The man who's face is on the Cream of Wheat box. White was born in Barbados in 1867, immigrated to the U.S. in 1875 then became a citizen in 1890. White had been photographed in a Chicago restaurant while working there as a chef in the late 1800's, however his name was never recorded, and it is doubtful that he ever recieved any compensation for the photograph. Not many details about his life are known except that he traveled a lot and spent the final twenty years of his life in Leslie, Michigan with no one but the small town's 2,000 citizen's knowing about his famous likeness. When Frank L. White passed away in 1938, a simple white marker was placed on his grave bearing no name. In June of 2007 a rose granite stone bearing his likeness in upper left hand corner was placed on the grave after a fund raising campaign led by a family researcher.∼
Cream of Wheat Man Gets Grave Marker
AP
LESLIE, Mich. (June 15) - A man widely believed to be the model for the smiling chef on Cream of Wheat boxes finally has a grave marker bearing his name.
A Delayed Tribute
Frank L. White died in 1938, and until this week, his grave in Woodlawn Cemetery bore only a tiny concrete marker with no name.
On Wednesday, a granite gravestone was placed at his burial site. It bears his name and an etching taken from the man depicted on the Cream of Wheat box.
Jesse Lasorda, a family researcher from Lansing, started the campaign to put the marker and etching on White's grave.
"Everybody deserves a headstone," Lasorda told the Lansing State Journal. He discovered that White was born about 1867 in Barbados, came to the U.S. in 1875 and became a citizen in 1890.
When White died Feb. 15, 1938, the Leslie Local-Republican described him as a "famous chef" who "posed for an advertisement of a well-known breakfast food."
White lived in Leslie for about the last 20 years of his life, and the story of his posing for the Cream of Wheat picture was known in the city of 2,000 located between Jackson and Lansing and about 70 miles west of Detroit.
The chef was photographed about 1900 while working in a Chicago restaurant. His name was not recorded. White was a chef, traveled a lot, was about the right age and told neighbors that he was the Cream of Wheat model, the Jackson Citizen Patriot said.
Long owned by Kraft Foods Inc., the Cream of Wheat brand was sold this year to B&G Foods Inc.
Cream of Wheat Man Gets Grave Marker
AP
LESLIE, Mich. (June 15) - A man widely believed to be the model for the smiling chef on Cream of Wheat boxes finally has a grave marker bearing his name.
A Delayed Tribute
Frank L. White died in 1938, and until this week, his grave in Woodlawn Cemetery bore only a tiny concrete marker with no name.
On Wednesday, a granite gravestone was placed at his burial site. It bears his name and an etching taken from the man depicted on the Cream of Wheat box.
Jesse Lasorda, a family researcher from Lansing, started the campaign to put the marker and etching on White's grave.
"Everybody deserves a headstone," Lasorda told the Lansing State Journal. He discovered that White was born about 1867 in Barbados, came to the U.S. in 1875 and became a citizen in 1890.
When White died Feb. 15, 1938, the Leslie Local-Republican described him as a "famous chef" who "posed for an advertisement of a well-known breakfast food."
White lived in Leslie for about the last 20 years of his life, and the story of his posing for the Cream of Wheat picture was known in the city of 2,000 located between Jackson and Lansing and about 70 miles west of Detroit.
The chef was photographed about 1900 while working in a Chicago restaurant. His name was not recorded. White was a chef, traveled a lot, was about the right age and told neighbors that he was the Cream of Wheat model, the Jackson Citizen Patriot said.
Long owned by Kraft Foods Inc., the Cream of Wheat brand was sold this year to B&G Foods Inc.
The man who's face is on the Cream of Wheat box. White was born in Barbados in 1867, immigrated to the U.S. in 1875 then became a citizen in 1890. White had been photographed in a Chicago restaurant while working there as a chef in the late 1800's, however his name was never recorded, and it is doubtful that he ever recieved any compensation for the photograph. Not many details about his life are known except that he traveled a lot and spent the final twenty years of his life in Leslie, Michigan with no one but the small town's 2,000 citizen's knowing about his famous likeness. When Frank L. White passed away in 1938, a simple white marker was placed on his grave bearing no name. In June of 2007 a rose granite stone bearing his likeness in upper left hand corner was placed on the grave after a fund raising campaign led by a family researcher.∼
Cream of Wheat Man Gets Grave Marker
AP
LESLIE, Mich. (June 15) - A man widely believed to be the model for the smiling chef on Cream of Wheat boxes finally has a grave marker bearing his name.
A Delayed Tribute
Frank L. White died in 1938, and until this week, his grave in Woodlawn Cemetery bore only a tiny concrete marker with no name.
On Wednesday, a granite gravestone was placed at his burial site. It bears his name and an etching taken from the man depicted on the Cream of Wheat box.
Jesse Lasorda, a family researcher from Lansing, started the campaign to put the marker and etching on White's grave.
"Everybody deserves a headstone," Lasorda told the Lansing State Journal. He discovered that White was born about 1867 in Barbados, came to the U.S. in 1875 and became a citizen in 1890.
When White died Feb. 15, 1938, the Leslie Local-Republican described him as a "famous chef" who "posed for an advertisement of a well-known breakfast food."
White lived in Leslie for about the last 20 years of his life, and the story of his posing for the Cream of Wheat picture was known in the city of 2,000 located between Jackson and Lansing and about 70 miles west of Detroit.
The chef was photographed about 1900 while working in a Chicago restaurant. His name was not recorded. White was a chef, traveled a lot, was about the right age and told neighbors that he was the Cream of Wheat model, the Jackson Citizen Patriot said.
Long owned by Kraft Foods Inc., the Cream of Wheat brand was sold this year to B&G Foods Inc.
Cream of Wheat Man Gets Grave Marker
AP
LESLIE, Mich. (June 15) - A man widely believed to be the model for the smiling chef on Cream of Wheat boxes finally has a grave marker bearing his name.
A Delayed Tribute
Frank L. White died in 1938, and until this week, his grave in Woodlawn Cemetery bore only a tiny concrete marker with no name.
On Wednesday, a granite gravestone was placed at his burial site. It bears his name and an etching taken from the man depicted on the Cream of Wheat box.
Jesse Lasorda, a family researcher from Lansing, started the campaign to put the marker and etching on White's grave.
"Everybody deserves a headstone," Lasorda told the Lansing State Journal. He discovered that White was born about 1867 in Barbados, came to the U.S. in 1875 and became a citizen in 1890.
When White died Feb. 15, 1938, the Leslie Local-Republican described him as a "famous chef" who "posed for an advertisement of a well-known breakfast food."
White lived in Leslie for about the last 20 years of his life, and the story of his posing for the Cream of Wheat picture was known in the city of 2,000 located between Jackson and Lansing and about 70 miles west of Detroit.
The chef was photographed about 1900 while working in a Chicago restaurant. His name was not recorded. White was a chef, traveled a lot, was about the right age and told neighbors that he was the Cream of Wheat model, the Jackson Citizen Patriot said.
Long owned by Kraft Foods Inc., the Cream of Wheat brand was sold this year to B&G Foods Inc.
