In 1915, Marcella Craft, shown in this photo by the cross, performed “The Holy City” instead of Gustav Hilverkus

Marcella (Sarah Marcia) Craft

Sponsored by Frank Miller, Marcella Craft studied in Boston and with the help of another benefactor learned her craft in Italy where she also got the name Marcella, the diminutive form of her name Marcia. A member of the company at the Royal Opera House in Munich, she starred in Madame Butterfly and Salome. During World War I she returned home, performing with the New York Philharmonic and with many opera companies in major cities throughout the U.S. She retired to Riverside where she formed the Riverside Opera Company.