Judy Garland Museum® - Judy: Just the Facts

To Place An Order Use our Secure Ordering Site or
Call Us Toll-Free at:
1-800-664-JUDY (5839)
(Telephone answering machine 24 hours a day)

email questions to: jgarland@uslink.net

Gumm Family Facts

Frank A. Gumm tipping his hat in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, circa 1920-21.
Photo by Helen Marr Jurgenson.
Photo courtesy of Robert Milne.

Judy's Father:
Frank Gumm

Originally from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Frank Gumm was born on March 20, 1886.
Sang and performed in theatres. Had a beautiful tenor voice.
Managed theatres in Deer River, Coleraine, and Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
Grand Rapids, MN, theatre was the New Grand.
Frank was the social reporter for the Itasca County Independent newspaper.
He served as the choral director for the Episcopal Church, and volunteered as a local firefighter.
Judy adored her father, and she remembered him singing "Danny Boy" to her each evening at bedtime.
Frank Gumm died on November 17, 1935 -- when Judy was 13 years old.

Wednesday evening was "amateur night" at the New Grand, featuring local and visiting singers and dancers. The Gumms started this tradition soon after their arrival in 1914. Their favorite slogan at the theatre was "It pleases us to please you!"

Judy's Mother:
Ethel Marion (Milne) Gumm

Born in Marquette, Michigan on November 17, 1893, Ethel grew up in the town of Michigamme, MI. She moved to the Duluth, MN / Superior, WI area around 1910 at about age 17.
Married Frank Gumm on January 22, 1914.
Played piano at the movie theatre in Grand Rapids.
Organized the first style shows in Grand Rapids.
Was very social and hosted many gatherings in her home.
Ethel died on January 5, 1953.

Ethel and Frank were avid bridge players. Ethel was adored by her husband, who introduced her to the audience prior to each show at the New Grand.

Photo by Eric Enstrom, Bovey, MN.
(c) Sid Luft. All Rights Reserved.

The Gumm sisters - Mary Jane, Dorothy Virginia and Frances Ethel

Judy's Sisters:
Mary Jane Gumm
Dorothy Virginia Gumm

Mary Jane (aka Suzanne or Sue Garland):

Oldest sister; seven years older than Judy. Born September 24, 1915.
First married musician Lee Kahn; second marriage to conductor Jack Cathcart; no children.
Settled in Las Vegas, NV.
Died in May, 1964.

Dorothy Virginia (aka Jimmie Garland):

Middle sister, five years older than Judy. Born July 4, 1917.
First married musician Bobby Sherwood, one daughter -- Judy's only niece, Judalein, named in honor of her aunt Judy; second marriage Johnny Thompson.
Settled in Dallas, TX.
Died in May, 1977.

At 7 pm each evening, when the Gumm's New Grand Theatre opened, the entire family often went to the silent movie house on Pokegama Avenue, one block north of the Mississippi River.

In the early Grand Rapids years, the two older Gumm sisters patterned themselves after the Duncan Sisters, Vivian and Rosetta, one of the reigning sister acts of the early 1920s.

Back to Judy: Just the Facts

Click on the ruby slippers to email John Kelsch
(Executive Director, Judy Garland Museum®)

Judy Garland Museum® & House
2727 US Highway 169 South
PO Box 724
Grand Rapids, MN 55744
Local phone: 218-327-9276
Toll free: 1-800-664-JUDY (5839)
Fax: (218) 326-1934
Web Site: www.judygarlandmuseum.com

Judy Garland Museum® is a non-profit, educational organization. All contributions are fully tax deductible to the extent provided by law.