John Wayne had seven children, but he was buried in privacy, and his burial wasn’t marked for 20 years

Thanks to his successful career, John Wayne rose to become one of the most famous movie stars in history. The “True Grit” actor started off in a completely different field of employment before becoming the biggest cinematic star of his generation.

John Wayne was not only a well-known movie star but also a renowned family man. He had seven kids from three different marriages. And it turns out that John Wayne was one of the outliers, as several actors’ children may remember not having their mother or father around when they were young.

Several of his children have made public comments about him since his terrible death, exposing the truth for everyone to read.

Actually, John Wayne was not born John Wayne. The well-known performer was really born Marion Morrison on May 26, 1907 in Winterset, Iowa. His first “name change” happened when he was a small child, all because of the Airedale [Terrier] dog named Duke that his parents, Clyde and Mary, owned.

John Wayne starred in The Shootist in 1976. In the end, it was his final movie, and in the years after its release, the actor’s health rapidly deteriorated. His daughter Aissa admitted that she found it difficult to watch.

Wayne had lost a lot of life in earlier motion pictures. But The Shootist was different for Aissa.

In the book John Wayne: My Father, Aissa stated, “In this movie, he was dying of cancer, and it was really unsettling.

“If not quite a family curse, the threat of cancer had never completely vanished for us. Since my Uncle Bob had passed away from cancer by the time of The Shootist, I have constantly lived in worry that my father will develop the sickness as well. I believe my father had similar concerns when he wrote The Shootist, even though his cancer would not be discovered for another two years.

John Wayne’s voice was failing him by 1978, and he was unable to perform. He did his utmost to conceal the fact that his cancer had returned. John Wayne, who was 79, passed away on June 11, 1979. His stomach cancer was the official cause of death, according to History.com.

Doctors determined that the actor was too frail to start chemotherapy and experimental treatment when the cancer was found.

At UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, John Wayne passed away. He passed away while being surrounded by family and spent his final days drifting in and out of consciousness, according to Outsider.

Although John Wayne is frequently portrayed as a big, dangerous Western character and a role model for men, he also had a tender side.

When Wayne passed away, his daughter Aissa was in his bed. He gave her some lovely last words when she clutched his father’s hand and inquired about his knowledge of who she was.

“I am aware of who you are, of course. I love you, girl. Aissa recalls her father telling her, “I love you.”

In Newport Beach, California’s Pacific View Memorial Park Cemetery, Wayne was laid to rest. Though the precise location was kept a secret for many years, it is situated on a hillside with a stunning ocean view.

His grave’s location was unknown for many years, according to an article in the LA Times. Fans couldn’t attend his burial because of security measures, so his final farewell remained a private event. His burial went 20 years without a marker.