Are there any famous people from St. Francis?
The voice of the famous Jolly Green Giant was a man known as Len Dresslar. Born Elmer Dresslar, Jr., in St. Francis in 1925, he is famous for pronouncing the booming “Ho, Ho, Ho,” of the Green Giant. Although he enjoyed a long career in music, Dresslar began by serving in the U.S. Navy in WWII. After he finished his time, he studied voice at the Kansas City Conservatory of Music. He spent several years acting in the Midwest before moving to New York City, where he appeared on Broadway and joined the national touring company of South Pacific. At 28, he settled in Chicago, where he was part of the cast of WBBM’s series “In Town Tonight.” Dresslar also did some work in ad jingles and voice-over spots, which would turn out to be the most profitable part of his career.
