ROY AND ELISE OLMSTEAD’S DAUGHTER NEARING 100!

Roy and Elise Olmstead, the so-called King and Queen of Seattle Bootleggers in the 1920s, had one child, a daughter named Patricia. Born in July 1925, she arrived in the midst of the grand jury proceedings that would see Roy, Elise and almost a hundred others in Roy’s organization indicted for conspiracy to violate Prohibition laws. At six months old, Patricia would spend her days with a nurse while her father and mother stood trial in a Seattle federal court. After almost two months of trial, Elise, the only woman in the dock, would be acquitted, but not Roy. He was convicted on all counts and sentenced to four years in prison.

Out on bail, and with his operations and cash flow disrupted, Roy and Elise had to sell their home and furnishings to pay their bills and mounting legal fees. They lived in a series of apartments as Roy carried on with his bootlegging to survive. He would be caught and arrested twice more while waiting on the Supreme Court to hear his appeal. Ultimately, the Court affirmed his conviction in 1928. Three-year-old Patricia would see her father off to prison.

Because there was no hidden pot of gold as some suspected, Patricia was sent off to live with an older Scottish couple while Elise found work, traveling in sales, or any other job she could get – a traumatic time for Patricia. Roy served his full sentence and was released in 1931. His wife and Patricia, now back home, were waiting for him.

Roy came out of prison a changed man – a Christian Science adherent. The Depression was at hand and times were tough. Roy struggled to find work. Elise worked for the Seattle courts and became president of the Parent-Teachers Association for six terms at Patricia’s school. With her love of music, she also found the time to become an active member of the Seattle Opera. Sadly, by 1940, their marriage was over and Roy and Elise were divorced in 1943.

Through all those turbulent years, Patricia managed to come out of it a remarkable woman. She is a UW graduate with a degree in social work who raised three boys who in turn have wonderful families. She remains bright and with a clear memory of her days as the daughter of the famous Roy Olmstead. And she is especially grateful for the biography of her mother. The book, Elise Olmstead: The Myth and Mystery of Seattle’s “Queen of the Bootleggers,” is dedicated to Patricia and is available here.  Thank you, Patricia, and here’s to your upcoming 100th birthday!