Evening star., 1946-12-29
Carrie Jacobs Bond, Composer
Of Perfect Day. Dies at 81
Tragedy Forced
Song Writer to
Her Successes
BY the Associated Press

siSI SdA\SSSSS
BY the Associated Press
HOLLYWOOD, Calf, Dec. 28.-
Carrie Jacobs Bond, "a, composer
of many of the Nations favorite
songs, died today of heart attack
in her home here
The writer of the classic,
END of Perfect Day." was stricken
this afternoon and found dying
by Mrs. jaime Palmer, her business
manager, and Mrs. Howard Berbeck,
close friend.
She had lived in semiretirement
for more than a decade. Most of
her songs which set an entire coun-
try to humming were written in the
period from 1895 through 1910. One
of her latest songs was THE Flying
Flag" published in 1940
Her only survivors are two grand
daughters, Dorothy Jaehne of. Aus
tin, Tex and Elizabeth Walter, with
the U. S. Army in Germany; and
half brother, James B. Minor of
Los Angeles.
Tragedy Forced Success.
Tragedy thrown into the life of
Mrs. Bond forced her to success,
imbued tender nature with
seriousness that became her ulti-
mate salvation and made of her
one of the best liked of modern
American poets.
Her battle to win attention was
waged in a path of poverty after a
youth filled with the brighter side
of life.
AS a girl, Mrs. Bond gave indica-
ton of her musical and writing
ability. but it was not unit. aft1
the sudden death OF her husband
she was then 32-that she began to
cultivate a lifelong desire to write
little songs"
In the darkest days of her life,
living in a S15-a-month room in
Chicago and struggling to support
herself and her son, she penned
some of her most noted compost
tions. Among them were II Love
You Truly" Book of Seven Songs"
and Just A-Wearyin' for You" 1t
was after fame and prosperity had
come to her, that she wrote "The
End of Perfect Day." perhaps the
best known and most widely sung
of her songs. That was inspired by
sunset which she watched from
the summit of Mount RubidouX,
near Riverside, Calf.
Native of Wisconsin.
Mrs. Bond was born at GAINESVILLE,
Wis, August II, 1862. Her parents,
DR.. Hannibal and Emma Davis
Jacobs, were musically inclined. and
among her mothers ancestors was
John Howard Payne. composer of
Home, Sweet Home"
Reverses left her family almost
destitute and indirectly caused the
death of her father Carrie lived
with her mother and her maternal
grandfather until she was 18, when
she was married to E. j. Smith.
They had one son, Frederic Jacobs
Smith, and were divorced after
seven years.
Another seven year period of
married life terminated by tragedy
followed her wedding with DR..
Frank Lewis Bond. They had moved
to Iron River, Mich. small mining
town. where business depression
wiped out her husbands fortune.
DR.. Bond later was fatally injured
when a playful child pushed him
and he fell on an icy sidewalk.
striking on his head
Son Killed Himself.
One of the greatest sorrows of
Mrs. Bonds life was the suicide of
her son in 1929 in the San Bernar-
dino Mountains in California.
"Lettle Carrie" as Mrs. Bonds
parents called her when she was
a child. began to play the, piano
when she ewas years old. Before
she took her first lessons at 10
she was regarded as pianist of
more than ordinary ability for one
of her years. AS young girl she
tried her hand at bits of poetry and
developed in imagination of an "old
man." who later became the dream
figure of her poems my Old Man. !"
Her second husband showed
keen interest in her ability and en-
couraged her to develop it. In the
days just before the death of DR..
Bond, she sold some of her work
to aid in financing the family,
After the death of her husband.
Mrs. Bond went to Chicago, where
she thought she might create, an
interest in her work and be able
to earn her living by writing. For IA
years she struggled to gain foot
hold as recognized poet, the while
living in dingy apartment. Often
she experienced the pangs of hun
ger and the biting cold when only
failure met her efforts to provide
money for food and fuel.
Audience With Sarah Bernhardt.
Through the efforts of friends,
Mrs. Bond obtained audiences with
Sarah Bernhardt and Jessie Bart
lett Davis. prima donna, which
aided in making her poems better
known
The first real success of her life
came through the financial aid of
friend. Walter Gale of Chicago and
enabled her and her son to establish
The Bond Shop" which was pat
termed after the "Roycroft Shop"
of Ebert Hubbard, a close friend
of Mrs. Bond.
Mrs. Bonds, desire to bring her