You've no doubt heard or read about the health emergency that brought singer Prince to a Moline hospital recently.  According to MLI, the plane possibly carrying Prince needed to make an emergency landing due to an unidentified person onboard being "unresponsive." This was early Monday Morning.

Thankfully, the skilled medical staff that transported and treated whomever was on that plane needing medical assistance did a stellar job, and Prince's plane was able to later continue on it's way to Minnesota.  I think the QCA is a wonderful place to live--and maybe die.  Like Mellencamp says, "I'll probably die in this small town, and that's good enough for me."  So while Prince may have escaped the Grim Reaper here in the QCA--here's a few who did not.

Actor Carey Grant Died in St. Lukes (Genesis) Hospital after complaining of pain while rehearsing his show at The Adler Theatre.  During the afternoon run-through, he began to feel weak, and was taken to St. Lukes by Ambulance On November 29, 1986.  His wife had accompanied Grant on his trip to the QCA, and was with him when he died, at the age of 82.   

After Grant, you have to go away from the Quad Cities or considerably lower on the fame ladder to find the next "celebrity."  Since I'm choosing The Quad Cities, let go next to MMA fighter Sherman "the Tank" Pendergarst.  He was born In Baltimore MD. but like many with a desire to be the best fighter he could be, moved to train in the Militich system in Bettendorf.  He left his career as a mortgage broker behind, and worked hard to become UFC ready, finally getting signed after going 8-3 in his first MMA matches.  He ended up a mediocre 11-18, but got to live his dream of fighting in the UFC.

He died in Davenport in 2012 after losing to colon cancer.

John Deere, who built the great city of Moline, and was it's mayor and most famous inventor, died in his Moline home in 1886.

Once you venture outside the QCA however, the famous deaths stack up.  Beginning with Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Richie Valens, and ending with Rocky Marciano and Paul Gray from Slipknot who all passed away in Iowa, to the colorful history of Illinois deaths of celebs like John Dillinger, Walter Payton, and Chris Farley among it's ranks.

 

If this sort of thing intrigues you as it does me, check out a book called "Where Are They Buried?:  How Did They Die" by Tod Benoit.

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