View source for OVERHOLT, Alma


OVERHOLT, Alma Staheli (1889-1972)[SS#550-10-7431], born in Switzerland, she and her family moved to Southern California in 1919. Overholt became associated with Santa Catalina Island in 1919 when she headed the publicity for the opening of the St. Catherine Hotel.  Eventually she headed the publicity department of the Santa Catalina Island Company from the 1920s until WWII, and helped to bring in visitors from around the world with photos and news coverage of events.  Ms. Overholt wrote articles for the Catalina Islander covering the social happenings in Avalon and was also a correspondent for the Los Angeles Examiner.  She married twice and had three children

* Theodore 'Ted' Henry Sierks – son (1909-1959) 
* Hermine 'Bobbie' Alma Sierks [Singer][Hackely] (1910-1978)
* Miles Harvard Overolt, Jr. (1921-2010) 

Alma Overholt died in 1972 at age 83. 


'''» Overholt, Alma'''  The Catalina Story, 1962. 



=====<span style="color:#006400">In the News~</span>=====

'''September 2, 1919 [TI/Avalon]:''' “Mrs. Alma Sierks and Mr. Miles Overholt were united in marriage at San Luis Obispo.”


'''December 10 1936 [TI/Avalon]:''' “Beverly Hills Community Church was the setting last evening of the marriage of Miss Hermine Alma Sierks, daughter of Mrs. Alma Overholt of Santa Catalina, to Jack Singer, with Dr. Frank Dyer officiating. Given in marriage by her brother, Theodore Sierks, the bride was lovely in a gown of white satin, princess model with long train… The bride is a graduate of the Anna Head School in Berkeley and S.C. where she is a member of Delta Delta Delta. Mr. Singer attended U.C.L.A.”


'''September 14, 1939 [TI/Avalon]:''' “After completing four years of prepatory schooling at the Catalina Island Scool for Boys at Banning Cove, Miles Overholt, Jr. left Avalon last Friday for Cambridge, Massachusetts, to enter Harvard College as one of the West’s few young men to be accepted among Harvard’s restricted enrolling freshmen. Young Overholt, an Avalonite almost all of his 17 years of age, attended elementary and junior  high scool on the island, was interested in soccer, basketball, journalism, was one of the editors of the school paper and engaged in these activities throughout his preparatory work at the Catalina Island Boy’s School where he begame one of the editors of The Wheel, student publication of that school. At Harvard heplans to study international diplomacy, journalism,military science and tactics. Accompanying her son as far east as Chicago, Mrs. Alma Overholt, publicity director of the Santa Catalina Island Company, is journeying through several of the eastern states in connection with publicity activities of the island among national publications. Mrs. Overholt plans to return the first part of October.”