A Wonderful Munchkin from Oz

Illustration by Mike Gorman

He was an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan. He came down to Jupiter every year to watch them train for the new season. And while he was here, he never failed to entertain the crowd with his yarns about Judy Garland, the Wizard of Oz, and even Al Capone - whom he said he was asked to sing for as a young boy in Chicago.

News yesterday that Mickey Carroll, one the last surviving munchkins from the Wizard of Oz, died in his sleep at 89-years-old.

Photo by Jennifer Silverberg, Riverfront Times

Carroll in 2007

Which stories were true and which were embellishments isn't important - that is one of those benefits afforded the few who outlive the other participants of history.

Meeting him is one of those odd moments in life that I'll never forget. Carroll was one of those fantastic trivia questions come to life, and he embraced it. "You make one movie your whole life, and it happens to be a hit," he joked. "Go figure."