(This story was originally written and recorded for Retrocast 42, released on June 3, 2026.)

One could say that Robert Ogden Wright was a planner. Born on October 15, 1883, in Paris, Kentucky, he would spend the last 40 years of his life in Shelbyville, Indiana. It was there that he started his own baking business, and his “Bob’s Cookies” were a favorite of all the locals.

But Bob had a bit of a dark cloud hanging over his head. During his latter years, he developed diabetes. While certainly not the death sentence that it was prior to the invention of injectable insulin, diabetes treatment was still in its infancy, and Bob suffered.

As I said, Bob was a planner and wished to make sure that his death went as smoothly as possible and that every last detail had been taken care of.

After an article appeared in the August 3, 1940, edition of the Indianapolis Star, Bob’s unusual end-of-life preparations made him a bit of a minor hometown celebrity. The story spread across the nation, appearing in newspapers, magazines, and even a trip to New York City to appear on the radio.

What Bob had done was to prepare his crypt at the Temple Hill Mausoleum with all of the trappings of home.

It’s not that Bob believed that he would come back to life after his death, but one needs to be prepared. You know, just in case it did happen.

His crypt measured roughly 2-1/2 feet wide (76 cm) x 2 feet high (61 cm) x 8 feet (244 cm) deep, and, according to the Indianapolis Star, “Its walls are painted a brilliant Chinese red, Wright’s favorite color. A bright rug has been placed on the floor. The crypt contains a mattress-cot six inches (15.2 cm) high. The cot is covered with a red-and-white tapestry spread and has a red pillow at the head. Along one wall, beside the bed, is a small rack holding a red-and-white towel, a mirror, a glass shelf upon which rests a vase of artificial flowers, a corncob pipe and tobacco, and two brandy glasses.

“There is a small radio in the crypt, a clock and numerous other articles, including a cake of soap, cigarettes, cigars, matches, and a comb. There are candles near the foot of the crypt.”

The one thing missing in all of this: how he was going to get out if he did come back to life…

After his passing on February 26, 1942, at 58 years of age, his obituary in the Indianapolis News stated that he was survived by his widow, and two daughters – all unnamed – and his son, Bruce Wright, who was in the United States Coast Guard in Brooklyn, and had been a star player on the Shelbyville High School basketball team.

Clearly, a different time when the author of the obituary didn’t feel the need to mention the names of any of the women, so I’ll fill them in for you.

His wife was the former Goldie Pearl Wilson, and his two daughters were Virginia Oden Wright and Mary Jane Wright.