result from the injuries, he suffered from the violent clash at a union protest in Munchinland in 1936. Maren was a union representative of the Lollipop Guild Local 74. They had gone on strike in sympathy with the Lullaby League Local 15 who were striking for higher wages and better working conditions. Maren told the angry mob that negotiations broke down and "no settlement could be reached at this time". The Mayor of Munchin City, Wendell Lilliput, tried to act as mediator between the fractious parties but to no avail. Stumpy Jenkins, president of the Sweetcheeks Lollpop Corporation, told reporters that because of a recent increase in the price of sugar, the rising cost of health insurance and a strike from the Flying Monkeys Shipping Company with whom they were contracted, the demands of the union could not be met. The Lollipop Guild union had formed in 1934, at the height of the Great Depression, despite strong protestations from the company. During the strike, Sweetcheeks Corp., had sent in busloads of temporary workers from 'somewhere over the rainbow' to cross the picket lines amid shouts of 'Scab, Scab, Scab'! by enraged union picketers. Management had long resisted collective bargaining and tried to appease union workers with such measures as 10-hour workdays and free lollipops. When union demands were not met, "things just reached the boiling point", Maren said. The two factions attacked each other with axe handles and yellow bricks. The police responded by firing on the crowd leaving 19 dead and dozens injured. Maren suffered from a broken collar bone and was shot in the fracas. The strike finally ended when Dorothy Gale's house unexpectedly landed on the Wicked Witch of the West killing her instantly. The witch was a principle shareholder in the company and was always pushing management for higher production levels. When she died, the people of Munchinland rejoiced because "the Munchkins no longer had to work slavishly for the greedy capitalist politburo", Maren said. Maren had dated co-star Judy Garland for a time, but the relationship ended when she had to go back to Kansas. He is survived by his daughter, Bubba and twin sons, Twinkle Toes and Pixie Dust. His beloved wife of 51 years, Elizabeth died in 2011 of starvation. He is to be interred at the Little People of America funeral home in Hollywood. Friends and well-wishers who want to pay their respects are asked to arrive at precisely when green hourglass is turned over.