Los Angeles County
Biographies
ALLIE SIMMONS WHEELER
Talented
and versatile, Allie Simmons Wheeler, of Los Angeles, has achieved distinction
in every field in which her inclination have led her and is accounted one of
the California’s foremost women. On the
platform from childhood, she early participated in local theatricals but music
made stronger appeal to her than the drama and she prepared for concert and
oratorio work. She has been a soloist
for years and is widely recognized as a musician and vocalist of pronounced
ability. She early established her
position among professional singers and musicians of note and while still in
her teens became the wife of Professor Horace Simmons, at Galesburg, Illinois,
well known as a musician, concertist and director. For years Allie Simmons assisted her husband
as pianist for an orchestra of professional players, often directing the group
in concert work. In 1881, on account of
ill health, Professor and Mrs. Simmons came to Riverside, California. She is gifted not only in music but in
art. Her paintings in oil, her water
colors and pastels are rich in depth, color and scope, perfect in technique,
versatile in subject.
Well
informed on all matters of public moment and a recognized leader in civic
affairs, Allie Simmons Wheeler takes an active part in all municipal
affairs. Forceful and eloquent, she has
addressed many public gatherings, and received two medals for oratorical
work. At the time of the World war she
devoted much time and effort to the Los Angeles Council of Community Service,
doing effective work as a member of its board of trustees. A member of Wilshire Methodist Episcopal
Church, she has long been active in missionary work and was corresponding
secretary of Home Missionary Society, Los Angeles District. For years she was a teacher of a Bible class
of one hundred women in Riverside. She is a life member of the Foreign
Missionary Society. Ever an ardent
advocate of the cause of prohibition she became keenly interested in the
affairs of Women’s Christian Temperance Union and has filled every office in
the local organization and was county president for twelve years in Riverside County.
She was an executive of the California State W. C. T. U.; she served as
president of the City Federation for nine years, parliamentarian of The Los
Angeles Union, and state lecturer of the organization for two years. She is a life member of the National W. C. T.
U. In connection with the W. C. T U. Mrs.
Wheeler did considerable jail work and was city mother during the Cryer campaign. She is a member of the Prohibition State
Central Committee and for years was secretary of the southern California committee. She served as president of the Riverside
Woman’s City Club and is a member and formerly a director of the Los Angeles
Woman’s City Club; also a member and chairman of the law observance committee
of the California Women of the Golden West.
With Professor Simmons she toured California
in a singing campaign in support of prohibition. Her exceptional attainments won for her the
important post of state director of music and her services in that connection
proved so acceptable that they were retained for many years. Her keen, honest, outspoken, judgment, her
warm heart, her unlimited energy, her fearless nature, her vast sense of humor,
have won her success in her various endeavors.
She numbers her friends by the thousands and to friend and foe her “word
is a good as her bond.” Like all
strong-minded people who struggle for right and justice, she has her
enemies. No on man or woman who
earnestly champions the better things, the right things, goes through life
without offending the dishonest, unjust, evil person whom they may
encounter. It is to their credit that
this is true.
In 1914, a
number of years after the death of Professor Simmons his widow remarried,
becoming the wife of Frederick F. Wheeler, a prominent New
York banker, at one time indorsed by seventeen states as
prohibition candidate for the office of president of these United States. After removing to Los Angeles Mr. Wheeler, a
man of means, purchased and laid out the land known as Wheeler tract, with
retaining walls, curbs, sidewalks, center parkway, and lots on the west to Reno
street, east to LaFayette Park place and presented the whole to the city, the
fifth embodying the land from First street on the north nearly to Sixth street
on the south-to the board of the Andrews land.
For several years Mr. Wheeler served as president of the board of public
utilities. His death in 1917 brought
deep sorrow to his wife, who now resides at 212 South Reno Street, Los Angeles,
and to their daughter, Lily Fay, now the wife of Professor James W. Marsh, a
member of the faculty of the University
of California, Los Angeles.
Transcribed
By: Michele Y. Larsen on May 16, 2012.
Source: California
of the South Vol. II,
by John Steven McGroarty, Pages 405-407,
Clarke Publ., Chicago, Los Angeles,
Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2012 Michele
Y. Larsen.
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