Almost Famous...

[Blue J]

Wow, your family goes way back in Dayton! I remember Salt Walther well. I was starting high school in the mid 70's :codger: and the guy next to me in English, Jim, was totally interested in racing since his dad was a local short track guy. Salt Walther was Jim's idol and he used to give me lots of information about him, including how horrific that Indy 500 crash was and how long he was in the hospital; I felt so bad for Salt and remember those talks still today. It's a small world . . .

 

Small world indeed- did you grow up nearby?

 

Salt just passed away at the end of 2012- he was 65 years old. There is a Wikipedia page for him, which unfortunately details his subsequent drug problems and legal troubles as much as anything else. He was quite a firebrand in his younger days, but I knew him to be a genial and humble (if still troubled) man.

 

Your friend Jim would be gobsmacked at all of the newspaper articles and memorabilia and so forth that I have on Salt. And that's all thanks to my grandmother, the dancer, who was quite a documentarian of all things family. I was the beneficiary of all kinds of stuff that was up in my uncle's attic; he just died a few years ago, and I now have boxes and boxes full of my grandmother's scrapbooks and photo albums, as well as about forty hours or so of 8mm and 16mm film that she shot, from the 1950s to the early '80s.

[blueschica]

Wow, your family goes way back in Dayton! I remember Salt Walther well. I was starting high school in the mid 70's :codger: and the guy next to me in English, Jim, was totally interested in racing since his dad was a local short track guy. Salt Walther was Jim's idol and he used to give me lots of information about him, including how horrific that Indy 500 crash was and how long he was in the hospital; I felt so bad for Salt and remember those talks still today. It's a small world . . .

 

Small world indeed- did you grow up nearby?

 

Salt just passed away at the end of 2012- he was 65 years old. There is a Wikipedia page for him, which unfortunately details his subsequent drug problems and legal troubles as much as anything else. He was quite a firebrand in his younger days, but I knew him to be a genial and humble (if still troubled) man.

 

Your friend Jim would be gobsmacked at all of the newspaper articles and memorabilia and so forth that I have on Salt. And that's all thanks to my grandmother, the dancer, who was quite a documentarian of all things family. I was the beneficiary of all kinds of stuff that was up in my uncle's attic; he just died a few years ago, and I now have boxes and boxes full of my grandmother's scrapbooks and photo albums, as well as about forty hours or so of 8mm and 16mm film that she shot, from the 1950s to the early '80s.

 

I grew up not too far from Ohio; in the North Hills area of Pittsburgh. Two of my kids just finished college recently in central Ohio, it is a beautiful area. I was sorry to hear that Salt did have some legal troubles; I didn't realize that until later when I asked my husband one time what happened to him. It seems like he had a lot of racing talent; it is cool that you knew him just as a person. How great that you are saving all of the scrapbooks and film! That is something my husband and I really regret, we didn't save all of my in laws photos. We had to clean out his parents' house in 2 days after his parents passed and my father in law was an avid shutterbug- photos everywhere! My husband got overtired and started pitching some just to get through it, what can you do? We still have a lot, and like you, have many reels of 8mm film! I keep thinking I will take it to a service that will put it on DVD but I don't know what it costs or what the movies are! :D :D

[Xanadoood]

My great grandfather, George Walther Sr., developed and patented the first successful steel wheel that was ever used on a truck, in 1914. He had emigrated to the United States from Germany in 1892, and started the Dayton Steel Foundry in 1905.

 

His first customer for the steel truck wheel was the U.S. Army, in 1915, and trucks with Dayton Steel wheels were widely used on military vehicles during World War I.

 

Dayton Steel became the largest manufacturer of cast steel truck wheels in the world.

 

George Sr. ceded operations of the company to his oldest son, my great uncle George (Jr.), who had business and racing in his blood. He (and the company) sponsored cars in the Indianapolis 500 for 25 consecutive years. George Jr's son, David (Salt) Walther, was one of my second cousins. Salt raced in the Indy 500 mainly in the 1970s, starting in 1972. In '73, he was the victim of arguably the worst crash in Indy 500 history that the driver lived through (I have to make that qualification, because later that day, in the nightmare that was the Indy 500 in 1973, another driver, Swede Savage, was killed). Even though parts of his body were severely burned, he was given the last rites twice, and he spent the next eight months in the hospital, Salt came back and raced again the following year. His best finish in the 500 was 9th, in 1976. Salt is still the only person in history to have raced in the Indy 500, the Daytona 500 (in 1977), and compete in unlimited hydroplane (boat racing).

 

Another one of my great uncles, Jacob (nicknamed Jep) Walther, played bass in Stan Kenton's Big Band in the early 1940s.

 

And my grandmother left home at age 16 to work as a traveling burlesque dancer. Some people in my family have told me she was a member of the Rockettes at one point, but I've never been able to verify that. (I do have a couple of scrapbooks full of photos and advertisements and programs from her performing days, but nothing to corroborate the Rockettes assertion).

 

How wide were their tongues?,

[goose]

Finally, a thread where namedropping is a good thing!

 

So...

 

My uncle left today for California to visit my great uncle, Stan Anderson. Cousin Stan is a character actor that's been working in the Business since 1967. He's one of those guys that you can't name, but might go "Ohhhh..." when you see him. This got me thinking about connections that TRFers might have with the (not so) Rich & Famous. Have at it. I'll start.

 

Here's Stan as Judge Vandalay on Seinfeld...

 

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/hmUX2bKruqM/maxresdefault.jpg

 

Stan as General Slocum in Spiderman...

 

http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTcxMTU5NTc4NF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDUzMzI2Mw@@._V1_SX640_SY720_.jpg

 

Stan as the President in Armageddon...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBEtmUdQRWE

Ah yes, in Spidey 1, Stan pressured Norman Osborne to speed up his human enhancement formula. So in a sense, your uncle/cousin is partly responsible for the creation of the Green Goblin!!!!

As a family we've never forgiven him for that.

 

 

Although, since he was partly behind Bruce Willis' saving of the planet, he's still invited to Thanksgiving.

He reminds me of the villain in Omega Man...actor Anthony Zerbe (had to look that up)

Haven't seen Omega Man in ages. Put it on the list for winter viewing.

Me neither but I remember him. Zerbe was also the baddie in that GEM of a film: Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park. ;)

That's right!

 

I KMTP.

[goose]

Glad to see the two Blues making a connection! Some great details about Salt's career...and the origins of the steel wheel company and the family getting into the racing business.

 

Thanks for those stories, BlueJ!

[Disembodied Spirit]

Oh FYI, Brush with greatness before they were greatness.

 

Coached Little League Baseball in 1989,90 and 91....

 

Coached against 1 team who had a really crappy shortstop, ...............Justin Timberlake.

[JohnnyBlaze]

Oh FYI, Brush with greatness before they were greatness.

 

Coached Little League Baseball in 1989,90 and 91....

 

Coached against 1 team who had a really crappy shortstop, ...............Justin Timberlake.

If his coach had been more competent, we all might've been spared Timberlake the singer and gotten Timberlake the crappy MLB shortstop instead !

;)

[goose]

Oh FYI, Brush with greatness before they were greatness.

 

Coached Little League Baseball in 1989,90 and 91....

 

Coached against 1 team who had a really crappy shortstop, ...............Justin Timberlake.

If his coach had been more competent, we all might've been spared Timberlake the singer and gotten Timberlake the crappy MLB shortstop instead !

;)

I can see,Justin the Short Stop now..."Bring it on down to Baseball Land!"

[x1yyz]

One of my aunts (who died just a few weeks ago) was the first woman to graduate from the University of Ottawa's in a non-traditional sector for women (Commerce).

 

One of my dad's first cousins was a world-champion rodeo rider and held the title for bull riding, and (I believe) bareback bronc riding as well.

[goose]

One of my aunts (who died just a few weeks ago) was the first woman to graduate from the University of Ottawa's in a non-traditional sector for women (Commerce).

 

One of my dad's first cousins was a world-champion rodeo rider and held the title for bull riding, and (I believe) bareback bronc riding as well.

Cool on both counts! Do you know the bronc rider's name?

[Lost In Xanadu]

Holy crap goose, you have a Grunkle Stan?

 

 

 

 

 

My grandmother's 2nd cousin was Mae West.

 

Also, locally... I once served Robin Yount at the Taco Bell drive thru - he even signed a take out bag for me. I still have it sealed with my baseball card collection.

 

Gorman Thomas passed out in our house after a poker game with my dad and some friends. Gorman was the brother-in-law of one of my dad's best friends.

[goose]

Holy crap goose, you have a Grunkle Stan?

 

 

 

 

 

My grandmother's 2nd cousin was Mae West.

 

Also, locally... I once served Robin Yount at the Taco Bell drive thru - he even signed a take out bag for me. I still have it sealed with my baseball card collection.

 

Gorman Thomas passed out in our house after a poker game with my dad and some friends. Gorman was the brother-in-law of one of my dad's best friends.

on that last part. And Mae West...yowza!

 

I'll see your Robin Yount at Taco Bell and raise you Martin Short in the mens riom at the Mirage Las Vegas. Me, star struck at the urinal. Didn't make for the most comfortable conversation!

[Lost In Xanadu]

Holy crap goose, you have a Grunkle Stan?

 

 

 

 

 

My grandmother's 2nd cousin was Mae West.

 

Also, locally... I once served Robin Yount at the Taco Bell drive thru - he even signed a take out bag for me. I still have it sealed with my baseball card collection.

 

Gorman Thomas passed out in our house after a poker game with my dad and some friends. Gorman was the brother-in-law of one of my dad's best friends.

on that last part. And Mae West...yowza!

 

I'll see your Robin Yount at Taco Bell and raise you Martin Short in the mens riom at the Mirage Las Vegas. Me, star struck at the urinal. Didn't make for the most comfortable conversation!

That makes me think of the urinal scene in InnerSpace... "Play with it pal, don't talk to it!"

[Blue J]

Holy crap goose, you have a Grunkle Stan?

 

 

 

 

 

My grandmother's 2nd cousin was Mae West.

 

Also, locally... I once served Robin Yount at the Taco Bell drive thru - he even signed a take out bag for me. I still have it sealed with my baseball card collection.

 

Gorman Thomas passed out in our house after a poker game with my dad and some friends. Gorman was the brother-in-law of one of my dad's best friends.

on that last part. And Mae West...yowza!

 

I'll see your Robin Yount at Taco Bell and raise you Martin Short in the mens riom at the Mirage Las Vegas. Me, star struck at the urinal. Didn't make for the most comfortable conversation!

 

Martin Short's brother was my civics teacher in my senior year of high school.

 

Oh, and Rob Lowe's father was my father's divorce lawyer, back in about 1980.

[x1yyz]

One of my aunts (who died just a few weeks ago) was the first woman to graduate from the University of Ottawa's in a non-traditional sector for women (Commerce).

 

One of my dad's first cousins was a world-champion rodeo rider and held the title for bull riding, and (I believe) bareback bronc riding as well.

Cool on both counts! Do you know the bronc rider's name?

 

Yes, he is Bill Nelson, and here he is on a saddle bronc:

http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/11/77/37/2619339/5/960x540.jpg

 

And here's a blurb about him, under 2009 Inductees: http://www.stpaulrodeo.com/entertainment/other/hall-of-fame.html

[Blue J]

Holy crap goose, you have a Grunkle Stan?

 

 

 

 

 

My grandmother's 2nd cousin was Mae West.

 

Also, locally... I once served Robin Yount at the Taco Bell drive thru - he even signed a take out bag for me. I still have it sealed with my baseball card collection.

 

Gorman Thomas passed out in our house after a poker game with my dad and some friends. Gorman was the brother-in-law of one of my dad's best friends.

on that last part. And Mae West...yowza!

 

I'll see your Robin Yount at Taco Bell and raise you Martin Short in the mens riom at the Mirage Las Vegas. Me, star struck at the urinal. Didn't make for the most comfortable conversation!

 

Martin Short's brother was my civics teacher in my senior year of high school.

 

Oh, and Rob Lowe's father was my father's divorce lawyer, back in about 1980.

 

Hahahaha!!!

 

I had to quote myself here because I goofed- it was Martin Sheen's brother, not Martin Short. My bad.

[goose]

Holy crap goose, you have a Grunkle Stan?

 

 

 

 

 

My grandmother's 2nd cousin was Mae West.

 

Also, locally... I once served Robin Yount at the Taco Bell drive thru - he even signed a take out bag for me. I still have it sealed with my baseball card collection.

 

Gorman Thomas passed out in our house after a poker game with my dad and some friends. Gorman was the brother-in-law of one of my dad's best friends.

on that last part. And Mae West...yowza!

 

I'll see your Robin Yount at Taco Bell and raise you Martin Short in the mens riom at the Mirage Las Vegas. Me, star struck at the urinal. Didn't make for the most comfortable conversation!

 

Martin Short's brother was my civics teacher in my senior year of high school.

 

Oh, and Rob Lowe's father was my father's divorce lawyer, back in about 1980.

It appears that you and I have long been connected by Six Degrees of Martin Short. Edited September 3, 2015 by goose

[goose]

Holy crap goose, you have a Grunkle Stan?

 

 

 

 

 

My grandmother's 2nd cousin was Mae West.

 

Also, locally... I once served Robin Yount at the Taco Bell drive thru - he even signed a take out bag for me. I still have it sealed with my baseball card collection.

 

Gorman Thomas passed out in our house after a poker game with my dad and some friends. Gorman was the brother-in-law of one of my dad's best friends.

on that last part. And Mae West...yowza!

 

I'll see your Robin Yount at Taco Bell and raise you Martin Short in the mens riom at the Mirage Las Vegas. Me, star struck at the urinal. Didn't make for the most comfortable conversation!

 

Martin Short's brother was my civics teacher in my senior year of high school.

 

Oh, and Rob Lowe's father was my father's divorce lawyer, back in about 1980.

 

Hahahaha!!!

 

I had to quote myself here because I goofed- it was Martin Sheen's brother, not Martin Short. My bad.

:laughing guy:

[Super25Smasher]

Holy crap goose, you have a Grunkle Stan?

That's exactly what came to mind when i read his post!