John Wayne's Granddaughter Shows off Baby after She Kept Secret of Grandpa's Unmarked Grave Location for 19 Years

Legendary actor John Wayne has died, and his family kept his grave hidden for almost 20 years.
Now, his granddaughter has given birth to his great-grandchild, whom she showed off on social media.
John Wayne divided his fortune among his seven children before his death.

John Wayne, also known as The Duke, was one of the most iconic western actors of his time. His name is still synonymous with gunfights and the Wild West. John has a slew of movies to his name, most notably 1970’s “True Grit,” the film that won John his Oscar.

Sadly, in 1976, the Hollywood legend was diagnosed with lung cancer. He struggled with the disease for three years, eventually succumbing to it in 1979. The Wayne family celebrated the 43rd anniversary of the star’s death in June 2022.

John Wayne in a publicity photo, 1941 | Source: Getty Images

At first, the family refused to build a shrine or even mark the film star’s grave. However, they decided to add a small plaque to mark the grave 20 years later. Although John wanted the words “Feo, Fuerte y Formal” on his grave, the family decided to go with:

“Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It’s perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we’ve learned something from yesterday.”

Portrait photo of John Wayne, 1960 | Source: Getty Images

The family made a statement to explain why they decided to leave the grave unmarked at first. The decision stemmed from a desire for privacy. The Waynes didn’t want hordes of fans disturbing the grave, and those of the people buried next to the actor.

John Wayne’s Granddaughter Introduces His Fans to His Great-Grandbaby

John left an extensive family behind. Notably, the actor has a granddaughter trying to live up to the famous Wayne name. Jennifer Wayne is in the entertainment industry as well, except she prefers music instead of movies.

Interestingly, John was always forward-thinking and stipulated exactly how his estate should be divided among his offspring.

Jennifer made a name for herself with the band Runaway June and has since expanded her horizons to include a number of creative tasks. As the granddaughter of the western legend, she has admitted to being slightly daunted by his legacy:

“I know my grandfather being John Wayne is awesome and opens a lot of doors, but you almost have more pressure once those doors are open. But it’s a positive experience. You want to make him proud and you want to fill his shoes in a way.”

Jennifer is also keeping the family name alive by giving her granddad a great-grandchild. The musician shared a photo of her with the little Lily Maria Moody and her husband, Austin Moody, on a trip to the beach. Little Lily could be seen grinning widely over her mom’s shoulder, and Jennifer captioned the post:

“We have been a sick household but we finally got to enjoy the sunset. @jordandavisofficial says it best… what my world spins around.”

Jennifer and Austin welcomed their firstborn on April 18, 2022. To mark her daughter’s birth, Jennifer posted a series of photos of the little one to Instagram, with a caption explaining just how much the little girl means to her.

How Did John Wayne Divide His Fortune among seven Children?

Jennifer’s new daughter is merely one among the many children and grandchildren the Wayne family can brag about. John left seven children behind after his death, and many of them went on to have kids of their own.

It’s easy to assume that the division of the actor’s $6.8 million estate may have caused some family bickering after his death. Interestingly, John was always forward-thinking and stipulated exactly how his estate should be divided among his offspring.

Each one of John’s seven kids was entitled to $5000, multiplied by the difference between the age of 21 and their age when John passed away. To his two secretaries, Mary St. John and Pat Stacy, he left $10 000 and $30 000, respectively. His third wife was left out of the will but was provided for in the separation agreement.

Besides the money, the western actor also had a charming California home. John settled down in Newport Beach after living on a sizeable ranch in Encino. The actor spoke about his choice to move before his death, saying he bought a home at the perfect time.

John bought a property before the area became popular and settled down with his family. After he moved in, there was a spike in interest in the area, and property prices started soaring. These days, John‘s modest home is worth much more than he paid for it.

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