beck

Ruth Everett Beck was the wife of Army aviator Paul W. Beck. Sadly, both she and her husband would die at an early age. Mrs. Beck dying in July 1921, and her husband shot to death under very questionable circumstances less than a year later in April 1922, at the hands of Judge Jean P. Day in Oklahoma City. A coroner's inquest jury absolved Judge Day of any guilt in Paul Beck's violent death, stating Judge Day killed Beck "in the course of protecting his home and his wife's honor." See: query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60613FB355810738... Mrs. Beck (and the circumstances surrounding Paul Beck's shooting) is described here: www.arlingtoncemetery.net/pwbeck.htm She was a suffragette, mother, and author, writing "The Heart of the Filipino," "The Trail" and several stories about American Indians. Ruth Beck's ashes were interred with her husband's body at Arlington National Cemetary (Section S - Ext Site - Lot 1602).

Another angle:

Likely the wife of Martin Beck (July 31, 1868 – November 16, 1940). Beck was a "vaudeville theatre owner and manager, and theatrical booking agent, who founded the Orpheum Circuit, and built the Palace and Martin Beck Theatres in New York City's Broadway Theatre District." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Beck_(vaudeville) The Omaha daily bee., March 24, 1921, Page 5, col. 2 reported that Beck, accompanied by his wife sailed for London for an extended tour of the European continent, including Paris and Rome, in search ot novelties to be booked on the circuit in America. chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn99021999/1921-03-24/ed-... He sailed on the Aquitania, s. The Rock Island Argus and daily union., March 22, 1921, Page 9, col. 3 chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn92053933/1921-03-22/ed-...

The photo was likely taken on April 30, 1921, when she returned from Europe on the Aquitania, together with Mrs. Wendell Phillips (depicted in a photo nearby), s. New-York tribune., May 01, 1921, Page 12, col. 1 chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1921-05-01/ed-...

Thanks B-59 for all the pieces to put it together. Thank goodness for the Aquitania hint with these related photos, we've been able to find out a lot about these passengers!