(Source of image: Photo taken by and copyright by Website Manager, JacksonvilleStory.com)

A tragedy blighted the family tree of a prominent performer from Northeast Florida:  Her grandfather had been shot dead in nearby Baker County.  The victim's final resting place is in Jacksonville's Evergreen Cemetery.

Hailing from Baker County, Judy Canova made a big splash with her raucous hillbilly act during the Forties & and Fifties.  She delighted both movie and radio audiences.  "The Queen of Corn" got her show biz start on the radio station WJAX when her family resided in the River City.  Perhaps Ms. Canova used to visit the tombstone of her grandfather, George P. Canova.  The photo above was taken at his Evergreen gravesite, where two re-enactors sit in a mock-up of a buckboard wagon seat.  Their fascinating portrayal even included the sound effect of gunshots.

George Canova had been driving a wagon at the time of his death.  As he returned from a Mormon Church meeting south of Sanderson, cowardly ambushers fired at him.  His companion escaped with his life, but Mr. Canova wasn’t so lucky. 

A few months before, Mr. Canova had been threatened with an anonymous letter from “A Committee of Eight.”  The group resented his support of the traveling missionaries sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It appears, therefore, that Mr. Canova had been targeted because he was a Mormon.  In spite of the offering of rewards, no one was ever formally charged or convicted for his slaying. The hate crime went unsolved.

At the time of the murder, Mr. Canova was a prominent man.  He may’ve been the wealthiest person in Baker County, and he was also serving as the chairman of the Baker County Board of Commissioners.  His widow’s name was Diana, which is the name that Judy Canova passed along to one of her daughters.  Diana Canova later followed in the entertainment footsteps of her mother, becoming best known for her role in the old TV comedy “Soap.”

Contact the Website Manager

           -- Suggestions?  Comments?  Broken links?  Need research assistance?

  THANK YOU...  

       FOR VISITING THE JACKSONVILLE STORY,

        YOUR TIME MACHINE TO THE PAST