WORLD'S GREATEST WOMAN JUGGLER

SELMA BRAATZ, 89, WAS LAID TO REST SATURDAY, AUGUST 4

Your editor first learned of the death of Selma Braatz from Homer Stack while in San Francisco. My first day back In New York City was spent trying to learn further details.

Selma Braatz had been retired for some 35 years after a 35-year juggling career that began when she was 18. As she probably just celebrated her 89th birthday on June 30th she was probably born in 1884. She was very active in IJA for many years, but her name was dropped from the rolls in 1970.

I went to the address listed In the 1969 IJA Roster. I walked the few steps past the RKO Coliseum Theatre on Broadway, where she may have performed, to find her name still listed In the building directory. Mr. Dunlap, the building superintendent handed me a slip of paper from which I copied the following:

Mrs. Selma Blecher-Braetz Apt. 60

Cooks Funeral Home 117 West 72 St

Sat. the 4th of Aug. 1973 8am to 10:30am

The funeral home refused to give me any Information, not even the date on which she died.

A copy boy at the offices of Variety informed me that no one there had ever heard of a Selma Braatz and that neither the New York Times nor Variety carried her obituary.

THE LATE JOE LAURIE, JR., OF Variety, WROTE IN HIS CLASSIC WORK (Vaudeville, New York: Holt, 1953 --page 24):

Selma Brattz (sic) was the greatest of the lady jugglers; she did stuff that only men were supposed to do.

IRONICALLY - VIOLET BEHAN HAD WRITTEN: (July 22)

Had a nice note from Selma Braatz who was once the world's greatest woman juggler, she says she is 89 years old now, living alone in a New York apartment,  taking care well as can be expected.

CHARTER MEMBER, ERIC JOHNSON, PASSED AWAY FRIDAY, JULY 13

VIOLET BEHAN WRITES:  (JULY 15)

I was advised that IJA member Eric Johnson of Flint , Michigan, passed away late Friday, July 13th. His niece, Marie Johnson advised me.

Eric was one of the Charter members of IJA.

Eric worked for General Motors for many years until he retired, but his hobby was juggling and balancing. He was a good friend of Harry Lind, my step-father. He was not married.