I just learned about "The Flying Wards". For YEARS there has been a story of my
Great-Great Grandmother being in the circus in or around Colorado near the turn
of the century. We know her name is Mamie (or possibly Mayme), but don't much
more about her than that. We have a surname of O'Hara or O'Herron, but really
there is so much information missing, that might even be incorrect. We do
believe she was born around the later end of the 1800's (assuming 1860's). Does
anyone have ANY idea what Mamie's birthdate was? Or does anyone know if "Ward"
was a stage name? Did she marry or could she have had a maiden name if she
married? |
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
From Cindy Davis
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Cindy: There is extensive history on Mayme (the usual spelling) Ward. Seek to enlist the aid of department head Maureen Brunsdale and assistant Mark Schmitt of the Milner Library's Special Collections and Rare Book Department of the Illinois State University. Steve Gossard is a recognized authority on the people who evolved the flying trapeze history of Bloomington, Illinois, and has written extensively on them. Contact him at 10 Siesta Court, Bloomington IL 81784. Look further in the index of the CHS journal, BANDWAGON. Mayme Ward was an icon among circus women. Enjoy your research.
I'm sorry we didn't have people jump in here with recollections of Ms Ward.
I met her there in Baraboo but didn't really know her and so have no personal memories to enter here.
Cindy, There were many who knew you great great grandmother but they are dropping off too.
I can give you a few facts that might help. Mayme Ward died Jan 10, 1973 at 78 years of age. Born in Oshkosh, orphaned at ten, went to live with a cousin whose husband had the Hines-Kimball troupe. She and her cousin Jennie Rooney were billed as the Kimball sisters.
She debuted on the 1905 Van Amburgh show, On Norris and Rowe 1908-09, Sparks 1910, Forepaugh-Sells in 1911.
In 1912 she married Eddie Ward of the Ringling show, played Europe in 1913 and in 1914 with Hagenbeck-Wallace. She and her husband were both injured and her husband's sister Jennie Ward Todd was killed in the famous Hagenbeck-Wallace train wreck in 1918.
They played fair dates in 1919-1920 and in 1921 went to the John Robinson show, there through 1923, then to Sells-Floto 1924 through 1928. They trained many flyers in Bloomington, IL in the off-seasons.
She and Eddie were with Robinson again in 1929 but also had an act on Hagenbeck-Wallace. Eddie died May 8, 1929 and Mayme soon took his place as catcher in the act. They were with Sells-Floto 1930-1931 and with Al G Barnes in 1932.
She never flew again after that year but worked in various wardrobe departments, coming to the Circus World Museum in 1963.
She was survived by sons Eddie and Harold and daughter Genevieve Tharp. Her funeral was in Sarasota and burial in Bloomington.
This info all came from an obit published at the time of her death.
Dear Cindy,
I'm delighted that you are taking an interest in your family's history and The Wards!! Let me take this opportunity to share some information we have learned about Mayme: As mentioned in an earlier comment, she was born November 24, 1894 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and was orphaned when she was 10 years old. Based on information gleaned from Ancestry.com, I believe her mother's name was Nina Smith Harvey. (Nina later married Luke Atherton. This becomes important later.)
Mayme became part of the Hines-Kimball Troupe shortly after she was orphaned, performing with her cousin, Jenny Kimball (later Rooney).
Mayme Harvey married Edward W. Ward on June 24, 1912 - yes, 102 years ago yesterday! - in Detroit, Michigan. (On the marriage license, her name is listed as Maime Harvey and she lists her hometown as Black Creek, Wisconsin.) I've posted a photo on Facebook of a postcard Eddie sent to his mother, Fannie, showing the courthouse where they were wed.
After Eddie died in the spring of 1929, Mayme married circus musician and bandleader Vic Robbins. After the dissolution of this marriage, she wed Melvin Smith, manager of Salley Rand. That marriage ended in 1940. To my knowledge, she never married again.
Doing research on Mayme will return lots of names. We have found records relating to her as Maime Fay Harvey, Mayme Fay Kimball, Mayme Fay Harvey-Atherton... the list goes on and on. To date, I've not seen her noted as an O'Hara or an O'Herron....
We here in Special Collections at Illinois State University take pride in sharing the history of circus performers - especially those who once called this community home. Steve Gossard wrote a wonderful history of trapeze (and those who performed on it) titled "A Reckless Era of Aerial Performance, the Evolution of Trapeze." Mark Schmitt and I authored "The Bloomington-Normal Circus Legacy, the Golden Age of Aerialists." Both might be helpful to you in your research.
Additionally, let me extend an invitation to come visit us! We have a wealth of information which may interest you. If a visit isn't impossible, please consider reaching out to us via a phone call or an email - we would love to hear from you! Our homepage with all our contact information is here: http://library.illinoisstate.edu/special-collection/.
Good luck on your journey, Cindy. I hope you find the research as exciting as we do! Please let me know if you believe we can help.
All my best,
Maureen.
Post a Comment