Schlitzie was a man with microcephaly, a condition that causes a sloping head and smaller brain. In addition to being featured in the cult film Freaks, Schlitzie was enormously successful in sideshows, working in all the biggest circuses of the day. Reportedly, Schlitzie loved performing, which he did up until his death at age 70.
Initially buried in an unmarked grave, in 2009 fans collected money for a grave marker.