Did You Know Michigan Is Home To The Only Town To Hold A Funeral For 30,000 Pizzas?

Here's the thing - every state within the continental U.S. has weird facts buried deep within their history. Michigan is no different. Some of my favorite fun facts involve weird or bizarre findings. For instance, did you know Michigan is home to the world's largest weathervane, located in Montague? How cool is that! But we have another fun fact that takes things to an even weirder level. The tiny Michigan town of Ossineke had an unusual funeral back in the 1970s that made the history books. Here is everything we know.

On March 5, 1973, the quaint town of Ossineke, Michigan, witnessed an event that would make record books for years to come.

Hundreds of residents gathered at a local farm to witness a burial unlike any other. A local grocery store closed so that employees could attend and even Michigan Governor William G. Milliken made an appearance to pay his respects!

But the funeral wasn’t for anyone of prominence or a beloved local figure. Instead, it was a strange ceremony to say goodbye to nearly 30,000 frozen pizzas that were suspected of contamination of deadly toxins.

It all started with the discovery of swollen mushroom tins two months earlier at Ohio's United Canning Company.

After some FDA testing, it was confirmed that botulism was present in the tins, which prompted concerns with the company’s mushroom clientele, including frozen-pizza maker Mario Fabbrini.

Fabbrini tested two mice who consumed his pizza, who unfortunately did not survive. This prompted the pizza maker to recall his products, estimating a loss of $60,000.

Wanting to salvage something from the catastrophic situation, Fabbrini decided to offer up a grand gesture to the discarded pizzas by orchestrating a funeral.

With a procession of pick-up trucks filled to the brim with botulism-tainted mushroom pizzas, each box was dumped into an 18-foot pit as onlookers paid their respects.

Fabbrini adorned the grave with colorful flower garland - red gladioli to signify sauce and white carnations for cheese. He also offers fresh, mushroom-free pizza to all those who attended.

But the kicker of it all - testing later of the two mice revealed they hadn’t actually passed from botulism at all, but rather peritonitis, an inflammation of the abdomen. So it’s unknown whether or not the mice did in fact succumb to a pizza-related death.

Fabbrini went on to sue United Canning, winning $250,000, but his business failed to recover. The company was sold in the early 1980s, and the funeral went down in history books as one of the most bizarre tales ever told.

So, did you know Michigan is home to the only town to hold a funeral for 30,000 pizzas? What an interesting claim to fame! Here are some more unique Michigan facts to keep you entertained.

Also, if you want to bone up on other fun facts, take a look at these offerings from Uncommon Goods!