Lawrence Waldemar Tonner (October 15, 1861 – May 25, 1947) was an 1870 immigrant from
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
who became a
naturalized citizen of the United States
Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constituti ...
in 1875. Tonner met Jesse Shepard/Francis Grierson in 1885 and became his companion and personal secretary for more than 40 years, while they traveled and lived together in Europe and the United States. Tonner began his career as a translator in 1892 for the U.S. government in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, and was an aide and translator for
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...
after World War I. Tonner died in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, California.
Early life
Tonner was born in
Thisted
Thisted is a town in the municipality of Thisted in the North Denmark Region of Denmark. It has a population of 13,461 (1 January 2022) Originally using his Danish given name,
Lauritz Lauritz is a typically masculine given name, a Scandinavian form of the English Laurence or Lawrence. Another Danish and Estonian form is Laurits.
Popularity in Scandinavia
The name has been decreasing in popularity in all Scandinavian countries ...
, he emigrated to the United States in July 1870, sailing from
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
. His mother's maiden name was "
Lund
Lund (, , ) is a city in the southern Swedish provinces of Sweden, province of Scania, across the Øresund, Öresund strait from Copenhagen. The town had 91,940 inhabitants out of a municipal total of 121,510 . It is the seat of Lund Municipali ...
", according to a California Death Index entry. At age 28, Tonner's description on a U.S. passport application included a height of 5 feet 7 inches, light blue eyes, and light brown hair. The application identifies his father as Johann P. Tonner, through whose naturalization on December 14, 1875, Tonner obtained his own U.S. citizenship, while living in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
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, subdivision_name ...
.
Shepard/Grierson
Tonner, who spoke fluently in five languages, did not have a steady job and instead adapted his professional career to the work and travel schedule of Jesse Shepard (1848–1927), a composer, pianist, and writer who used the pen name of
Francis Grierson
Benjamin Henry Jesse Francis Shepard (September 18, 1848 – May 29, 1927) was a composer, pianist and writer who used the pen name Francis Grierson.
Biography
Jesse was born in Birkenhead, England, to Joseph Shepard and Emily Grierson ...
beginning in 1899; Tonner and Shepard met in Chicago in 1885. Tonner acted as a manager and personal secretary for Shepard. Tonner's 1890 U.S. passport application lists an occupation of "seceretary", and includes a certification of identity by Shepard.
Among his many performances, Shepard entertained at the Imperial
Palace of Gatchina
The Great Gatchina Palace (russian: Большой Гатчинский дворец) is a palace in Gatchina, Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It was built from 1766 to 1781 by Antonio Rinaldi for Count Grigori Grigoryevich Orlov, who was a favour ...
for the
Czar of Russia
This is a list of all reigning monarchs in the history of Russia. It includes the princes of medieval Rus′ state (both centralised, known as Kievan Rus′ and feudal, when the political center moved northeast to Vladimir and finally to Mosco ...
and before a reunion of three royal houses at Cumberland Palace in
Gmunden
Gmunden () is a town in Upper Austria, Austria in the district of Gmunden (district), Gmunden. It has 13,204 inhabitants (estimates 2016 ). It is much frequented as a health and summer resort, and has a variety of lake, brine, vegetable and pine-c ...
,
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
. His hostess was the Duchess of Cumberland, sister of the Empress of Russia, of the Princess of Wales and of the Queen of Greece. An account of what happened at the reunion is given by Tonner for "The Hague", in ''Light'', March 17, 1894.
San Diego to Paris
Despite his close association with Shepard, Tonner's name does not appear in the official documents by or about Shepard; for example he is not listed in the
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
City Directory as living at
Villa Montezuma
Villa Montezuma is a Queen Anne style mansion in San Diego, California's Sherman Heights neighborhood that was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
Jesse Shepard residence
The home was built in 1887 for Jesse Shepard, ...
with Shepard. The two shared the home, named for the ship that first brought Shepard to the U.S., from July 1887 to the third quarter of 1888, before taking a mortgage out on the house to fund an initial trip to
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
for the publishing of Shepard's first book. They returned to San Diego in August 1889, and on finding the city's economic boom had ended, sold the home and its furnishings by mid-December before returning to Paris, where they lived until 1896. While in Europe, Tonner began his career as a translator in 1892, working for the United States diplomatic mission in London.
Robert Todd Lincoln
Robert Todd Lincoln (August 1, 1843 – July 26, 1926) was an American lawyer, businessman, and politician. He was the eldest son of President Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln. Robert Lincoln became a business lawyer and company presid ...
, the former president's son, had the role of ambassador during this period, and issued a U.S. passport used by Tonner.
Europe to the United States
After Paris, Shepard and Tonner settled in London until 1913, when they decided to return to the United States. In the latter part of that decade, Tonner was a valued aide and translator for
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...
when the then-future president was head of the Food Administration. Hoover subsequently recommended Tonner for a position with a Bureau of Public Information, via a letter now among the Waldemar Tonner Papers at ONE Archives in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
After years of traveling the world together, Shepard lost his popularity and Tonner supported him. He taught French and was a partner in a small dry cleaning shop. Shepard died in Los Angeles on May 29, 1927, immediately after playing the last chord of a piano performance for about 30 guests who attended a benefit dinner arranged by friends on his behalf; he was still upright with his hands on the keys and it was Tonner who first noticed that something was wrong. Not long before Shepard/Grierson died, Tonner had published a pamphlet, "''The Genius of Francis Grierson''", that recounted his travels and musical/literary successes, and included quotations from favorable reviews and letters. Tonner also wrote the
introduction
Introduction, The Introduction, Intro, or The Intro may refer to:
General use
* Introduction (music), an opening section of a piece of music
* Introduction (writing), a beginning section to a book, article or essay which states its purpose and g ...
to Shepard/Grierson's last book, "''Psycho-Phone Messages''", published in 1921.
Tonner died 20 years after Shepard on May 25, 1947, in
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, and is buried at
Inglewood Park Cemetery
Inglewood Park Cemetery, 720 East Florence Avenue in Inglewood, California, was founded in 1905.
A number of notable people, including entertainment and sports personalities, have been interred or entombed there.
History
The proposed est ...