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Betty Mae Downs Harris Wells

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Birth	:	26 May 1895 Harlan, Shelby County, Iowa, USA
Death	:	25 Nov 1971 Boone, Boone County, Iowa, USA
Burial	:	Linwood Park Cemetery, Boone, Boone County, USA
Coordinate	:	42.0550003, -93.8850021
Plot	:	G
Description	:	Information from a 1965 Boone newspaper article, courtesy of the Boone County Historical Society: A well-known teacher of dance, Betty Mae (Downs) Harris Wells came to Boone in October, 1929, to open a dance studio, and has been teaching for the past 36 years. Born in Harlan, Iowa, May 28, 1895, Betty Mae was one of the twin daughters of Rev. and Mrs. D.D. Downs. Her twin sister is Daisy Belle (Jack) Taylor of Menlo Park, CA. Betty Mae studied voice and music in Omaha, living with her brother and his family. The director of... Read More	Information from a 1965 Boone newspaper article, courtesy of the Boone County Historical Society: A well-known teacher of dance, Betty Mae (Downs) Harris Wells came to Boone in October, 1929, to open a dance studio, and has been teaching for the past 36 years. Born in Harlan, Iowa, May 28, 1895, Betty Mae was one of the twin daughters of Rev. and Mrs. D.D. Downs. Her twin sister is Daisy Belle (Jack) Taylor of Menlo Park, CA. Betty Mae studied voice and music in Omaha, living with her brother and his family. The director of a road show heard her sing at the Fontanelle Hotel in Omaha and engaged her to play the second singing lead in the allegorical play "Every Woman," which had a long run on Broadway, and was then playing at the Brandeis Theatre in Omaha. The part also called for dancing, and as Betty Mae had had dance training, she was further coached by the ballet mistress of the company. When the company reached the Curran Theatre in San Francisco, Betty Mae became first singer, the youngest member of the company. When the show went back to New York City, Betty Mae started work in both dance and voice, studying with ballet teachers Michael Fokine and Michael Mordkin. She rejoined the company for a tour of Europe, which was halted because of World War I. Returning to the States, Betty Mae went into Keith Orpheum vaudeville and toured the country in a singing act with three girls called "Rusticating," doing close harmony. She joined the Essanay Film Company and worked as an actress, singer, and dancer for several years, working with Charlie Chaplin, Tom Mix, Mary Pickford, and others. Later, Betty Mae was a member of the Ziegfeld Follies, working with Will Rogers, singers and recording artists Van and Schenck, and others during World War I. She also worked with the Liberty Theatre entertainment group (now known as the U.S.O.), with Fanny Brice, Sophie Tucker, and numerous others throughout the United States. After the war, Betty Mae worked in a movie with Douglas Fairbanks in Hawaii, and there learned to love the music and dances of Hawaii. While in her 20s, Betty Mae married Frank Harris, an executive in the film business. They lived in Europe for a year. After her husband's death, Betty Mae returned to Iowa to teach dancing, commuting from Des Moines. She began in Perry in 1927 and in Boone in 1929. She has continued her studies in all forms of dance, has attended national dance conventions, where she has been a faculty member, and has studied with great names in ballet, tap, and jazz. In 1940, Betty Mae was married to Lloyd Wells, well-known area band master. Betty Mae has given 37 evening shows at Woodward State Hospital, and at the Veterans Hospitals in Des Moines and Knoxville. During World War II, she took entertainment to army camps and has devoted much time to civic organizations and clubs. Betty Mae and Lloyd also took students to perform in the summers at county fairs in several nearby states. The show was called "On the Road with Mommy and Poppy." Since she moved from Des Moines in 1934, Betty Mae's studio has been located at 719 1/2 Story Street, with the apartment in the front part of the upstairs studio suite. In the past 30 years, Betty Mae has trained and graduated thousands of girls and boys. Many have started their own dance schools in the area. Betty Mae has a staff of young teachers to assist with the student work. The schools open October 1st and close with recitals in the second week of June. After closing, Betty Mae teaches at major dance associations. In 1938, she took an extended study tour to the South Seas and came home with the technique of the Tahitian Moral (New Zealand), Samoan, Philippine, Chinese, Korean, and Polynesian cultures. In the summer of 1940, she started teaching those dances to teachers throughout the United States and has become an authority on South Sea Island dances. She has conduced nine study tours to Hawaii and was on the international faculty of Dance Caravan, teaching Tahitian and Hawaiian dances in seven European countries. Mr. and Mrs. Wells are members of the First Baptist Church and both take an active part in community life. Betty Mae has been a member of the Dance Masters of America since 1966, is a life member and officer of Chicago National Association of Dance Masters, and a member of Dance Educators of America, serving on the faculty for many years. Submitted by Member Angela (#48520699), whose mother, Jo Ann, was a student and graduate of Betty Mae's.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Betty Mae Downs Harris Wells's memorial?
Betty Mae Downs Harris Wells's memorial is located at: Linwood Park Cemetery, Boone, Boone County, USA.
When did Betty Mae Downs Harris Wells death?
Betty Mae Downs Harris Wells death on 25 Nov 1971 in Boone, Boone County, Iowa, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Betty Mae Downs Harris Wells's memorial?
Latitude: 42.0550003
Longitude: -93.8850021

Family Members:

Parent

Rev David Dunham “D. D.” Downs

(1851 - 1923)

Clarissa Frances “Grace” Cox Downs

(1855 - 1947)

Spouse

Siblings

Luella Downs Patterson

(1873 - 1902)

(unknow - unknow)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Linwood Park Cemetery
Boone, Boone County, USA
Coordinate: 42.0550003, -93.8850021

2. Latham Cemetery
Boone, Boone County, USA
Coordinate: 42.0489006, -93.8878021

3. Biblical College Cemetery
Boone, Boone County, USA
Coordinate: 42.0456009, -93.9113998

4. Sacred Heart Cemetery
Boone, Boone County, USA
Coordinate: 42.0485992, -93.9163971

5. Boone Memorial Gardens Cemetery
Boone, Boone County, USA
Coordinate: 42.0449982, -93.9152985

6. Sarah Dinwoodie Cemetery
Worth Township, Boone County, USA
Coordinate: 42.0278000, -93.8697000

7. Rose Hill Cemetery
Boone, Boone County, USA
Coordinate: 42.0419006, -93.9408035

8. Bass Point Cemetery
Boone, Boone County, USA
Coordinate: 42.0992012, -93.8957977

9. Oakwood Cemetery
Moingona, Boone County, USA
Coordinate: 42.0219002, -93.9396973

10. Squire Boone Cemetery
Luther, Boone County, USA
Coordinate: 42.0032997, -93.8531036

11. Buckley Cemetery
Boone, Boone County, USA
Coordinate: 42.0999810, -93.9418960

12. Hollaway Cemetery
Moingona, Boone County, USA
Coordinate: 42.0138720, -93.9530080

13. Quincy Cemetery
Boone, Boone County, USA
Coordinate: 42.0074997, -93.9503021

14. Hickory Grove Cemetery
Boone County, USA
Coordinate: 42.1074982, -93.9507980

15. Bluff Creek Cemetery
Boone, Boone County, USA
Coordinate: 42.0774994, -93.9796982

16. Sparks Cemetery
Boone County, USA
Coordinate: 41.9728012, -93.9191971

17. Hull Cemetery
Luther, Boone County, USA
Coordinate: 41.9603004, -93.8664017

18. Leininger Cemetery
Boone County, USA
Coordinate: 42.1492004, -93.8356018

19. Pleasant Hill Cemetery
Boone, Boone County, USA
Coordinate: 41.9618988, -93.9492035

20. Boone County Poor Farm Cemetery
Boone County, USA
Coordinate: 42.1591100, -93.9159000

21. Schlicht Cemetery
Fraser, Boone County, USA
Coordinate: 42.1444200, -93.9780100

22. Mitchell Cemetery
Boone County, USA
Coordinate: 42.1208000, -93.7544022

23. Saint Johns Catholic Cemetery
Ogden, Boone County, USA
Coordinate: 42.0344000, -94.0407000

24. Olive Branch Cemetery
Boone County, USA
Coordinate: 42.0080986, -93.7369003