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JOHNNY WEISSMÜLLER’s CENTENARY [1904-1984]. CONTRIBUTIONS TO TARZAN’s TRUE STORY ^©

Celebrities are always surrounded by legends and Johnny WEISSMÜLLER, alias TARZAN, is not an exception. Due to his celebrity in the world of sports and films, already in 1983 Jacob STEIGERWALD¹ called him "the best known American -in fact, he is the best known person of all times originally from Banat!- descendant of the Danube Swabians". There are lots of stories and articles about him in the mass media and on the Internet, which, as a paradox, do not offer very accurate genealogical information.

 

Johnny’s Real Name: János or Johann?

   In Johnny WEISSMÜLLER’s official biography “Water, World and Weissmüller”, written in 1964 together with Narda ONYX², she said that Johnny’s family emigrated in 1904 and, "according to statistics, Johnny was born on 2.06.1904" in Windber, Pennsylvania, USA. The book also mentions the name of his parents: Peter WEISSMÜLLER & Elisabeth KERSCH. The 1910 US census for Chicago indicates that Johnny was born in “Hungary” in 1904.

   Before his death¹ [in 1984] it was already known the truth: Johnny WEISSMÜLLER was born on 2.06.1904 [on a Thursday] in the village of Freidorf³, in Temes Vármegye⁴, Banat. Beginning with 1951 the village became the Freidorf district of Timişoara City in Timiş County, Romania. He was baptized on Sunday, 5.06.1904, in the Roman-Catholic church Sanctus Rochus [Saint Roch] in Freidorf after the Holly Service and received the first name Johann. His godparents were Johann BORSTNER / PORSTHER, shoemaker & Catharina ZERBESZ. But the Freidorf vicar which performed the baptism, priest Vendelinus OCHSENFELD⁵, recorded the name in the church book as János due the law in force at that time. János is the Hungarian variant for the German first name Johann [John in English]. After the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy was set up [27.05.-8.06.1867], the magyarization process was strongly enforced -having ancient roots, going back to the beginning of the XIX century- and Law no. XLIV regarding "the equal rights of all nations" has been promulgated in 1868. Due to this law, Hungarian again became the official language in Banat and Transylvania. Toward the end of the XIX century, ~1880, and until the end of the First World War, Hungarian was the official language for records in the Roman-Catholic church books [until 1.10.1895 these were also used as civil status documents]. Between 1895 and 1919, the civil status registries were written exclusively in the Hungarian language⁶. Therefore, it is no wonder that Johnny’s “official” name found in the baptism church book at Freidorf parish or in the civil status register at Timişoara’s mayoralty is János!

   Some sources mention that Johnny’s original name is Peter Jonas. But Jonas is only an incorrect variant for the Hungarian János / Janos, which resulted due to a wrong deciphering of the name [seeing an “a” as an “o” and an “o” as an “a” !] found in the church book. Johnny’s nickname within the family was the German diminutive Hansi which is the equivalent of Johnny.

 

The Family

   Our own research [new] in the civil status registries of Freidorf [presently archived at the civil registration office in Timişoara’s Mayoralty] completed the known information about Johnny’s birth with other details: he was born at 6 p.m. in house no. 84⁷ in Freidorf. His father, Peter WEISSMÜLLER, who declared the birth in front of the civil registrar on 5.06.04., was an agricultural day-worker and his mother, Elisabeth KERSCH, a worker at the “Fabrica de Tutun” [i.e. tobacco factory] in Timişoara. His parents were married in Freidorf on 3.06.1903 and the marriage registry indicates that Peter WEISSMÜLLER was a widower born in Variaş⁸ on 16.12.1876 [the son of Michael WEISSMÜLLER & Barbara SZARTORIUS / SATORIUS], living in Freidorf, house no. 192. Elisabeth KERSCH was born on 1.12.1879 in Freidorf, the daughter of Conrad KERSCH & Elisabeth PICHER / BÜCHER. The KERSCH family was one of the oldest in Freidorf [village founded in 1723] having lived there since 1749. The PICHER / BÜCHER / BICHER / PÜCHER family also lived in Freidorf from 1769. Many of the secondary lines in the KERSCH family tree originated from the first colonists of Freidorf.

   Peter WEISMÜLLER’s first marriage [new] to Margareta MÜLLER [B 17.05.1877 in Freidorf, daughter of Josef MÜLLER & Elisabeth SCHERER] took place on 3.02.1901 in Freidorf. At that time Peter lived in house no. 62 in Freidorf and was a “tile worker”. Three children resulted from this first marriage [new]:

- János, B 21.12.1901, living in Freidorf house no. 191; the father is listed as an agricultural day-worker and the mother as a worker at the “Fabrica de Tutun” [tobacco factory] in Timişoara.

              D 29.01.1902, at 11½ a.m., living in Freidorf house no. 191, cause of death: gyermekaszály [i.e. high and continuous fever]; the father is listed as földmivelo napszamos /i.e. agricultural day-worker.

Thus, Johnny had an older half-brother with the same name, Johann!

- Anna*, B 16.12.1902, Freidorf house no. 192; the father is listed as “CF worker” /i.e. Tile Factory abbreviated in Hungarian.

               D 22.12.1902, living in Freidorf house no. 192, cause of death: koraszülöttség [i.e. premature birth].

- NN*, B / D 16.12.1902, living in Freidorf house no. 192 [Anna’s twin].

Margareta MÜLLER, Peter WEISSMÜLLER’s first wife, died [new] in Freidorf on 26.02.1903, in house no. 34 [the MÜLLER parental house]. She suffered from szervi szivbaj /i.e. heart disease. This is probably the reason why her children were born premature and did not survive.

   As one can observe, between 1901-’05, Peter WEISSMÜLLER lived, as a tenant, successively in at least 5 different houses in Freidorf: no. 62, 191, 192, 34, 84 and he was an agricultural day-worker or a tile-maker [day-worker] in one of the several small tile factories⁹ existing at that time in Freidorf or nearby.

   Many documents mention that the family was of Hungarian nationality¹⁰. Things are very clear in this respect. Peter WEISSMÜLLER and Elisabeth KERSCH were Banat Swabian’s [i.e. Schwaben], who did not even speak the Hungarian language [the registrar of the Freidorf’s Mayoralty made the following statement at Peter’s marriage with Elisabeth KERSCH: “because they do not understand Hungarian, the couple received explanations in German, the language which they do understand”] [new].

 

Ancestors

   Johnny’s father was the descendant of Johann Paul WEISSMÜLLER & Elisabeth METSCHANG; [Johnny’s gggg grand-parents], a family who emigrated at the middle of the XVIII century [~1754-‘55] from Harsberg, Pfalz, Germany to Kozma¹¹ [i.e. today Vérteskozma] in the Schildgebirge region of present day Hungary. It is thought that¹² Johann Paul WEISSMÜLLER was the son of Michael WEISSMÜLLER from Hundheim / Berglicht, Pfalz who became a burger of the German city of Kaiserslautern on 25.05.1707.

Peter WEISSMÜLLER was also the descendant of Johann WEISSMÜLLER & Magdalena RIEDER; [Johnny’s ggg grand-parents] who in 1790 settled in Grabaţ⁸, Banat.

In fact, there were two WEISSMÜLLER brothers and one sister who moved from Kozma to Grabaţ [new] in the spring / summer of 1790:

Michael

B 5.05.1754 in Harsberg, Pfalz, Germany

M 5.03.1782 in Kozma to Catharina HOCHBEIN [M2. 1.03.1791 in Kozma to Josef KINDL]

D 17.08.1790 in Grabaţ at 36 years old, and recorded as originally from “Moguntini” / i.e. Bistum Mainz / he had no descendants in the Banat.

Magdalena

B 1.02.1758 in Kozma, Fejer Varmegye, Hungary

M 17.02.1778 in Kozma to Johann KINDL

~1793 moved to Comloşul Mare⁸, Banat

D 16.12.1826 in Comloşul Mare / she had 14 children and 9 descendants in Banat.

Johann WEISSMÜLLER

B. 31.08.1749 in Harsberg, Pfalz, Germany

M.~1774-‘75 [??] in Hungary to Magdalena RIEDER

D. 6.02.1831 in Grabaţ [at 87 years old (B~1744), recorded as originally from “Sickingensi”/ i.e. Bezirksamt, Landstuhl, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany].

This Johann [Johnny’s ggg grand-father] had 10 children, 4 died in their childhood.

From Grabaţ the members of the WEISSMÜLLER family spread allover Banat¹³.

 

Johann’s grandson, Joseph WEISSMÜLLER [Johnny’s g grand-father], moved from Grabaţ to Variaş at the middle of the XIX century:

Joseph WEISSMÜLLER

B. 16.10.1806 in Grabaţ

M. 30.04.1826 in Grabaţ to Marianna [Maria Anna] METSANG / METSCHANG

~1852: Grabaţ → Variaş, Banat

D. 5.03.1857 in Variaş

 

His son, Michael [Johnny’s grand-father], together with most of the family [i.e. his wife Barbara SARTORIUS and 3 boys: Jacob, Peter, and Wilhelm], moved from Variaş to Freidorf in the 1890’s:

Michael WEISSMÜLLER

B. 7.12.1845 in Grabaţ

M. 17.02.1868 in Variaş to Barbara SARTORIUS / SATORIUS

~1889-‘97: Variaş → Freidorf, Banat [the exact date is not known]

D. 13.01.1915 at 2 a.m. in Freidorf

Only Michael & Barbara’s eldest son, Michael Jr., remained in Variaş, where he died on 14.10.1935.

Michael WEISSMÜLLER’s family had other 5 children [i.e.: Barbara, Adam, Elisabeth/Jacob’s twin, Elisabeth, Barbara], who died very young.

 

   The extended genealogy of the WEISSMÜLLER family in Banat [up to the first colonist in each line] include the following families [only in the main and secondary lines]:

▪ in Grabaţ: Henfreund; Metschang; Haslinger; Neurohr; Rostert / Roster

▪ in Giarmatha: Satorius / Sartorius / Szartorius; Krömin / Krämer

▪ in Periam: Satorius / Sartorius / Szartorius; Nauert; Bürger; Jost; Horas; Goetzinger / Gözinger

▪ in Variaş: Satorius / Sartorius / Szartorius; Kilburg; Reb(in)

▪ in Freidorf: Kersch / Kirsch / Kürsch; Picher / Pücher / Bicher / Bücher; Pöl; Maurer; Moll; Fridrich; Pabst / Popst / Babst; Röser / Reßer / Rözer; Till; Hetzer / Hözert / Hecer / Hezzer / Hezer; Gros; Zinner; Hetzer; Anthari / Antari / Andary

▪ in Săcălaz: Kafka / Kaffka / Kavka; Egler / Ögler; Goetzinger / Gözinger; Oberkirsch; Grosz / Groß; Kiefer

The possible relatives are encouraged to contact us for further clarifications and information. 

 

Emigration

   Peter WEISSMÜLLER’s family immigrated to the United States when Johnny was only 6 months old [according to Johnny WEISSMÜLLER Jr. & William REED's "Tarzan, My Father"¹⁶, it is quite possible that Peter WEISSMÜLLER Sr. visited USA already in 1897 but there is no evidence for this found so far and there are some strong proves again this assumption]. They travelled on the Holland-America Line, leaving Rotterdam on 14.01.1905 [this means they left Freidorf after Christmas/New Year]. The voyage aboard S.S. “Rotterdam” [the third ship with this name] lasted 12 days. The family arrived in New York on 26.01.1905 and they passed through Ellis Island. The S.S. Rotterdam’s log shows that the family was in possession of  $23 and 50 cents. Johnny is listed as Johann, 7 months old. The log also shows that the family intended to go directly to Windber, Pennsylvania, where they were to meet Johann OTT¹⁴, who had also paid for their transatlantic voyage [see the registry]. Johann OTT was Peter’s brother-in-law, married to Eva KERSCH, Elisabeth KERSCH WEISSMÜLLER’s elder sister.

   Peter WEISSMÜLLER worked as a miner in Windber, and a second son, Peter Weissmüller Jr., was born there on 3.09.1905. Peter Jr. was baptized on 5.11.1905 in the Saint John Cantius church. His Godparents were Johann OTT & Eva KERSCH OTT. In his teens, Peter became a lifeguard on the North Avenue Beach from Chicago and later a well-known stunt man in Hollywood.

   According to the 1910 US Census, the family settled in Chicago, Illinois in 1906, and they lived in a rented apartment at 1521 Cleveland Avenue North, apt. 104. Peter WEISSMÜLLER Sr. initially worked as a brewer, but later he became the manager of a brewery. Chicago’s different Directories mention him as a “laborer”. Toward the end of his life, he worked as a mechanic at the Harvester Co. in Chicago.

   Conrad KERSCH, Peter WEISSMÜLLER’s father-in-law, was already in the USA when the WEISSMÜLLER family emigrated, and in 1907 he lived at 29 Hudson Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. In 1910, Conrad Sr. lived next door to the WEISSMÜLLER family. He was working as a bricklayer. The given date of emigration was 1904, but the real date has not been found yet. It is quite possible that Conrad Sr. emigrated with Conrad Jr. in August 1904. The 1910 Census does not mention Conrad KERSCH’s wife, Elisabeth PICHER / BÜCHER, because she did not arrive until 1912 [new; see the registry]. According to S.S. America’s passenger registry, Elisabeth KERSCH, 58 years old [B~1854 (i.e. B 1.01.1854 in Freidorf), entered the USA together with Conrad KERSCH Jr., 26 years old [B~1886 (i.e. B 21.05.1886 in Freidorf)], hatter, who arrived in the USA in August 1904]. Conrad KERSCH Jr. was Elisabeth KERSCH WEISSMÜLLER’s brother. They arrived in Chicago after a voyage of 9 days, between 30.05.-8.06.1912, on the Cuxhaven, Germany - New York, USA route. Conrad KERSCH Sr., was living in Chicago, at 1521 Cleveland Avenue, and he paid for Elisabeth PICHER / BÜCHER voyage over the Atlantic Ocean.

   Johnny returned once to the Banat in his childhood [new]; Elisabeth KERSCH WEISSMÜLLER, together with her two boys, visited her mother in Freidorf in 1907. They returned to the USA the autumn of the same year. The log of the S.S. Blücher, a ship owned by the Hamburg-America Line, contains the following information [see the registry] regarding the voyage between 23.10.1907, Hamburg - 3/4.11.1907, New York: Erszebet WEISMÜLLER, 26 years old, housewife, able to read and write, travelling with two children: Janos, 3 years old and Peter, 2 years old.

   Also, Johnny’s father, Peter WEISSMÜLLER visited the Banat in 1909 [new]. He returned on S.S. Cincinnati of the Hamburg-America Line leaving Hamburg on 13.01.1910 and arriving to New York on 25.01.1910. Very strange; on the ship’s log is made a notation: “DEPORTED” ! Why? We can only guess. But it is clear that he managed to enter the Unites States after all because he was listed in the 1910 Census. Indeed, Peter WEISSMÜLLER Sr. returned to the USA after being deported in the spring of the same year. He arrived in New York on 6.03.1910 aboard the S.S. President Lincoln [formerly the Scotian] belonging to Hamburg America Line [see the registry's “first page” and “second page”] coming from Hamburg, Germany. The ship's passenger registry shows clearly that he was in USA previously only in 1905 and 1910; that his father Michael is living in Szabadfalu³, Temes Mege [correct, “Megye” /i.e. “county” in Hungarian language], Hungary; that his wife Elisabeth is living in Chicago, at 1521 Cleveland Avenue; and that he was born in Warjas⁸, Hungary. His trouble with the immigration's authorities will end only on 31.10.1910 when he returned to Ellis Island for an “inspection”.

This was the last known time when the members of this family visited the Banat. Only Conrad KERSCH Jr. and his family [wife and 2 children] visited Freidorf after the First World War.

 

The Myth

   In his autobiography Johnny described his family’s poverty during the second decade of the XX century and indicates that his father died around 1918 and he had to leave school in order to earn his family’s living. In fact, Peter WEISSMÜLLER died in Chicago on 17.07.1938, at the age of 62 [suffering from lung cancer], after abandoning his family [~1916-‘18] and remarrying -without divorcing?- for the third time, on 19.04.1925 in Chicago, with Anna [B 24.12.1880, Germanberg¹⁵, Romania; widow of Louis RANKE / Ludovic RANK]. In fact, this "Germanberg" is Németh [i.e. Beregsãul-Mic / Beregsãul-nemtesc / Klein-Beregsau / Beregszónémeti / Nemet / Nemeth (“Németh” in Hungarian language means “German”), at ~10km SE from Cãrpinis / Gyertyamos / Gertianosch in Banat]. Anna was born here in Németh on 24.12.1880 as daughter of Michael KRÄMER (originally from Cãrpinis, barber in Németh) & Magdalena FISCHER (from Iecea Micã / Kleinjetscha / Kisjecsa) and was baptized in Cãrpinis’s Roman Catholic church. Her birth was registered in the Cãrpinis parish’s church records. Her parents M 23.08.1878 in Iecea Micã. Michael KRÄMER, here originally from Németh, had 36 years [B~1852] being the widower of Catharina HOLZ. Magdalena FISCHER, born on 25.08.1854 in Iecea Micã, was the daughter of Josef & Magdalena SCHERER. After Anna’s birth, the family will move to Iecea Micã where the family will have other children [3 girls]. Probably after 1890 the family will immigrate to Unites States.

   In the same period, Johnny started to swim seriously¹⁶. He and his brother learned to swim on the public beaches of Chicago and later they enrolled at the YMCA, so that they were able to swim during the winter months as well. Here, Johnny started to take part in swimming contests. According to his biography, he competed for the first time in a swimming team at Stanton Park Pool in Chicago and he later started to compete in junior contests within the YMCA. He proved to be a potential swimming champion and was invited to become a member of the Illinois Athletic Club. William BACHRACH was his trainer and in short time he won all amateur contests and he was chosen to represent the United States at the Olympic Games in Paris in 1924.

   At this moment of his life, a part of the Johnny WEISSMÜLLER myth¹⁷ was born. In his autobiography, as well as in most of the official documents, Johnny’s birthplace was Windber, Pennsylvania and his official name was John Peter. When Johnny started to take part in swimming contests, Peter WEISSMÜLLER Sr. no longer lived with the family. He had begun the procedure for obtaining American citizenship in 1910 but never finalized it, so that in 1924 Elisabeth KERSCH WEISSMÜLLER and her children were not yet American citizens. In order to represent the United States at the Olympic Games, Johnny had to possess an American passport and he solved this problem by using the birth certificate of his brother Peter. From this moment, Johnny started to be known officially as Peter John WEISSMÜLLER, and his brother’s birthplace, Windber Pennsylvania, became his official birthplace for the rest of his life. According¹⁶to Johnny WEISSMÜLLER's son, Johnny took over his brother Peter's identity by using his baptism record with the permission of his parents and his brother. Peter WEISSMÜLLER Jr. assumed his new identity, as a child immigrant to the USA, and was later naturalized.

   It is very interesting that Johnny never said publicly that he was born in Freidorf. He kept saying that he was born in Windber, Pennsylvania. Even his children¹⁶ did not know until after his death that their father was actually born in the Banat, in a village named Freidorf. It is interesting to note here that Johnny recognized publicly¹⁸ that his father, Peter WEISSMÜLLER, was originally from Variaş⁸.

   Johnny’s father, Peter WEISSMÜLLER, did not become an American citizen until 11.02.1937. It is very interesting that shortly after this, on 16.02.1937, somebody modified the birth registry of the Saint John Cantius parish in Windber, by adding the name John next to “Petrum” [ie the Latin for Peter] in Johnny’s brother birth/christening record. There is a hint that Peter Jr. received his American citizenship only after this.

    It is very difficult to find the truth, because there are so many mistakes in the US official documents of the WEISSMÜLLER family. For instance, the death certificate of Peter WEISSMÜLLER Jr., who died on 4.09.1969 in Santa Monica California, includes Johnny WEISSMÜLLER’s declaration that Peter was his elder brother born in 1903!

In his Petition for Naturalization in 1937, Peter WEISSMÜLLER Sr. declared that he had two sons: John, born on 15.06.1903 in Romania [since 1919 Freidorf was part of Romania] and Peter, born on 5.07.1905. Both dates are wrong!

In his book¹⁶, Johnny Jr. publish also a copy of a 1942 “delayed birth certificate” on which Johnny WEISSMÜLLER stated that he was born on 6.06.1905 in Windber, Pennsylvania, USA.

On his request to obtain a Social Security Number dated 4.12.1936, Johnny WEISSMÜLLER [here Peter John] declared he was born on 2.06.1904 and that his birthplace was Windber, Pennsylvania. At his death, in 1984, in order to receive Death Benefits, the family used another date of birth: 3.09.1905. And there are many other examples.

    Therefore, although he won five gold medals for the United States at the Olympic Games in 1924-‘28, it is clear that Johnny WEISSMÜLLER was never actually an American citizen.

 

 Johnny WEISSMÜLLER’s swimming career [6.08.1921-3.01.1929] is just amazing:

- 67 world records

- all world records from 50 yards to ½ mile

- first man under 1 minute at 100 m free style [on 9.07.1922: 58,6 sec.]

- his own record at 100 m free style [57,8 s] was beaten only after 12 years

- the record of 51 sec. on 100 yards registered in 1927 was unbeaten until 1944

- 52 US champion titles

- over 100 US records

- 5 Olympic titles in 1924-’28; star of the Olympic Games in 1924

- unbeaten in his official career in over 1000 races.

We have to bear in mind that in his time:

-swimmers had no swing blocks for the start, but they used to cling with their toes to the angular edge of the pool,

-there were no orientation strings along the pool,

-they did not know about the catapulted turns using the concrete wall.

We can only imagine what performances Johnny WEISSMÜLLER could obtain under the present conditions.

 

   After the Olympic Games Johnny became famous as a film actor by portraying TARZAN and he was the first in talking films, and people still consider him the best TARZAN.

Cinema career [34 films between 1932-1976]:

-12 films as Tarzan between 1932-‘48

-13 films as Jungle Jim between 1948-‘54

-3 films as Johnny between 1954-‘55

-26 TV episodes as Jungle Jim between 1955-’56.

 

   Johnny WEISSMÜLLER considered himself a swimmer and not an actor, and he used to recognize that he was in no way a businessman. In his autobiography he declared that he trusted his manager, who administrated his money, and he was shocked when he found out that there was not much money left. His manager has taken the money to make bad investments. Not being very busy in the cinema industry after 1956, Johnny tried to become a businessman¹⁷ but he was not successful; among others, he had a business dealing with swimming pools and healthcare products. For a short period of time, at the end of 1973, he was “celebrity greeter” at Caesar’s Palace Casino in Las Vegas. When he became very ill in August 1977 his income diminished more. He was not bankrupt when he died, but he was certainly not a wealthy man.

 

Descendents

   Johnny married 5 times [or even 6 times?] and had 3 children:

[?] M.~1929 [?? / unknown] Camille “Toni” LOUIER / LANIER

M1. 28.02.1931, Fort Lauderdale, Bobbe ARNST [1903-1980]

M2. 8.10.1933, Las Vegas, Lupe VÉLEZ [i.e. Maria Guadalupe Vélez de Villalobos; B 18.07.1908, San Luis de Potosi, Mexico City, Mexic; D 13.12.1944, Los Angeles, USA]

M3. 20.08.1939, Garfield, New Jersey, Beryl SCOTT / Beryel SCOTT GINTER [B 1917, Toronto]

       - John Scott [Johnny Jr.], B 23.09.1940, San Francisco; D 28.07.2006, San Francisco

       - Wendy Ann, B 1.06.1942, Los Angeles

       - Heidi Elizabeth, B 20.07.1943, Los Angeles; married Michael HUSA; D 19.11.1962, California

M4. 29.01.1948, Donner Trail Ranch, California, Allene GATES [B 1926]

M5. 23.04.1963, Dunes Hotel, Las Vegas, Gertrudis Maria Theresia Elizabeth BAUMAN [ex Prauss, ex Brock, ex Mandell; B 1922, Bavaria]

   Johnny WEISSMÜLLER died from pulmonary edema [or cerebral thrombosis?] on 20.01.1984 in Acapulco, Mexico and was buried there in the Valle de la Luz cemetery, Acapulco. He lived in Acapulco, first at the Los Flamingos Hotel then in a rented house near the beach in Playa Mimosa (near Pie de la Cuesta), his last years of his life (after October 1979).

 

Favorite Story

   Johnny WEISSMÜLLER was also a real-life hero; on 28.07.1927 the steamboat Favorite was struck by the winds on Lake Michigan, Chicago. Of 71 passengers, 27 died as a resultant of drowning. Johnny, who happened to be swimming with his brother nearby, repeatedly dove into the turbulent waters and brought up the victims as his brother Peter used his lifeguard training to try to revive them. Johnny managed to rescue 20 children and adults, 11 survived.

    In 1962, Johnny WEISSMÜLLER received the following letter¹⁷ from one of the Favorite’s survivors: “I have seven children and one day, my seven children will have their young ones. This circle of life will continue forever or as long as God grants this earth to remain fertile within the atmosphere. But only you, Mr. WEISSMÜLLER, are responsible for this vast miracle that has come to touch my life, because it is you who rescued me from certain death, and enabled me to marry and have my children. I shall always impress upon the minds of my young ones to say prayers of thanks on your behalf and, God willing, these prayers will last through a part of eternity”.

This is our favorite Johnny WEISSMÜLLER’s memory. 

 

 

P.S. We would like to express publicly our thanks to the WEISSMÜLLER families in Germany, Canada and United States [a Huge Thank You, especially to Mrs. Shirley GIBBARD and Mrs. Theresa WEBER] for providing certain information included in the present material, as well as for their constant interest regarding the genealogy of Johnny WEISSMÜLLER’s family.

Today we commemorate 20 years from Johnny WEISSMÜLLER’s death. This is our small contribution in keeping his memory alive.

 

Timişoara

20.01.2004

 

 

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