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She eventually was known by locals as "Aunt Kate", and according to reports from Bend locals, "She was a fund-raising dynamo, able to shake down almost any business or person for a contribution to a social cause; during the Great
Depression she made gallons and gallons of soup to help out the hobos".
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She never achieved any of the fame she had briefly held in the Yukon, although she made full use of the memories. "Sourdough" reunions in the 1930s provided a measure of uptick in her fame, as did training young
Hollywood starlets in the 1940s. She lived in Oregon for the last 45 years of her life,
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Her stepfather had stature in the community and the family lived in a large mansion. However, economic failure created tension in the family, and this lack of home stability echoed throughout
Rockwell's sometimes stormy life. She was known for her independent spirit, often impersonating boys and
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The intense love affair between
Pantages and Rockwell became the stuff of legend in the Yukon, although streaks of jealousy ensured that they found more stability in their professional lives than in their personal ones. They were not above swindling unsuspecting miners, and this dubious quality
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eventually infected their own relationship. She later accused him of reneging on a promise to marry her as well as attempting to cheat her of her money. Pantages surprised
Rockwell by secretly marrying another woman, and telling her about it four days later in a letter.
411:, where she had lived for 21 years. The immediate cause of death was "Ventricular Fibrillation", with "Chronic Congestive Heart Failure" and "Arteriosclerotic Heart disease" given as underlying conditions. Her ashes were later scattered in
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who later became a very successful vaudeville/motion picture mogul. She garnered notoriety for her flirtatious dancing and ability to keep hard-working miners happy if not inebriated. Before her death she appeared on the television show
373:, where she quickly reached celebrity status once again. This time it was more for her charitable work than anything else. Her personality and friendly nature ensured she always had friends wherever she went.
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Later she married a miner named John Matson. Shortly after they earned the title, they sold the land. The marriage didn't last. Rockwell was soon living in
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and find fortunes in gold. Refused entry by a
Mountie, she is reputed to have donned a boy's outfit and jumped on a boat headed for the Yukon.
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While waiting out the five years to earn the title to the land, Rockwell fell in love with and married a cowboy named Floyd Warner.
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She married
William L. Van Duren, who was her husband at the time of her death. Rockwell died on February 21, 1957, in
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with
Groucho Marx December 23, 1954, at the age of 74. She died in obscurity after some minor success training
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In 1943, Columbia
Pictures released a motion picture dramatized biography loosely based on her life called
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as a member of the Savoy
Theatrical Company. Her act was very popular with the miners, and she was dubbed "
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602:"You Bet Your Life #54-15 Klondike Kate; the Dosses return (Secret word: 'Name', Dec 23, 1954)"
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651:(1st ed.). United States of America: William Sloane Associates, Inc. pp. 160–163.
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In 1902, the Klondike Gold Rush was already dying out and Rockwell headed south, first to
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In the 1890s, after divorcing her second husband, Rockwell's mother moved with her to
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held a tight leash on prospective miners and various hangers-on trying to get to the
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139:(October 4, 1873/1876/1880 (year of birth disputed) – February 21, 1957), known as "
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Klondike Kate: The Life and Legend of Kitty Rockwell, The Queen of the Yukon
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has a chapter about Klondike Kate (whom he calls Kate Rothrock) in his book
208: in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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355:, where she set up a store-front movie theater, and eventually to
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515:"Vaudeville's famous "Klondike Kate" became an Oregon legend"
679:"Klondike Kate: 'Our Destitute Prostitute' or 'Aunt Kate'"
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Hollywood in the Klondike: Dawson City's Great Film Find
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She's the main inspiration for the Disney character
284:, according to her death certificate, and lived in
56:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
538:"Klondike Kate: "Queen of the Yukon", 1876 - 1957"
487:. Madeira Park, BC: Lost Moose. p. 135.
8:
689:"Klondike Kate's Last Request to Be Granted"
299:Her parents sent the rebellious teenager to
445:recorded a single titled "Klondyke Kate".
296:playing with them rather than with girls.
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268:Learn how and when to remove this message
116:Learn how and when to remove this message
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145:Kate Rockwell Warner Matson Van Duren
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206:adding citations to reliable sources
132:Studio portrait of Kathleen Rockwell
54:adding citations to reliable sources
513:John, Finn J.D. (August 14, 2011).
16:American dancer and vaudeville star
381:first in the Bend area, then near
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325:First working as a tap-dancer in
746:People of the Klondike Gold Rush
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574:"'Klondike Kate' Taken by Death"
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771:People from Spokane, Washington
699:"Klondike Kate's Ashes Claimed"
329:, Rockwell found her stride in
193:needs additional citations for
41:needs additional citations for
781:People from Sweet Home, Oregon
741:American vaudeville performers
546:University of Alaska Anchorage
340:It was in Dawson that she met
147:, was an American dancer and
19:For the Broadway actress, see
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462:, long-time love interest of
316:Royal Canadian Mounted Police
441:In 1935, British bandleader
288:for a while but grew up in
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392:Rockwell appeared on the
137:Kathleen Eloise Rockwell
776:People from Dawson City
483:Gates, Michael (2022).
170:starlets in the 1940s.
21:Kate Rockwell (actress)
143:" and later known as
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751:American entertainers
282:Junction City, Kansas
280:Rockwell was born in
131:
647:Pyle, Ernie (1947).
202:improve this article
50:improve this article
761:19th-century births
582:. February 22, 1957
337:Kate" as a result.
290:Spokane, Washington
217:"Kathleen Rockwell"
65:"Kathleen Rockwell"
536:Houdek, Jennifer.
437:Cultural influence
409:Sweet Home, Oregon
342:Alexander Pantages
157:Alexander Pantages
153:Klondike Gold Rush
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756:Burials in Oregon
683:The Source Weekly
494:978-1-55017-996-5
460:Glittering Goldie
398:You Bet Your Life
394:December 23, 1954
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649:Home Country
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630:. Retrieved
627:45worlds.com
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453:Home Country
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443:Billy Cotton
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402:Groucho Marx
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195:verification
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106:October 2013
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48:Please help
43:verification
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766:1957 deaths
701:, from the
691:, from the
396:episode of
387:Linn County
331:Dawson City
735:Categories
608:2020-05-05
586:October 6,
551:October 6,
470:References
449:Ernie Pyle
431:Ann Savage
327:Whitehorse
228:newspapers
149:vaudeville
76:newspapers
725:Biography
632:April 19,
604:. YouTube
521:April 17,
174:Biography
168:Hollywood
335:Klondike
258:May 2020
242:scholar
90:scholar
711:Portal
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312:Alaska
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320:Yukon
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634:2020
588:2013
553:2013
523:2014
489:ISBN
419:Film
221:news
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204:by
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