Writers Who Kill

 

By Heather Weidner

Today is National American Teddy Bear Day. I have collected teddy bears in all shapes and sizes since my uncle sent me my first one from Vietnam when he was stationed there in the late 1960s.

The beloved toy was created to honor President Theodore Roosevelt, who while on a hunting trip, refused to shoot a bear cub that was tied to a tree. Clifford Berryman captured the event in a political cartoon that caught the attention of Morris Michtom and his wife Rose. They created a stuffed bear, and after getting Roosevelt’s permission, they marketed the Teddy Bear, and the rest is history. It was such a success that Michtom eventually founded the Ideal Toy Company. The teddy bear has been a part of everyday life since.

In 1921, A. A. Milne, who also wrote The Red House Mystery, introduced the world to Winnie-the-Pooh, a collection of stories that he wrote for his young son, and later the famous bear became a beloved Disney character with the animations of Milne’s stories.

The teddy bear became a part of a popular culture craze again in the 1950s when a rumor spread that Elvis Presley liked the toy. Thousands of his fans mailed him stuffed bears to declare their adoration. Several song writers who also heard the rumor, wrote the song “(Let Me Be) Your Teddy Bear” that Elvis eventually sang in the movie, Loving You. In 1957, Elvis donated the thousands of teddy bears to the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis.

To commemorate the anniversary of the creation of the teddy bear, the Michtom family donated one of their original creations to Teddy Roosevelt’s grandson, Kermit, and the family eventually donated it to the Smithsonian where it is still on display.

The loveable stuffed toys have been a part of our iconography for over the past hundred years, and they take center stage in my upcoming Jules Keene Glamping mystery, Teddy Bears and Ghostly Lairs. In this cozy, the town of Fern Valley, in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, has overdosed on cuteness for its first teddy bear and toy festival. Adorable bears have taken over every inch of the town, and Jules Keene can barely keep up with all the guest check-ins at her glamping resort. To add to the fun, a team of paranormal investigators set their sights on her vintage trailers and the new treehouse as they investigate the local haunts. It quickly becomes evident that things aren’t all sweet and cuddly when someone absconds with collectible toys. Then to make matters worse, Jules and her friends trip over something not so other-worldly at an abandoned motel during a paranormal investigation. Jules has to calm frayed nerves and solve the mystery before there are any other thefts or grisly murders.

Do you have a favorite bear? Mine are Winnie-the-Pooh, Paddington Bear, and Gentle Ben.

Resources:

·        The Story of the Teddy Bear - Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)

·         History of Teddy Bears

·         The History of the Teddy Bear

·         https://www.mprnews.org/story/2017/08/24/elvis-not-fond-of-teddy-bears

Through the years, Heather Weidner has been a cop’s kid, technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager. She writes the Pearly Girls Mysteries, the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, The Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, and The Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries. She blogs regularly with the Writers Who Kill.

Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a crazy Mini Aussie Shepherd.