Dorothy Bailey Cline Custer (May 30, 1911 – April 22, 2015) was an American

comedian A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertainment, entertain an audience by making them laughter, laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly (as in slapstick), or employing prop c ...

harmonicist The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica include ...

, and

centenarian A centenarian is a person who has reached the age of 100. Because life expectancies at birth worldwide are well below 100, the term is invariably associated with longevity. The United Nations estimated that there were 316,600 living centenarian ...

most famous for her two appearances on ''

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the fourth and sixth installment of ''The Tonight Show''. Hosted by Jay Leno, it aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009, replacing ''The Ton ...

''. She has since become the subject of the most-viewed story of all time on the website of

Boise Boise ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 census, there were 235,685 people residing in the city. Located on the Boise River in southwestern Idaho, it is east of the Oregon border and nor ...

-based television station

KTVB KTVB (channel 7) is a television station in Boise, Idaho, United States, affiliated with NBC and owned by Tegna Inc. The station's studios are located on West Fairview Avenue (off I-184) in Boise, and its transmitter is located on Deer Point in u ...

and has been the subject of numerous interviews in Idaho and other states. Custer was born in 1911 in Hailey and grew up in Rock Creek south of present-day Hansen. She attended the

College of Idaho The College of Idaho (C of I) is a private liberal arts college in Caldwell, Idaho. Founded in 1891 by Rev. William Judson Boone as a Presbyterian college, it is the state's oldest private liberal arts college and has an enrollment of over ...

and taught school in Murtaugh in the early 1930s. In 1937, she married Marvin Custer, who claimed descent from

George Armstrong Custer George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars. Custer graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point ...

. The couple moved to Twin Falls in 1939.Matthews, Mychel
"Dorothy Custer, 'Idaho's Grandma,' Dies at 103"
'' Times-News'', April 24, 2015. (accessed 3 May 2015) Custer began working as an amateur entertainer in 1916, eventually creating 13 characters as part of her stand-up routine. She had been an active

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica incl ...

player since 1923 and featured music in many of her acts, including her performances on the ''Tonight Show''. Despite her long career, by her own admission Custer didn't achieve fame until after her first appearance on the ''Tonight Show'' in 2011 at age 100. Custer was asked back later to ''Tonight Show'' where she sang "

Let Me Call You Sweetheart "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" is a popular song, with music by Leo Friedman and lyrics by Beth Slater Whitson. The song was published in 1910 and was a huge hit for the Peerless Quartet in 1911. A recording by Arthur Clough was very popular th ...

" to Jay on Valentine's Day 2012. In May 2012, Custer celebrated her 101st birthday by

ziplining A zip-line, zip line, zip-wire, flying fox, or death slide''Who Really Benefits from Tourism'', Publ. Equations, Karnataka, India, 2010. Working Papers Series. "Canopy Tourism"page 37/ref>Jacques Marais, Lisa De Speville, ''Adventure Racing'', ...

in the Snake River Canyon."Idaho's Dorothy Custer turns 101, goes zip lining"
,

, 31 May 2012. (accessed 7 December 2012) Author and physician

Jacob M. Appel Jacob M. Appel (born February 21, 1973) is an American polymath, author, bioethicist, physician, lawyer, and social critic.Nagamatsu, Sequoia "A Few Words with the Ubiquitous Jacob M. Appel" ''Prince Mincer'' Journal http://primemincer.com/ con ...

honored Custer by modeling a minor character after her in his novel ''

The Man Who Wouldn't Stand Up ''The Man Who Wouldn't Stand Up'' is a 2012 satiricalDund ...

'' (2012);''Times-News'' (Twins Falls, ID), 19 December 2012 in a 2013 interview, Custer said she was flattered by the honor but acknowledged not having read the book. In June 2013, Custer celebrated her 102nd birthday by

BASE jumping BASE jumping () is the recreational sport of jumping from fixed objects, using a parachute to descend to the ground. BASE is an acronym that stands for four categories of fixed objects from which one can jump: buildings, antenna (radio), antenna ...

off the

Perrine Bridge The I. B. Perrine Bridge is a four-lane truss arch bridge, truss arch span over the Snake River in the Western United States, western United States. Located in southern Idaho just north of the city of Twin Falls, Idaho, Twin Falls, it carries ...

into the Snake River Canyon.,

, 02 June 2013 She became the oldest BASE jumper with the help of Sean Chuma a world-renowned base jumper and BASE jumping instructor. Custer died in her sleep on April 22, 2015, shortly before her 104th birthday in

Twin Falls, Idaho Twin Falls is the county seat of and the largest city in Twin Falls County, Idaho, United States. The city had a population of 51,807 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Custer, Dorothy 1911 births 2015 deaths American women centenarians College of Idaho alumni American television personalities People from Twin Falls, Idaho American harmonica players