The last surviving Wizard of Oz munchkin passes away

This is really, really sad news. Remember the Munchkins from "The Wizard of Oz"? The last surviving Munchkin actor from that movie just passed away.

ST. LOUIS — Mickey Carroll, one of the last surviving Munchkins from the 1939 beloved film "The Wizard of Oz," died Thursday. He was 89.

His caretaker, Linda Dodge, said Carroll died in his sleep at her home in suburban Crestwood. He had heart problems and received a pacemaker in February. Until January, he had lived in his own home in suburban Bel-Nor.

Carroll was one of more than 100 adults and children who were recruited to play the movie natives of what author L. Frank Baum called Munchkin Country in his 1900 book "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz."

I'm just thinking to myself "Who the heck was keeping track of the last surviving munchkin from Wizard of Oz?" but Carroll had a pretty full life and even campaigned for FDR and Truman. He was also heavily involved in charitable causes and was certainly a very important person.

In other words, he didn't go Danny Banaduce on us.