Anaya Nolan
Wyatt Earp, a famed Old West lawman and gambler, had a common-law wife named Josephine Sarah Sadie Earp, born Josephine Sarah Marcus. Josephine Earp was born in 1861 in New York City to an observant, immigrant, German-Jewish family. Her father, Carl-Hyman Marcuse (later Henry Marcus), was a baker, and her mother, Sophie Lewis, was from the Posen region in Prussia, present-day Poland. Josephine received a religious Jewish education and prayed daily. She met Wyatt Earp in 1881 in Tombstone, Arizona, and they remained together until his death in 1929.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Josephine Sarah "Sadie" Earp (née Marcus) |
| Birth Name | Josephine Sarah Marcus |
| Birth Year | 1861 |
| Death Year | 1944 |
| Birthplace | New York City |
| Parents | Carl-Hyman Marcuse (later Henry Marcus) and Sophie Lewis |
| Family Origin | Posen region in Prussia, current-day Poland |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Relationship Status with Wyatt Earp | Common-law wife |
| Duration of Relationship with Wyatt Earp | 46 or 47 years |
| Relationship Timeline with Wyatt Earp | 1880 or 1881 to 1929 (Wyatt Earp's death year) |
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What You'll Learn
Josephine Earp was born into a Jewish family
Josephine Earp, born Josephine Sarah "Sadie" Earp (née Marcus), was the common-law wife of Wyatt Earp, a famed Old West lawman and gambler. Josephine was born in 1861 in New York City, the second of three children. Her parents, Carl-Hyman Marcuse (later Henry Marcus) and Sophie Lewis, were Prussian Jewish immigrants from the Posen region in Prussia, which is now Poland. They moved to San Francisco when Josephine was young, and she received a religious Jewish education, saying her prayers daily. Josephine's father was a baker, and when he struggled to find work, the family moved in with her older sister and brother-in-law. Josephine ran away from home, possibly as early as age 14, and travelled to Arizona, seeking adventure.
Josephine's Jewish identity was an important aspect of her life and relationships. When she and Wyatt stayed with prominent businessman and the first Mayor of Albuquerque, Henry N. Jaffa, who was also Jewish, Wyatt's friend Doc Holliday made an antisemitic remark, asking Wyatt if he was becoming a "damn Jew-boy". Wyatt was offended and left the gathering, indicating that his feelings for Josephine were serious. It is also speculated that Wyatt kissed the mezuzah when entering Jewish homes as a sign of respect to his Jewish wife.
Josephine worked hard to control the narrative of her life and her relationship with Wyatt, threatening legal action against writers and movie producers to suppress certain details. She was even buried in a Jewish cemetery just outside San Francisco, where she placed Wyatt's ashes in her family's plot.
Despite Josephine's efforts to shape the narrative, much of her life remains uncertain, particularly from around 1874 to 1882 when she lived in the Arizona Territory. She kept this period of her life private, and amateur Earp historian Glenn Boyer's book "I Married Wyatt Earp", which was considered factual for many years, was later discredited due to a lack of evidence for many of its claims.
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Wyatt Earp was buried in a Jewish cemetery
Wyatt Earp, the legendary gunfighter, gambler, and lawman, was buried in a Jewish cemetery in the San Francisco Bay area. For 30 years after his death in 1929, the location of his grave remained a mystery. It was eventually discovered that his ashes were placed in his wife's family plot in the Hills of Eternity, a Jewish cemetery just outside San Francisco.
Wyatt Earp's wife, Josephine Sarah Marcus Earp, was from a Jewish family. Josephine was born in New York City in 1861 to Prussian Jewish immigrants, Carl-Hyman Marcuse (later Henry Marcus) and Sophie Lewis. Her parents moved the family to San Francisco in 1867, where she received a good Jewish education. Josephine was Earp's common-law wife for 46 or 47 years until his death.
Despite being married to a Jewish woman, Wyatt Earp was not Jewish himself. However, it is speculated that he respected his wife's religion and culture. There are accounts of him kissing the mezuzah before entering Jewish homes, and he is known to have had many Jewish friends.
Wyatt and Josephine's gravesite is a popular tourist attraction in Colma, San Francisco. Their joint gravesite is marked by a simple, flat plaque, surrounded by gravestones adorned with Stars of David and menorahs.
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Wyatt's feelings for Josephine may have been serious
Wyatt Earp, a famed Old West lawman and gambler, had a common-law wife, Josephine Earp, who was Jewish. Josephine was born in New York City in 1861 to a Prussian Jewish family. Her father, Carl-Hyman Marcuse (later Henry Marcus), was a baker, and her mother was Sophie Lewis. The family moved to San Francisco, where Josephine received a religious Jewish education and attended dance school.
Josephine met Wyatt in 1881 in Tombstone, Arizona, when she was living with Johnny Behan, the sheriff of Cochise County, Arizona. Josephine and Wyatt's relationship was not without drama and intrigue. When they met, Wyatt was living with his common-law wife, Mattie Blaylock, a former prostitute. Josephine, on the other hand, had hoped that Behan would marry her, but when he delayed, she was ready to leave him. Josephine's version of her life story claims that she lived with Kitty Jones and her husband and merely worked as a housekeeper for Behan.
Josephine and Wyatt spent the next 47 years together, roaming from one boomtown to another and investing in mining and oil. They also worked on preparing Wyatt's life story for film and print. Josephine was committed to controlling the narrative of their lives, even taking legal action to suppress certain details of their time in Tombstone. She was protective of Wyatt's reputation and worked to conceal his prior relationship with Mattie Blaylock.
Josephine and Wyatt's relationship was not without challenges. After Wyatt's brother, Morgan Earp, was shot and killed, the couple left for Utah. They faced financial difficulties, and Josephine's efforts to publish a truthful book about their lives were unsuccessful. Despite these struggles, they remained devoted to each other until the end. Josephine died in 1944, 15 years after Wyatt's passing, and was buried next to him in a Jewish cemetery in the San Francisco Bay area.
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Josephine was known as Wyatt's common-law wife
Josephine Sarah "Sadie" Earp, born Josephine Sarah Marcus, was the common-law wife of Wyatt Earp, a famed Old West lawman and gambler. She was born in 1861 in New York City to a Prussian Jewish family. Her father, Carl-Hyman Marcuse (later Henry Marcus), was a baker. They moved to San Francisco, where Josephine attended dance school as a girl. When her father struggled to find work, the family moved in with her older sister and brother-in-law. Josephine ran away from home, possibly as early as age 14, and travelled to Arizona, seeking adventure.
Josephine met Wyatt in 1881 in Tombstone, Arizona, when she was living with Johnny Behan, the sheriff of Cochise County, Arizona. Josephine's relationship with Wyatt began when she returned home one day to find Behan with another woman, after which she threw him out and soon took up with Wyatt. Wyatt and Josephine remained together for 46 or 47 years, until his death, roaming from one boomtown to another and dabbling in different investments such as mining and oil. Josephine was also involved in preparing Wyatt's life story for film and print.
Much of Josephine's life from about 1874 to 1882, when she lived in the Arizona Territory, remains uncertain. She worked hard to keep this period of her life private, even taking legal action against writers and movie producers to suppress certain details. During her later years, she scripted a history of make-believe to hide a number of things of which she was not proud. For example, she tried to conceal Wyatt's prior relationship with his common-law wife and former prostitute Mattie Blaylock, with whom Wyatt was living when Josephine first met him in 1880 or 1881.
Josephine died in 1944, 15 years after Wyatt. For 30 years after Wyatt's death, the location of his grave eluded the curious. No one thought to look in Hills of Eternity, a Jewish cemetery just outside San Francisco, where Josephine, who was Jewish, had placed his ashes in her family's plot. Wyatt was not Jewish, but he is said to have kissed the mezuzah before entering Jewish homes as a sign of respect to his wife.
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Josephine was born in New York
Josephine Sarah "Sadie" Earp, born Josephine Sarah Marcus, was born in New York in 1861. She was the common-law wife of Wyatt Earp, a famed Old West lawman and gambler. Josephine was born to a Prussian Jewish family, with her father working as a baker. Her parents, Carl-Hyman Marcuse (later Henry Marcus) and Sophie Lewis, were immigrants who moved from the Posen region in Prussia (modern-day Poland) to Brooklyn, New York, in 1850. They later moved to San Francisco, where Josephine attended dance school. Josephine's family was religious, and she was educated in the Jewish faith and prayed daily.
As a young girl, Josephine lived with her family in San Francisco, but they soon faced financial difficulties, and they moved in with her older sister and brother-in-law. Around the age of 14, Josephine ran away from home, possibly heading to Arizona "looking for adventure". Josephine's life during this period, from about 1874 to 1882, remains uncertain, as she actively worked to keep this part of her life private. She even threatened legal action against writers and filmmakers to suppress certain details of her life.
In 1880, Josephine joined Johnny Behan, the sheriff of Cochise County, Arizona, in Tombstone. However, she left him when he delayed their marriage. It was in Tombstone that Josephine met Wyatt Earp in 1881. Wyatt was living with his common-law wife, Mattie Blaylock, at the time. Josephine and Wyatt's relationship caused tension with Behan, who had been defeated by Wyatt in the sheriff's election and was angered by Josephine leaving him for Wyatt.
Josephine and Wyatt spent 47 years together, roaming from one boomtown to another and investing in mining and oil. Wyatt died in 1929, and Josephine passed away 15 years later in 1944. She was buried next to Wyatt in a Jewish cemetery in the San Francisco Bay area, as she practised Judaism and was not ashamed of her Jewish identity.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Josephine Sarah "Sadie" Earp, born Josephine Sarah Marcus, was Jewish. Her parents, Carl-Hyman Marcuse (later Henry Marcus) and Sophie Lewis, were Prussian Jewish immigrants.
Josephine Earp met Wyatt Earp in 1881 in Tombstone, Arizona Territory. At the time, she was living with Johnny Behan, the sheriff of Cochise County, Arizona.
Wyatt Earp was buried in a Jewish cemetery, the Hills of Eternity, just outside San Francisco.
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