Much has been written on the "Mysterious Woman of Big John Flats" over the years in local papers of the Wrightwood area. Even though she provided much local color in the area's history, it has been hard to determine if she was the honest sort, or just someone with a little ornery and evil streak under the surface. The author believes that the closest that Jeanne Lamar came to honor was "Yes, your Honor..." and "No, your honor..." . But, the author digresses. Perhaps if we recap the story thus far, you, the reader, would see that the life of professional woman boxer "The Countess" Jeanne Lamar, sounded like a dime store crime novel.
Born in New York, Jeannie Vina Lamar spent much of her childhood in France with her French native parents. In early adulthood, she returned to New York and Chicago, where Jeanne Vina Lamar developed boxing skills that attracted the attention of Jack Dempsey and other professional boxers that worked out at Stillwell's Gym in New York City. By 1913, she had boxed several times in exhibition matches with the likes of Charlie Phil Rosenberg, Benny Leonard and Harry Greb. During which time she gained the nicknamed "The Countess". She even had a bout arraigned with the famous featherweight Poncho Villa. That bout never came to pass. She was married twice; once to a Paul M. Morgan Lamar of New York in 1920, and then to Tom Failace in Chicago on December, 20, 1927. Paul Lamar had "died suddenly" and Countess Jeanne Lamar cashed in his sizable life insurance policy. The Countess dragged new husband/fighting promoter, Tom Failace, with her to Los Angeles, California, in a "career make-or-break" move to revive her fading boxing career. The career move became a bad one, and the one month long marital bliss between the two ended in a fist to cuffs match in the middle of Whitley Avenue in Hollywood.
Jeanne Lamar moved to the isolated ridge above Big John Flats and into her cabin that she finally completed in 1935. She lived with a male adult that she told others was her nephew, Gustave (Gus) Marcel Morg Van Herren. It was later learned that Gus was actually the Countess' son, and his father might have been Paul M. M. Lamar from New York. Gus was identified as her son by Alberta Farnbach/Johnson, who was the direct descendent of the original homesteaders in the area that Lamar lived. The Countess dominated most of the well constructed cabin, while Gus' living quarters was confined to it's small attic.
The Countess began drinking heavily and her temper began flaring as the golden goose of her first husband's life insurance policy was dwindling. It was believed that she continued to receive support from another source back east, but that information was never verified. The Countess began roaming the mountainous area and nearby towns to find anyone to box with. Even the growing town of Palmdale suffered her visits, as boxing matches were always set up in the old Palmdale Music Hall. Her tiresome antics got her kicked out of Wrightwood Store, which was run by George Richardson. The town folk and local park rangers did their best to avoid her. Once she was seen engaged in a heated curse-laden argument with the only telephone at Big Pines Park Recreation Center. Her rage was so great that she slapped the phone down on the hook and sicced her German Shepherd on the defenseless piece of communication. Watching the whole thing was a little Bud Rowe, who got a good chuckle out of the incident. A county ranger at Big Pines Park, who was finally tired of her trying to pick a fight with him, picked her up and tossed her over the railing at the Ranger Station. Dejected and ejected, San Bernardino soon became her playground. Arrested twice, once for drunk driving, she made it a habit to pick up fellas from the seedy park of the city for a little fun in the sack and for working around her property afterwards.
Things turned really strange around her small property overlooking Big John Flats... "Gus", her son/nephew, mysteriously disappeared. Jeanne Lamar blamed it on her neighbor, Gerald Farnbach. Then during a drunken moment, she later admitted to Alberta and Gerald Farnbach that she "killed" Gus and had his fingers in a box to prove it. A year later, a handyman "hired" by the Countess found a skeleton with a rifle next to it, in a trash pit near her cabin. Thinking that Jeanne Lamar was going to kill him too, he grabbed his belongings and ran away in fear. Behind him was Countess Jeanne Lamar in hot pursuit, firing round after round at him with a hunting rifle!
That is where we pick up the story in progress. But it's the final chapter...It's "The Countess' Last Bout".
TERRY GRAHAM, FROM 'HISTORY OF BIG PINES"
