OOTW: Emilie Muse, 98, Daredevil Who Dared Not Discuss Past, Dies

A very interesting woman, and a superb headline from the ordinarily uninspired group at the NYT. Here are the main points from the NYT obit:

Emilie Neumann Muse, who as a young woman exemplified the crazy, flamboyant competitiveness of the 20's and 30's by swimming in treacherous waters, wrestling alligators, jumping out of airplanes and being buried alive, died on Jan. 23 in East Patchogue, N.Y. She was 98.

The cause was complications of a stroke, her granddaughter Loretta Muse Dill said.

In later decades, Mrs. Muse was a dedicated homemaker whose interests included beekeeping and gardening. Her husband, Fred, did not want their children to know of her daredevil past for fear it might prove overly inspirational, and she herself did not share her stories until they were adults.

A few minutes of googling unearthed some interesting additional details of Mrs. Muse' life, including some pictures. (Thank god for unusual names.) Ken Spooner, a Mastic Beach, Long Island amateur historian, had written extensively about the Muse's home, including many historical pictures. He also included a clipping of a more extensive obit for Mrs. Muse, including a rather fetching photo of Mr. and Mrs. Muse from the 1930s.

Incidentally, Spooner writes pretty well, and his website is full of interesting tidbits. I particularly enjoyed reading his story "The Mansion" about his childhood memories of visiting the former Knapp mansion during the 1950s.