Edna Wilma Simons was an American vaudeville dancer and light opera star of the 1920s who turned into a successful businesswoman. By 1950, she owned and operated a chain of 19 theaters in the western United States. The Wilma Theatre in Missoula, Montana, is named after her.[1]Wilma Simons died in 1954, at the age of 59. [2]
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Edna Wilma was born in Collinsville, Kentucky in 1895. She met her first husband, William A. Simons, while performing in one of his shows in Idaho. The couple married in 1921, just after Simons had completed construction on his newest Montana theater. He named it The Wilma after his bride. Following the wedding, the Simonses traveled the Northwest, putting on Wild West shows as a way to bring a rugged Montana culture to the cities of Idaho and Oregon. They built a home in Wallace, Idaho, where they lived until Simons died on March 27, 1937.
After her husband's death, Wilma Simons moved back to Missoula. In addition to managing her business ventures, she continued singing and performing there, holding large parties and events in the spacious dining room of the Wilma.[3] On Nov. 3, 1950, she married her second husband, Edward Sharp, who was nearly 21 years younger than she. They wedded in New York City's historic Little Church Around The Corner[4] The couple traveled around New York to gather decoration ideas for remodeling the Wilma Theatre. First on their list was the creation of the Chapel of the Dove, a mirror image of the chapel where their wedding had taken place. [5]
Near the end of her life, Wilma Simons Sharp still was an active member of the community, volunteering for Red Cross, staying an avid member of the Episcopal Church and serving on numerous bond and relief drives.[6] She died in her Wilma apartment on July 25, 1954, leaving the business to Sharp and hefty contributions to the Shodair Children's Hospital in Helena, Montana.[7]
Edna Wilma began her career as a light opera singer in Kentucky. Around 1910, she and her sister Edith started touring together. The Wilma Sisters were a hit, earning top billing on the Vaudeville circuit.[8] They were a common act at the Tavern Cafe in Missoula's Wilma Theater, performing a variety of light operas, musical comedies and folklore. Later, Wilma started a solo career, starring in Wild West shows across the northwestern United States.
After her first husband's death in 1937, Wilma Simons became president and treasurer of the William A. Simons Amusement Co. At the time, the company included a chain of ten theaters across Montana, Idaho and Alaska. For the sum of $150,000, Wilma Simons constructed a large theater in Wallace, Idaho that she dedicated to William A. Simons' memory. She persevered and thrived through the depression and war years, building a total of nine new theaters. A shrewd businesswoman, she also purchased the Daily Meat Co., as well as several ranches where she raised livestock. [9]
In honor of her accomplishments, Wilma Theatre owner Edward Sharp added a plaque with a star to the building. "May Edna Wilma's life live on through this star, and may her accomplishments for Northwestern Theatre never be forgotten. She will be surely missed," he declared. [10]