Roger was born in Omaha, Nebraska. His birth name was Roy Leon Lauffer was born on September 19, 1931 in Omaha, Nebraska, his adoptive parents were Roy George and Nellie Lousie Lauffer. He didn’t know who his biological parents were.
As a young teen his mother Nellie passed away and his father returned him to Boy’s Town in Omaha, Nebraska, run by Father Flanagan (yes that Father Flanagan from the movie Boy's Town.) That was 1945, baptized by Father Flanagan under the name of “Roy Leon Paul Peter Lauffer.”
Roger graduated from high school at Boy’s Town in 1949.
In March 1952 a family petitioned the court for adoption.
So on March 11, 1952 at the age of 20 Roy became Roger Wayne Peterson to adoptive parents James and Ruth Peterson. Roger had told me this family was somehow related to the Lauffer family but he didn’t know how.
He was raised in Nebraska and lived in Chicago and San Francisco and then Los Angeles. He had friends all over the place and had quit a social life to boot. He worked in the movie industry as many who lived in LA or Hollywood do. He was an extra (in the cop scene) in “The Laughing Policeman.” He helped with some film history on some films too.
Roger worked as a security guard for many years. Universal Studios and Sony. I found scripts from some of the studios he worked at. His last job was at the Wilshire tours working the graveyard shift. Which he loved. He did a walk through a few times a night but had most of the evening to sit at his security booth and read, cut obits out of the paper and plan his next cemetery visits. Even up to his death he knew where the famous were buried. He asked me about Joan Rivers only weeks before his death. Where you think she’ll go?
Roger's hobby of finding where the stars are buried made him known to his friends as "The Godfather of Graving." He attended celebrity and famous funerals. If he could get in. And visited many famous graves all around the US and the world.
Roger was an expert on old Hollywood History and loved telling his stories. One of his favorite hobbies was casino's. Las Vegas or a good ole Indian casino and won everytime.
He was my friend and family to me and my family and loved by all.
He purchased his Forest Lawn Memorical Park property in 1984 at the Great Mausoleum and he is now with all the famous that he visited. Including Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor. He was placed above actress Hermione Gingold on January 24, 2015. He will live in our hearts forever as "Our Godfather of Graving."
As a young teen his mother Nellie passed away and his father returned him to Boy’s Town in Omaha, Nebraska, run by Father Flanagan (yes that Father Flanagan from the movie Boy's Town.) That was 1945, baptized by Father Flanagan under the name of “Roy Leon Paul Peter Lauffer.”
Roger graduated from high school at Boy’s Town in 1949.
In March 1952 a family petitioned the court for adoption.
So on March 11, 1952 at the age of 20 Roy became Roger Wayne Peterson to adoptive parents James and Ruth Peterson. Roger had told me this family was somehow related to the Lauffer family but he didn’t know how.
He was raised in Nebraska and lived in Chicago and San Francisco and then Los Angeles. He had friends all over the place and had quit a social life to boot. He worked in the movie industry as many who lived in LA or Hollywood do. He was an extra (in the cop scene) in “The Laughing Policeman.” He helped with some film history on some films too.
Roger worked as a security guard for many years. Universal Studios and Sony. I found scripts from some of the studios he worked at. His last job was at the Wilshire tours working the graveyard shift. Which he loved. He did a walk through a few times a night but had most of the evening to sit at his security booth and read, cut obits out of the paper and plan his next cemetery visits. Even up to his death he knew where the famous were buried. He asked me about Joan Rivers only weeks before his death. Where you think she’ll go?
Roger's hobby of finding where the stars are buried made him known to his friends as "The Godfather of Graving." He attended celebrity and famous funerals. If he could get in. And visited many famous graves all around the US and the world.
Roger was an expert on old Hollywood History and loved telling his stories. One of his favorite hobbies was casino's. Las Vegas or a good ole Indian casino and won everytime.
He was my friend and family to me and my family and loved by all.
He purchased his Forest Lawn Memorical Park property in 1984 at the Great Mausoleum and he is now with all the famous that he visited. Including Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor. He was placed above actress Hermione Gingold on January 24, 2015. He will live in our hearts forever as "Our Godfather of Graving."
Roger was born in Omaha, Nebraska. His birth name was Roy Leon Lauffer was born on September 19, 1931 in Omaha, Nebraska, his adoptive parents were Roy George and Nellie Lousie Lauffer. He didn’t know who his biological parents were.
As a young teen his mother Nellie passed away and his father returned him to Boy’s Town in Omaha, Nebraska, run by Father Flanagan (yes that Father Flanagan from the movie Boy's Town.) That was 1945, baptized by Father Flanagan under the name of “Roy Leon Paul Peter Lauffer.”
Roger graduated from high school at Boy’s Town in 1949.
In March 1952 a family petitioned the court for adoption.
So on March 11, 1952 at the age of 20 Roy became Roger Wayne Peterson to adoptive parents James and Ruth Peterson. Roger had told me this family was somehow related to the Lauffer family but he didn’t know how.
He was raised in Nebraska and lived in Chicago and San Francisco and then Los Angeles. He had friends all over the place and had quit a social life to boot. He worked in the movie industry as many who lived in LA or Hollywood do. He was an extra (in the cop scene) in “The Laughing Policeman.” He helped with some film history on some films too.
Roger worked as a security guard for many years. Universal Studios and Sony. I found scripts from some of the studios he worked at. His last job was at the Wilshire tours working the graveyard shift. Which he loved. He did a walk through a few times a night but had most of the evening to sit at his security booth and read, cut obits out of the paper and plan his next cemetery visits. Even up to his death he knew where the famous were buried. He asked me about Joan Rivers only weeks before his death. Where you think she’ll go?
Roger's hobby of finding where the stars are buried made him known to his friends as "The Godfather of Graving." He attended celebrity and famous funerals. If he could get in. And visited many famous graves all around the US and the world.
Roger was an expert on old Hollywood History and loved telling his stories. One of his favorite hobbies was casino's. Las Vegas or a good ole Indian casino and won everytime.
He was my friend and family to me and my family and loved by all.
He purchased his Forest Lawn Memorical Park property in 1984 at the Great Mausoleum and he is now with all the famous that he visited. Including Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor. He was placed above actress Hermione Gingold on January 24, 2015. He will live in our hearts forever as "Our Godfather of Graving."
As a young teen his mother Nellie passed away and his father returned him to Boy’s Town in Omaha, Nebraska, run by Father Flanagan (yes that Father Flanagan from the movie Boy's Town.) That was 1945, baptized by Father Flanagan under the name of “Roy Leon Paul Peter Lauffer.”
Roger graduated from high school at Boy’s Town in 1949.
In March 1952 a family petitioned the court for adoption.
So on March 11, 1952 at the age of 20 Roy became Roger Wayne Peterson to adoptive parents James and Ruth Peterson. Roger had told me this family was somehow related to the Lauffer family but he didn’t know how.
He was raised in Nebraska and lived in Chicago and San Francisco and then Los Angeles. He had friends all over the place and had quit a social life to boot. He worked in the movie industry as many who lived in LA or Hollywood do. He was an extra (in the cop scene) in “The Laughing Policeman.” He helped with some film history on some films too.
Roger worked as a security guard for many years. Universal Studios and Sony. I found scripts from some of the studios he worked at. His last job was at the Wilshire tours working the graveyard shift. Which he loved. He did a walk through a few times a night but had most of the evening to sit at his security booth and read, cut obits out of the paper and plan his next cemetery visits. Even up to his death he knew where the famous were buried. He asked me about Joan Rivers only weeks before his death. Where you think she’ll go?
Roger's hobby of finding where the stars are buried made him known to his friends as "The Godfather of Graving." He attended celebrity and famous funerals. If he could get in. And visited many famous graves all around the US and the world.
Roger was an expert on old Hollywood History and loved telling his stories. One of his favorite hobbies was casino's. Las Vegas or a good ole Indian casino and won everytime.
He was my friend and family to me and my family and loved by all.
He purchased his Forest Lawn Memorical Park property in 1984 at the Great Mausoleum and he is now with all the famous that he visited. Including Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor. He was placed above actress Hermione Gingold on January 24, 2015. He will live in our hearts forever as "Our Godfather of Graving."
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Godfather of Graving, Beloved Friend
