Where are the Remains of Ernie Banks?

Where are the remains of Ernie Banks?  It’s a simple question, really.

According to one of his closest friends, the Chicago Cubs legend had one wish for after his death…he wanted his remains scattered at Wrigley Field.

It’s a no-brainer of a request. And if you think about it…it makes perfect sense.

I mean, this is a guy who, during his 19 years in the Majors called one ballpark home and it’s that very one that sits on the corner of Clark and Addison. Of his 512 career home runs, Banks hit 290 of them at Wrigley Field…more than anyone else. Ever. Plus, Banks is so much associated with the team that for the better part of his life, he was known simply as “Mr. Cub”.

And do I even need to mention the statue out front?

So, why aren’t the remains of one of baseball’s most storied franchises scattered across the field of the planet’s most iconic baseball stadiums if this is what he wanted?

Because.

Nothing is that easy.

When Banks died on January 23, 2015, he was in the process of divorcing his fourth wife Elizabeth, and, if you ask her, her estranged husband desired to be buried…not cremated. And according to court records, Elizabeth has even gone as far to file a petition to prevent Regina Rice (the aforementioned “friend”) from having the Hall of Famer cremated.

Ugh.

So, where is the body of Banks now? It’s not clear.

If you listen to Howard Goldman, the attorney for Elizabeth, Banks is buried at Graceland Cemetery, just blocks from Wrigley Field. But if that’s the case…it is news to the folks at the cemetery. According to the manager of the funeral home that handled the lifetime Cub’s service…Banks’ remains are no longer at his facility.

Alright, so what’s next?

Supposedly there’s a “Last Will and Testament” out there appoints Rice as the executor of Banks’ will, but, naturally, Elizabeth Banks is contesting the validity of that document.

Stay tuned.