THE FAMILY MAN
"That Harry had access to women is beyond doubt, although the multitude of anecdotes in this direction are surely exaggerated. Greb actually married his childhood sweetheart, Mildred Riley, in 1917, by whom he had a daughter, Dorothy, a year later. All reports are that Harry doted on both wife and daughter and was shattered by Mildred's death in 1920. It has also come to light that Greb carried a Bible with him everywhere he went. Can this be the insensitive deflowerer of women so often portrayed in everyday conversation?"
--from Boxing Monthly February 1991. Written by Geoff Poundes.
Harry , his daughter Dorothy, and wife Mildred.
This photo was supplied by the Wohlfarth family for use on this website.
It is the only known photo of all three of them together.
photo supplied by Maria Boscia (Harry's great grandaughter) and
Harry Greb Wohlfarth (Harry's grandson, Dorothy's son)
I'd like to thank Maria and Harry for the use of this photo that shows Harry Greb in a family setting.
Harry and his daughter Dorothy
photo supplied by Don Scott
CLICK HERE TO SEE PICS OF A YOUNG GREB
8/20/1923
Photo shows Harry Greb playing the ukelele with his daughter, Dorothy, 3 1/2 years old and his sister, Mrs. Edwards.
Family Tree
Pius and Annie Greb gave birth to four children- Edward Henry Greb(Harry), Ida , and two other sisters. One of Harry's sisters may have been named Claire who married Glenn Shannon, but this has not been confirmed yet. His third sister was known to be Mrs. Kathryn Greb Brink.
Harry and wife Mildred gave birth to one child, Dorothy (Dorothy Greb Edwards Wohlfarth).
After Mildred and Harry's death, his sister Ida and husband J. Elmer Edwards adopted Dorothy.
Dorothy married Phillip Wohlfarth Jr.
Dorothy and Phillip Wohlfarth had two children- daughter Suzanne and son Harry Greb Wohlfarth.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE 1910 CENSUS
COVERING INFORMATION ABOUT HARRY AND HIS FAMILY
CLICK HERE TO SEE HARRY'S BIRTH CERTIFICATE
Dorothy with her two children- daughter Suzanne and son Harry Greb Wohlfarth.
Harry and his wife Mildred Riley Greb
photo supplied by Don Scott
Greb's wife Mildred is on the left and his manager George Engel is on the right.
"But he didn't run around with them(women) during his marriage. I wouldn't want
anything to reflect on Dorothy's children. It was only after the death
of our Harry's wife that he really attained fame(chasing women)".
-quote from Ida Edwards in "Give Him To The Angels"
Harry's deceased wife had been a chorus girl at George Jaffe's old Academy burlesque theater on Liberty Avenue. The couple had a daughter whom Greb loved dearly. Mrs. Greb died several years later.
Harry and his wife Mildred Riley Greb
Harry Greb Wohlfarth is on the left, his mom Dorothy is on the right.
Boxer Joe Shannon is in the middle.
Question #3- What do you know about Harry's wife Mildred?
Answer- "It's not well known but Mildred was a beauty contestant. Before they were married she won a beauty contest that years later developed into the Miss America Contest. Let's see how it goes....She won the contest when she was 18, she married when she was 19, had mom at 20, then died at 21."
Harry Greb Wohlfarth Interview
(Harry's grandson)
I interviewed Harry on July 5, 1998
photo supplied by Don Scott
Question #1- What do you know about Miss Naomi Braden? She was shown in the Greb film footage . She said she'd marry harry if he won the Walker fight.
Answer- "Not much is known, but she wasn't liked too much."
__________
Question #4- You have a sister Suzanne, right?
Answer- "Yeah, Sue, Kay, and Pat."
__________
Question #10- Do you have anything that you can take photos of or copies of that I can add to the site?
Answer- "Sure. My daughter is coming over in a couple weeks and can take photo's of some stuff. I even have a picture of mom with the both of them."
____________
Question #11- You mean a photo of Harry, Mildred and Dorothy, all together at the same time? That hasn't ever been published.
Answer- " No, I don't think it has."
____________
Harry Greb Wohlfarth Interview
(Harry's grandson)
I interviewed Harry on July 5, 1998
This is a Harry's father Pius Greb.
Pius was born in 1856 in Rossdorf (Amoeneburg), Germany. In 1881 he left Germany to go to America.
This photo was supplied by Christopher Greb. Pius was a Uncle of his Grandfather Christoph Greb.
Harry Greb spent the last couple years of his life dating Miss Naomi Braden. They were engaged to be married when Harry passed away in 1926. Naomi was at his bedside when he passed away.
Dorothy's Obituary (Harry Greb's daughter)
(supplied by the families of Thomas Pius McGinley (1993) and Christine Connor)
www.harrygreb.com