Arizona Charlie’s Daughter Weds Man 46 Years Her Senior

Could this be evidence of “daddy issues”? Mother kept her away from her world-famous father and Western entertainer…

On August 3, 1915, Marian Mae Meadows, only daughter of legendary Wild West Show entertainer and producer “Arizona Charlie,” wed a man 46 years older than her. Who was this guy and what’s their story?

Headstone of Marian M. Meadows at Desert Lawn Memorial Park in Yuma, AZ. Obit from the Yuma Weekly Sun (3/31/1944).

Let’s back up a step…

**Charlie Meadows (1860–1932) probably knew his first (and perhaps forever) love Marion Mae Murray (1869–1939) **was pregnant when he left her in Vancouver, B.C. in 1892. After their worldwide and whirlwind romance forged as performers in Harmston’s Wild West Show through Australia and Indonesia, the couple allegedly eloped on a boat off the coast of Malolos, Philippines that February. By August, their relationship was completely over.

Long story short: Charlie wanted to join “Buffalo Bill” Cody’s Wild West Show tour through Europe, but Marian wanted to settle down. It was a chance of a lifetime for him. She threatened him with an ultimatum. He left. She disappeared.

**Marion Mae Meadows **(spelled slightly different) was born that November. A story perpetuated by her mother claims she was born in Shanghai, China, but Marian used Vancouver, B.C. on her legal documents (see the marriage certificate). Marian was raised by her biological mother and a stepfather and might have been led to believe her father was dead. Marian immigrated to the U.S. in either 1893 or 1894 and became a naturalized citizen, presumably while living in Washington state.

Charlie Meadows met Marion Mae Murray in Australia.

How’d she end up with Dr. Leiser?

I don’t know how they met or what attracted them to each other (if anything), but at the age of 23, Marian married a physician in Seattle. At the wedding, he was 69 years old, but Dr. Jacob Julius “Jay” Leiser (1846–1927) lied about his age on their wedding record, claiming to only be 45. Marian was his second wife. He already had two children (Jay & Roy), and his youngest was 20 years older than Marian.

The doctor’s ex-wife, Emma McDowell (1850–1929), left him after only four or five years and took both kids back to Pennsylvania to live with her parents. The census records for 1880–1900 continued to say “married,” even though the couple lived separately (Doc in Montana and Emma on the East Coast). Presumably, they divorced before his second wedding in 1915, though a record has not been located.

Marriage certificate for Dr. Jacob J. Leiser and Marion Mae Meadows.

Per news stories on him, Dr. Leiser’s medical specialties included respiratory conditions (including tuberculosis) and “nervous exhaustion.” He studied and published articles on the effects of climate on health and recovery and believed in the “fresh air” cure and the benefits of therapeutic exercise for a variety of disorders and even as a recovery program. I guess you could say he was an early advocate for what we’d now call physical therapy. He also might have been considered a homeopathic doctor, opting for natural cures instead of pharmaceutical.

Dr. Leiser’s career included stints in the following places:

• in Helena, Montana (1870s-1890s), in private practice and as a trustee for Helena’s St. Peter’s Hospital/Sanatorium (est. 1883 and opened in 1884);
• overseeing the Seattle Sanatorium on Mercer Island (late 1890s-at least 1906);
• as physician and surgeon at the McNeil’s Island Federal Penitentiary outside of Seattle, Washington (?-at least through 1917);
• in Gilman, Montana (1917–1918);
• in Stockett, Cascade Co., Montana (1918-?).

It is believed he used his expertise to try to manage local epidemics in industrial boomtowns. Gilman popped up as a railroad depot town around 1912. Stockett was also a railroad-launched town featuring a coal mine and copper smelter. Many residents supporting the primary industries suffered from “black lung disease,” a deadly condition caused by the inhalation of too much coal dust (and other debris). Marian may have supported his career as a nurse and frontier wife.

News stories about Dr. Jacob Leiser in Montana.

The marriage did not last long, but the Doc did!

Marian was widowed at the age of 34. Her 80-year-old husband passed away on February 12, 1927 in Fort Steilacoom, in Pierce County, Washington. Statistically speaking, the average lifespan for a man born in 1846 was 40.

It is unclear if he was working at the fort or being treated by a physician in his old age. I’ve also not seen a cause of death or location of a grave.

Around that time, Marian relocated to Southern Arizona.

A decade prior, she’d found her father (alive) and had made a very special reconnection. She moved out to be near him.

Out with step-mom Ida, in with Marian.

Marian eventually moved onto her father’s property in Yuma. Her death certificate says she worked as a trailer coach operator (other records say she ran a trailer park). Marion was such a comfort to Charlie. She was so much like him and a daily reminder of his first love. In fact, his relationship with Marian spurred his wife’s ire and sent her into such a jealous state that she went into his scrapbook and cut out the heads of Marian’s mother from the pictures he’d held onto.

Though they did not officially divorce, **Ida Mae McKamish Meadows (1872–1960)** felt so spurned, she left Charlie and moved to Santa Monica, California. Not surprisingly, Charlie and Marion Mae began a long-distance attempt at rekindling their love, thanks to a little persuasion from Marian.

When he passed away in 1932, Charlie left the entire Meadows estate to his daughter, excluding his embittered wife Ida.

Undated photo of the Rutner Seed Ranch in El Centro, CA and the wedding announcement of Leo & Marian.

Husband #2 was short-lived, too!

Perhaps by some whim or fit of loneliness, in 1834 Marian wed a well-known cattle rancher in El Centro, E. Leo Turner (1883?-?). I’ve not yet established the identity of husband #2. The Imperial County Pioneer’s Museum holds a historic image of Turner’s field in the Hetzel Collection. The note with the image reads: “Leo Turner Seed Grower, El Centro, Calif.” but no date is provided. That marriage lasted less than 1 year and Marian went back to using her maiden name.

Afterwards, Marian’s cousin George moved in to help take care of the property, as her own health failed.

Marian died at the age of 51 after a battle with cancer. In her final days, she requested that her father be exhumed from the Yuma’s Pioneer Cemetery and reinterred next to her in the “new” cemetery (since she could not be buried in the pioneer section). She passed away on March 26, 1844. In a sweet reprise, her request was granted two days later. The father and daughter, once kept apart, have remained together ever since.

Grave image for Charlie Meadows and Marion Mae Meadows.

A request from the author:

Marian left no children to mourn her and there appears to be no photos of her in circulation. If you become aware of any, I would love to see her. I’m also curious where Dr. Leiser was buried. Please reach out in the comments or through my official author page.

Many thanks and happy hunting!

If you enjoyed this story about Charlie Meadows’ family, please also see this one about his brother Mobley Meadows: https://medium.com/gentales/condemned-actor-bandit-begs-from-gallows-dont-tell-my-parents-672d7f4a7024?sharedUserId=janelle.molony

About the Author:

Janelle Molony, M.S.L. is an award-winning nonfiction author from Phoenix, Arizona. She has a particular interest in women-centric stories and local history. Her newest book, *Birds Gone Wild (and Other Stories of Arizona Ostrich Ranching)* is available for sale.

Molony’s writing has been featured in magazines and journals such as History Nebraska, The Michigan Historical Review, Minnesota Genealogist, Annals of Wyoming, the Tombstone Epitaph, and more. She has been awarded by the American Writing Awards, Women Writing the West, Western Writers of America, the National Federation of Press Writers and more. Her lively storytelling and vibrant YouTube content has earned her the official moniker as the “Hottie Historian.”

See more from the author by following on Medium and on social media. More publications by Molony can be found on her official author webpage.