Voting Station

Lawrence Joseph Bader

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Oddity

The Resume

    (December 2, 1926-September 16, 1966)
    Born in United States
    Amnesiac
    Cookware salesman from Akron, Ohio
    Disappeared during a fishing trip, then re-emerged as John 'Fritz' Johnson in Omaha

Why he might be annoying:

    He was a married man with three children and another on the way, but was in debt.
    Despite storm warnings, he decided to go fishing on Lake Erie on March 15, 1957. The next day, his rented boat was found, but he was missing.
    Four days later, John 'Fritz' Johnson arrived in Omaha, Nebraska.
    Within days, Fritz Johnson had a job as a bartender, and soon charmed his way into a radio announcer position before winding up as the sports director for KETV in Omaha.
    Johnson fell in love with a local woman, married her and adopted her daughter. They eventually had a son of their own.
    Johnson suffered from a brain tumor, and his eye was removed. He wore an eye patch, which only boosted his popularity and his image.
    Fritz Johnson also had a talent for archery, which Lawrence Bader did, as well.
    While displaying archery equipment in Chicago, a family friend identified him, and asked him, 'Aren't you Larry Bader, who died eight years ago?' Johnson denied it, and when the argument persisted, Johnson offered to have his fingerprints taken--and they were identical to Bader's.
    Johnson/Bader soon became a national story, including an article in Life Magazine.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was forced to annul his second marriage, and met with his first wife, despite having no memory of her.
    Because he was accused of faking his death and being an adulterer (despite his claims that he had no memory of being Lawrence Bader), he lost his job at KETV, and was back to being a bartender.
    He was analyzed for over ten days, and doctors agreed that he was suffering from amnesia.
    He was persecuted and hounded by the media, who declared he was a fraud.
    His brain tumor returned, and killed him. His funeral was in Omaha as Fritz Johnson, but he was buried in Ohio as Lawrence Bader.
    Because of his death, his mystery remains unsolved.

Credit: BrotherGrem


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Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 155 Votes: 65.16% Annoying