The Graglia Family was one of the first non-indigenous families to move to Las Vegas, Nevada at the beginning of the twentieth century. Joseph and Frances Graglia moved to Canada from Italy, and then made their way to the United States in 1890. They settled in Southern Nevada sometime before 1913. Parish records at Las Vegas’s first Catholic church, St. Joan of Arc, document their church activities.
The Graglia Family was one of the first non-indigenous families to move to Las Vegas, Nevada at the beginning of the twentieth century. Joseph and Frances Graglia moved to Canada from Italy, and then made their way to the United States in 1890. They settled in Southern Nevada sometime before 1913. Parish records at Las Vegas’s first Catholic church, St. Joan of Arc, document their church activities.
Jerome Blankinship was born in Hollywood, California in 1933 to Herman and Helen Blankinship. Jerome grew up as an only child a in suburb of Los Angeles called Huntington Park. He spent his entire childhood in the suburb and finished high school there as well. Then he went on to attend the University of Southern California. He received a degree in education and wanted to be a school teacher, but after a short stint in teaching at the Los Angeles City School District, he discovered that it was not for him.
Betty Ham Dokter was born May 20, 1922 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Church was one of the main activities for everybody in school, and she went to every church in town during the summertime. Dokter graduated from Las Vegas High School in 1940. She met her husband at a drive-in and they got married during World War II.
Modern dance pioneer Ruth St. Denis, nee Ruth Dennis, was born on January 20, 1879 in Newark, New Jersey. Her training began as a child with the practice of physical exercises developed by Francois Delsarte. As a teenager, she appeared in Broadway musicals and was a protégé of David Belasco, a theatrical producer. She combined spirituality, eastern culture, and religion in her dance routines. Christian themes were also explored and depicted in her works.