Ulrika "Ullie" Akerstrom (born Ulrica Regina Akerstrom;"Ullie Akerstrom: A Brief Sketch of a Successful Actress"
''Hartford Courant''. January 25, 1886. p. 2. Retrieved December 8, 2023. March 17,"United States Passport Applications, 1795–1925", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24F-N9Q5 : Wed Nov 01 09:54:44 UTC 2023), Entry for Ulrica Akerstrom, 1896. 1858"New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829–1938", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24ZZ-JJP : Thu Nov 30 04:33:23 UTC 2023), Entry for Abner Benedict and Ulrica Akerstrom, 9 May 1898. – August 10, 1941) was an American actress, dancer, playwright, and

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

performer.

Early life and career

Born in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and raised in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, Illinois, Akerstrom was the daughter of Elizabeth W. Watkins and Swedish immigrant Charles G. Akerstrom. When she was 2, the family moved to Chicago, shortly after which her father died. Chicago would remain Akerstrom's primary residence as late as 1896."Rides a wheel, Too; Annie Oakley, Little Sure Shot"
''The Inter Ocean''. June 7, 1886. p. 14. Retrieved December 8, 2023. While still in her teens, prompted by a bank failure that had wiped out almost all of the family's savings, Akerstrom made her debut as an elocutionist on October 5, 1876, at Chicago's Park Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, located at the corner of Park Avenue and Robey Street. She made her first stage appearance in

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

, Wisconsin as a vaudeville performer.A. D. Storms, '' Players' Blue Book'' (Sutherland and Storms 1901): 250–251. She acted in shows including ''Fanchon the Cricket'', ''The Pearl of Savoy'', ''The Hidden Hand'',"Ullie Akerstrom is Visiting Here"
''Hartford Courant'' (September 15, 1915): 6. via

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''Annette, the Dancing Girl'' (1889, her New York debut), ''Renah, the Gipsey's Daughter'', ''A Little Busybody'' (1891), ''A Strange Marriage, Under the City Lights'' (1898), ''A Beautiful Slave, a Waif of London'' (1898), and ''A Bachelor's Housekeeper'' (1898). Akerstrom wrote several plays and sketches during her performing years, including ''Viola, the Street Singer'' (1886), ''Renah, the Gipsey's Daughter'' (1886), ''Annette the Dancing Girl'' (1889), ''Miss Rosa'', ''A Pauper's Fortune'' (1893), ''Queen of the Arena'' (1893), ''A Woman's Vengeance'' (1895), ''The Story of a Crime'' (1895), ''That Smith Gal'', ''Little Busybody'', ''The Egyptian Dancer'', and ''The Doctor's Warm Reception'' (1901). Akerstrom also published a book of popular verse, ''"Toot Yer Horn", and Other Poems'' (1888). A revival of Akerstrom's ''Miss Rosa'', staged in the United Kingdom circa 1895, featured famed Wild West performer

Annie Oakley Annie Oakley (born Phoebe Ann Mosey; August 13, 1860 – November 3, 1926) was an American marksman, sharpshooter and folk heroine who starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West. Oakley developed hunting skills as a child to provide for her impoveris ...

in the title role, making her professional acting debut. Akerstrom retired from the stage in 1903 and lived in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, writing sketches, plays, and lyrics. She also produced shows. Works by Akerstrom from this period included ''A Doctor by Courtesy; or, A Jolly Mixup'' (1906), ''The Widow'' (1910), ''St. Elmo'' (1910), ''The Plot'' (1910), ''An Election Episode'' (1910), ''Adventures; or, The Woman Hater'' (1910), ''Vashti; or, Until Death Do Us Part'' (1910), ''The Reckoning'' (1911), ''Mental Suggestion; or, Made in Germany'' (1911), ''Mrs. Murphy's Second Husband'' (1911), ''Natasha'' (1911), ''The Eleventh Hour; or, Two Sisters'' (1911), ''A Story of the Hills'' (1911), ''The Wager'' (1912), ''The Sultan's Daughter'' (1912), ''The Sultan's Favorite'' (1912), ''Sunshine'' (1912), ''Our New Girl'' (1912), ''The Red Mask'' (1913), ''Caught with the Goods'' (1915), ''Over the Hills to the Poor House'' (1921), ''The Haunted Fliver; or, What's the Answer'' (1935) and ''Call of the King'' (1938). She moved to

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

by 1935, but remained active in local theatrical productions, as a performer, writer and producer."Class Will Present Interesting Play"
''Tampa Times'' (December 6, 1938): 7. via

Personal life

Akerstrom married her manager, Abner Benedict (known professionally as Gus Bernard), in 1898; he died in 1915. She married again, to George Howard Melius, in 1919."New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829–1938", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2C2-Q1JF : Thu Nov 30 11:44:43 UTC 2023), Entry for George H Melius and Ullie Benedict, 19 Aug 1919.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Akerstrom, Ullie 1858 births 1941 deaths 19th-century American actresses Actresses from Chicago American people of Swedish descent American stage actresses American women dramatists and playwrights American vaudeville performers Elocutionists 20th-century American actresses 19th-century American dramatists and playwrights 19th-century American women writers 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American women writers Actresses from New York City Writers from New York City