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Belva Gaertner | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Gaertner in 1924 | |
| Born | Belva Eleanora Boosinger September 14, 1884 Litchfield, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | May 14, 1965 (aged 80) Pasadena, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Belle Brown |
| Known for | Inspiration for Velma Kelly in Chicago |
| Spouses | William Gaertner
(m. 1917; div. 1917)
(m. 1925; died 1948) |
Belva Eleanora Gaertner (née Boosinger; September 14, 1884 – May 14, 1965) was an American woman who was acquitted of murder in a 1924 trial. She inspired the character of Velma in the 1926 play Chicago created by Maurine Dallas Watkins; Watkins reported on the trial for the Chicago Tribune. The character of Velma Kelly also appears in the 1975 musical based on the play.