Alberdo (Al) Warner 1884-1957

WARNER, JOHNSON

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 5/8/2019 at 06:43:18

24 January 1957 - The Tipton Conservative

Funeral services for Alberdo (Al) Warner, 72, former vaudeville artist and circus performer, were held Monday morning at St. Mary's church with the Rev. Edward Collins officiating. Burial was in St. Mary's cemetery. The rosary was recited Sunday in the Sheets & Dahn funeral home.

Warner died Saturday at the Thurston nursing home where he had been a patient for several months.

In show business for more than 30 years, Warner toured with the finest circus of all time, Ringling Brothers, and saw his name in lights on Broadway in New York City in the Keith-Orpheum circuit, the greatest of the vaudeville theatre combines.

The son of Benjamin and Sarah Johnson, he was born Oct. 4, 1884, at Elkader. As a boy of 19 he started in the circus business with the Canada Franks Railroad Show of Tipton, which toured all parts of the United States.

He developed into one of the great contortionists of his day. He was also a hand-balancing expert and an acrobat.

He was married to Marie Warner of Ben Warner's Comedy Co., in the early 1920's. She died March 13, 1952.

Warner returned to Tipton in 1934 after retiring from show business. He worked at sign painting and painted pictures. His last job was the Leabhart & Fields sign on Cedar street which he painted last fall.

He is survived by several nieces and nephews.