Jeanette Williams

From the list of elephant persons Family: Williams

Jeanette Williams
Picture of Jeanette  Williams
Profession circus animal trainer
Personal details
Born 1942-03-18


Spouse(s) Fritz Wurms


Spouse(s) 1961 - 1967 Gunther Gebel-Williams

Residence
Country Germany
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Locations
Title animal trainer 1968-1982
Location at Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus (Red Unit) in United States

Title animal trainer -1968
Location at Circus Williams in Germany

Biography details

Jeanette Williams , circus animal trainer in Germany

Williams was born * 1942-03-18 , son of animal trainer Harry Williams and director Carola Williams

⚭ Married to Fritz Wurms born 1953? Düsseldorf in Germany

Married 1961 to Gunther Gebel-Williams born 1934-09-12 Schweidnitz, Lower Silesia (now Świdnica, Poland) in Germany .

Jeanette  Williams

1961: Jeanette married Gunther Gebel, who changed his name to Gunther Gebel-Williams.

1967: Jeanette Williams and Gunther Gebel-Williams divorced, but Jeanette moved with the circus to USA in 1968, and performed as horse trainer.


During her student years in Cologne, Jeanette had been trained daily in dressage at the Circus Williams winter quarters by a retired Dutch dressage rider named Schumacher, and she had become a talented high school equestrienne.

Irvin Feld flew to Europe, and entered into negotiations with Carola, Jeanette, and Gunther, the principals of Circus Williams. Feld signed with Circus Williams a four-year renewable lease for two million dollars, for which he got Gunther, Jeanette, the animals, and the personnel necessary for their upkeep and presentation. On November 2, 1968, Gunther and Jeanette set sail for the New World on the Atlantic Saga, with seventeen elephants (Gunther’s eleven, and six more purchased in Europe by Irvin Feld), nine tigers, thirty-eight horses, and a few assorted exotic animals. On the ship, too, were Gunther’s new wife, Sigrid, a former model from Berlin, and his stepdaughter, Tina, and Jeanette five-month-old daughter, Caroline, born of a recent, short-lived union. They all landed in New York on November 15.

In 1972, Jeanette Williams married another Ringling star, the trapezist and daredevil Elvin Bale, and also settled in the United States. She divorced in 1982 and left the Ringling show to establish herself as a successful agent and circus impresario.
Raffaele De Ritis, Italy


Jeanette  WilliamsJeanette Williams at Stukenbrock Safaripark, 1987.

2007: Jeanette Williams daughter, Caroline Williams, gave birth to the son Dominik Williams.

Siblings

Siblings through the father Harry Williams (1902 -- 1951-01-10):

  1. Alfons Williams Born 1940 Dead: † 1960-06-21

Jeanette Williamss ancestral Ahnentafel:

P I II III

Jeanette Williams
Born: 1942-03-18

Father:
Harry Williams

Born: 1902
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Paternal Grandfather:


Born:
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Paternal Great-grandfather:
Paternal Great-grandmother:
Paternal Grandmother:


Born:
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Paternal Great-grandfather::
Paternal Great-grandmother:

Mother:
Carolina Althoff

Born: 1903-12-01
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Maternal Grandfather:
Dominik Althoff

Born: 1883-04-08
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Maternal Great-grandfather:
Adolf Althoff
Maternal Great-grandmother:
Sabrine Sonnier
Maternal Grandmother:
Adele Mark

Born: 1883-04-15
2025-06
Maternal Great-grandfather:
Maternal Great-grandmother:


Jeanette Williams is mentioned on 5 other person pagesCarolina Althoff,  Gunther Gebel,  Hans Schröer,  Harry Williams,  Jeanette Althoff,  

Jeanette Williams is mentioned on 2 location pagesCircus Williams,  Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus (Red Unit),  

Reference list

References

Koehl, Dan, (2025). animal trainer Jeanette Williams in United States. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 15 June 2025 at https://www.elephant.se/person.php?id=340. (archived at the Wayback machine)

Sources used for this article is among others:


Selected publications

External links about Jeanette Williams


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Categories animal trainer | circus | Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus (Red Unit) | Williams family | Born 1942 | People from Germany


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