Marie led a full life. She was very active in her community as an accomplished painter, classical and dramatic dancer.
She was 5 when her father died and just 6 when her mother died. Her life was difficult after her parents died. Her older brother William attempted to keep the family together for a year. Authorities eventually decided the children needed conventional homes. Mary was taken to live with a Reverand Long of Marshalltown in 1887. The Cheville farm was kept running and provided income for Mary as she grew older.
Preparations were made for Mary to live with her older brother William after he married, they were building a life in Nebraska. William was anxious to have Mary move in with him. However, William came down with scarlet fever and died before Mary could make the trip.
A reverend and his wife in Marshalltown became foster parents to Mary. In the mid-1890s she lived with her sister Martha Dozier, and her husband. She was a very pretty and talented girl. According to her niece, Mabel "Pat" Cheville Ringler, she attended dancing school and became a toe dancer, someone who dances barefoot. There are several newspaper articles and advertisements of "Marie Cheville, vaudeville's prettiest classic dancer and perfectly formed woman".
Marie's life has long been a mystery in the family. Since those that knew her have died without passing on any further information, only bits of unsubstantiated lore remain. It is known she danced for a living until age made it difficult and then she painted and sold miniature paintings, some earned her upwards of $100 per painting.
It was during WWII that Pat and her father Hezzie (Marie's brother) left one May for a visit with Marie. They found her living in her own little home together with 25 or 30 cats and a number of dogs. Pat remembered that it was often hard to find an unoccupied seat and Marie felt the cats were more entitled than Pat or Hezzie. They ate and slept with the cats for 2 weeks before they were able to get a bus going home to Iowa.
As she grew older, and her looks began to suffer, Mary had a hard time earning money. She wrote her brother George, from time to time, asking for help, but his wife Charlotte bitterly objected to sending her money. Mary was an animal hoarder. Her childhood had been lonely and sad. She was deeply affected by the lack of family as she grew up. She gave her cats what she didn't have when she was growing up.
Mary had no family with her at the end of her life. Marie's death occurred in the Crenshaw Nursing Home in Los Angeles. It was several weeks after her death that she was buried. No one in the family knew she had passed away and no one claimed her body. She was buried by the county.
Her death certificate says she was never married, however a newspaper article in the San Francisco Call, Nov. 15, 1902 reports that Marie married Romeo Wallace on Oct. 4, 1902. Marie filed for divorce a few weeks later, accusing her husband with having treated her in a manner that has caused her great mental suffering and she feared for her life. A judge granted her divorce on Nov. 29, 1902. They were married less than 2 months.
_______________________________________________
M Cheville gave most of this history to family members, and shared the photos.
She was 5 when her father died and just 6 when her mother died. Her life was difficult after her parents died. Her older brother William attempted to keep the family together for a year. Authorities eventually decided the children needed conventional homes. Mary was taken to live with a Reverand Long of Marshalltown in 1887. The Cheville farm was kept running and provided income for Mary as she grew older.
Preparations were made for Mary to live with her older brother William after he married, they were building a life in Nebraska. William was anxious to have Mary move in with him. However, William came down with scarlet fever and died before Mary could make the trip.
A reverend and his wife in Marshalltown became foster parents to Mary. In the mid-1890s she lived with her sister Martha Dozier, and her husband. She was a very pretty and talented girl. According to her niece, Mabel "Pat" Cheville Ringler, she attended dancing school and became a toe dancer, someone who dances barefoot. There are several newspaper articles and advertisements of "Marie Cheville, vaudeville's prettiest classic dancer and perfectly formed woman".
Marie's life has long been a mystery in the family. Since those that knew her have died without passing on any further information, only bits of unsubstantiated lore remain. It is known she danced for a living until age made it difficult and then she painted and sold miniature paintings, some earned her upwards of $100 per painting.
It was during WWII that Pat and her father Hezzie (Marie's brother) left one May for a visit with Marie. They found her living in her own little home together with 25 or 30 cats and a number of dogs. Pat remembered that it was often hard to find an unoccupied seat and Marie felt the cats were more entitled than Pat or Hezzie. They ate and slept with the cats for 2 weeks before they were able to get a bus going home to Iowa.
As she grew older, and her looks began to suffer, Mary had a hard time earning money. She wrote her brother George, from time to time, asking for help, but his wife Charlotte bitterly objected to sending her money. Mary was an animal hoarder. Her childhood had been lonely and sad. She was deeply affected by the lack of family as she grew up. She gave her cats what she didn't have when she was growing up.
Mary had no family with her at the end of her life. Marie's death occurred in the Crenshaw Nursing Home in Los Angeles. It was several weeks after her death that she was buried. No one in the family knew she had passed away and no one claimed her body. She was buried by the county.
Her death certificate says she was never married, however a newspaper article in the San Francisco Call, Nov. 15, 1902 reports that Marie married Romeo Wallace on Oct. 4, 1902. Marie filed for divorce a few weeks later, accusing her husband with having treated her in a manner that has caused her great mental suffering and she feared for her life. A judge granted her divorce on Nov. 29, 1902. They were married less than 2 months.
_______________________________________________
M Cheville gave most of this history to family members, and shared the photos.
Marie led a full life. She was very active in her community as an accomplished painter, classical and dramatic dancer.
She was 5 when her father died and just 6 when her mother died. Her life was difficult after her parents died. Her older brother William attempted to keep the family together for a year. Authorities eventually decided the children needed conventional homes. Mary was taken to live with a Reverand Long of Marshalltown in 1887. The Cheville farm was kept running and provided income for Mary as she grew older.
Preparations were made for Mary to live with her older brother William after he married, they were building a life in Nebraska. William was anxious to have Mary move in with him. However, William came down with scarlet fever and died before Mary could make the trip.
A reverend and his wife in Marshalltown became foster parents to Mary. In the mid-1890s she lived with her sister Martha Dozier, and her husband. She was a very pretty and talented girl. According to her niece, Mabel "Pat" Cheville Ringler, she attended dancing school and became a toe dancer, someone who dances barefoot. There are several newspaper articles and advertisements of "Marie Cheville, vaudeville's prettiest classic dancer and perfectly formed woman".
Marie's life has long been a mystery in the family. Since those that knew her have died without passing on any further information, only bits of unsubstantiated lore remain. It is known she danced for a living until age made it difficult and then she painted and sold miniature paintings, some earned her upwards of $100 per painting.
It was during WWII that Pat and her father Hezzie (Marie's brother) left one May for a visit with Marie. They found her living in her own little home together with 25 or 30 cats and a number of dogs. Pat remembered that it was often hard to find an unoccupied seat and Marie felt the cats were more entitled than Pat or Hezzie. They ate and slept with the cats for 2 weeks before they were able to get a bus going home to Iowa.
As she grew older, and her looks began to suffer, Mary had a hard time earning money. She wrote her brother George, from time to time, asking for help, but his wife Charlotte bitterly objected to sending her money. Mary was an animal hoarder. Her childhood had been lonely and sad. She was deeply affected by the lack of family as she grew up. She gave her cats what she didn't have when she was growing up.
Mary had no family with her at the end of her life. Marie's death occurred in the Crenshaw Nursing Home in Los Angeles. It was several weeks after her death that she was buried. No one in the family knew she had passed away and no one claimed her body. She was buried by the county.
Her death certificate says she was never married, however a newspaper article in the San Francisco Call, Nov. 15, 1902 reports that Marie married Romeo Wallace on Oct. 4, 1902. Marie filed for divorce a few weeks later, accusing her husband with having treated her in a manner that has caused her great mental suffering and she feared for her life. A judge granted her divorce on Nov. 29, 1902. They were married less than 2 months.
_______________________________________________
M Cheville gave most of this history to family members, and shared the photos.
She was 5 when her father died and just 6 when her mother died. Her life was difficult after her parents died. Her older brother William attempted to keep the family together for a year. Authorities eventually decided the children needed conventional homes. Mary was taken to live with a Reverand Long of Marshalltown in 1887. The Cheville farm was kept running and provided income for Mary as she grew older.
Preparations were made for Mary to live with her older brother William after he married, they were building a life in Nebraska. William was anxious to have Mary move in with him. However, William came down with scarlet fever and died before Mary could make the trip.
A reverend and his wife in Marshalltown became foster parents to Mary. In the mid-1890s she lived with her sister Martha Dozier, and her husband. She was a very pretty and talented girl. According to her niece, Mabel "Pat" Cheville Ringler, she attended dancing school and became a toe dancer, someone who dances barefoot. There are several newspaper articles and advertisements of "Marie Cheville, vaudeville's prettiest classic dancer and perfectly formed woman".
Marie's life has long been a mystery in the family. Since those that knew her have died without passing on any further information, only bits of unsubstantiated lore remain. It is known she danced for a living until age made it difficult and then she painted and sold miniature paintings, some earned her upwards of $100 per painting.
It was during WWII that Pat and her father Hezzie (Marie's brother) left one May for a visit with Marie. They found her living in her own little home together with 25 or 30 cats and a number of dogs. Pat remembered that it was often hard to find an unoccupied seat and Marie felt the cats were more entitled than Pat or Hezzie. They ate and slept with the cats for 2 weeks before they were able to get a bus going home to Iowa.
As she grew older, and her looks began to suffer, Mary had a hard time earning money. She wrote her brother George, from time to time, asking for help, but his wife Charlotte bitterly objected to sending her money. Mary was an animal hoarder. Her childhood had been lonely and sad. She was deeply affected by the lack of family as she grew up. She gave her cats what she didn't have when she was growing up.
Mary had no family with her at the end of her life. Marie's death occurred in the Crenshaw Nursing Home in Los Angeles. It was several weeks after her death that she was buried. No one in the family knew she had passed away and no one claimed her body. She was buried by the county.
Her death certificate says she was never married, however a newspaper article in the San Francisco Call, Nov. 15, 1902 reports that Marie married Romeo Wallace on Oct. 4, 1902. Marie filed for divorce a few weeks later, accusing her husband with having treated her in a manner that has caused her great mental suffering and she feared for her life. A judge granted her divorce on Nov. 29, 1902. They were married less than 2 months.
_______________________________________________
M Cheville gave most of this history to family members, and shared the photos.
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