For this month's episode of the Archive Dive podcast, we feature two talented figure skating stars from Superior. Bess Ehrhardt and Bobby Specht thrilled fans nationwide with their excellence on ice.

Telegram reporter Teri Cadeau is joined by the local historian and retired librarian Teddie Meronek for this deep dive into the lives of Ehrhardt and Specht. Both were Superior Central High School graduates who reached national fame in the 1930s and 40s.

A champion figure skater, Ehrhardt's biggest fame came with the touring Ice Follies, where she became known as "America's Sweetheart of the Ice." She was also seen on the "big screen," starring in a film called "The Ice Follies of 1939" with Jimmy Stewart and Joan Crawford.

"Everybody wanted to go to an ice show and Bess apparently was very good at it," said Meronek.

Specht was about five years younger and at an early age, he was turning heads with his skating skills. Ehrhardt helped him give him a break.

"Bess was in town. She came and she performed and they gave her a couple solos, but she gave up one of them so Bobby could have a solo performance," said Meronek. "I guess that's when people realized how talented he was. After that he was invited to various ice shows and then he started competitive skating.

Specht went on to compete in the United States Figure Skating Championships, where he earned a bronze medal in pairs with Joan Mitchell in 1941 and won a gold medal in 1942 in singles. The Winter Olympics would have been a possibility, but they were canceled in 1944 due to World War II. Specht served in the U.S. Air Force during the war and afterwards, he performed with the touring Ice Capades. He even skated on "The Ed Sullivan Show."

Both Ehrhardt and Specht made their hometown proud and Meronek hopes that even in death, they can be immortalized.

"I think they're both in local halls of fame, but nobody remembers them anymore and they did some pretty amazing things."

Other topics include:

• The early days of the Superior Curling Club
• The role that Duluth's Frank Sullivan played in local skating.
• How did Ehrhardt begin skating?
• Another career aspiration that Ehrhardt had.
• How Ehrhardt met her husband and the unique secret they kept.
• How did Ehrhardt become a professional skater?
• Tricks on skate that Ehrhardt perfected.
• Ehrhardt's family and tragic death.
• Specht's family.
• Could Specht have become an elite skater sooner?
• The crowd response after Specht skated in a competition in Philadelphia.
• How long did Specht skate in the Ice Capades?
• Did Specht have Hollywood aspirations?
• Ehrhardt and Specht's ties to the University of Wisconsin Superior.
• Where else did both live?
• And much more.

Episodes of "Archive Dive" are published monthly. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth Media Group digital producer Dan Williamson. If you have an idea that you'd like us to explore, email Teri Cadeau at TCadeau@superiortelegram.com.

In this month's episode of Archive Dive, Telegram reporter Teri Cadeau and local historian and retired librarian Teddie Meronek dive into the story of Robert Chapman and his mother Mary Chapman.

For 25 years, Mary Chapman was the organist at Cathedral of Christ the King church in Superior and walked there every day, year round. A mother of seven children, Mary Chapman was also a widow at a young age and experienced great loss again in October 1944 when her youngest son Robert was killed in action in the Netherlands during World War II.

Private Robert Chapman was with the 320th Glider Field Artillery Battalion, a unit within the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division. Meronek said he was either 21 or 22 years old at the time of his death.

"Apparently two of the officers in his unit had been shot and he went out and tried to help them and he got struck by a bullet while he was going out there to help him, but he stayed there. He tried to bandage them up and then he was carrying one of the men off the field and he died," said Meronek.

After his death, Private Chapman was awarded the Purple Heart, Silver Star and the Bronze Lion decoration from the government of the Netherlands. His body was not brought back to Superior and he was buried in the Netherlands.

But, that is not where the story ends. A woman named Nora Hodiamont in the Netherlands began taking care of Robert's grave. Similar to how Mary Chapman was devoted to her task by traveling by foot to play the organ, Hodiamont was devoted to her task too, traveling many miles by bike to tend to the grave of Robert Chapman, along with others who were buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery in the village of Margraten.

"She (Nora) loved her country because family was so important in all of this. She rode her bike 17 miles to take care of these graves."

Mary Chapman and Hodiamont would eventually connect, first through letters and then in person. Almost a decade after Robert's death, an article appeared in the Telegram in 1953 highlighting Mary and Nora's friendship. Mary first visited Nora in the Netherlands and a year after that encounter, Hodiamont visited the U.S. and Mary.

"It may seem small, but it really wasn't. Making sure a grave is taken care of - what a difference that made in people's lives. To know that somebody was taking care of it and it established a friendship too because of it. A friendship across the ocean."

"She (Nora) would also put flowers on the grave, just like a mom would or a family member would take care of somebody's grave. She made sure that he (Robert) didn't miss that part since he was going to miss the rest of his life," Meronek added.

Residents still care for the graves in the cemetery to this day.

"The Dutch people were just so grateful that the Americans had come in and did what they did to help liberate the country," said Meronek.

It isn't known when Hodiamont died, but Mary Chapman died in 1962 in Superior at the age of 69.

"She didn't change the world or even the city or anything, but she gave. She gave her son and she still made her mark though. I like that," said Meronek.

Other topics discussed in this episode:

• Mary Chapman's double wedding in 1911.

• How Mary got her start as an organist and her other musical talents.

• The generations of Dutch people and their gratitude to those who helped liberate them.

• The option for deceased soldiers to return to the U.S. or remain buried in the Netherlands.

• Mary's trip to see Robert's grave and meet Nora.

• Operation Market Garden and how it was featured in the TV series Band of Brothers

• Where did Robert work before he went into the service?

• And much more.

Episodes of "Archive Dive" are published monthly. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth Media Group digital producer Dan Williamson. If you have an idea that you'd like us to explore, email Teri Cadeau at TCadeau@superiortelegram.com.

For this month's episode of Archive Dive, we take a closer look at a story of love, fame and tragedy involving a Gordon woman.

Podcast host and former Telegram reporter Maria Lockwood is joined by Brian Finstad, president of the Gordon-Wascott Historical Society, as they explore the life of Victoria Lidberg. She met performer Paul Lorenzo Perkinson, who went by the name Paul Lorenzo, while she was ushering at Superior's Palace Theater. Soon after, they married in October of 1926.

Lidberg became a performer too, as the couple toured the nation's circuses, fairs, and carnivals, wowing audiences with acrobatic feats 125 feet in the air.

Their rise to fame ended when Lorenzo fell to his death during a show in Salem, Illinois in 1942. Although Lidberg eventually remarried, the words on her gravestone show she never forgot Lorenzo.

"Who meets somebody and then the next thing you know, they're 100 feet in the air without a balancing rod? That's pretty amazing!" said Finstad.

"It must have been love," added Lockwood.

Years later, the historical society was contacted by Lidberg's nephew, Andy Worsley, who had trunks filled with costumes, clippings and other treasures from the couple's acrobatic adventures. Plans are in the works to display some of those items during Gordon Good Neighbor Days from July 3-5.

Additional topics discussed in this "Archive Dive" episode include:

• Those who assisted Finstad with exploring the contents of the trunks.
• The large backdrop used as part of their traveling shows and how it was stored.
• Some of the unique events and places at which the Lorenzos performed.
• Stunts that the Lorenzos performed.
• Paul's military background.
• Did Lidberg have previous performing experience?
• Where was the couple married?
• Where is Paul Lorenzo buried?
• What's true and false about Paul's tragic death?
• Other unique performers with ties to Gordon.

Episodes of "Archive Dive" are published monthly. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth Media Group digital producer Dan Williamson. If you have an idea that you'd like us to explore, email us at editorial@superiortelegram.com.