Irma Thomas

Irma Thomas, a St. Paul housewife, hired Orrin Markhus to teach her how to golf. Orrin had experience as both a professional golfer and ice skater, he began skating at four years old. When not performing around the world, he taught golf in the summer months and ice skating through the winter. Orrin convinced Irma and her three girls to give ice skating a try. Irma proved to be a natural even though, at age 38, she had never skated before. She jumped at the chance to perform professionally with her teacher. For several years they performed in the Ice Vanities as “The Smoothest Pair on Ice” before signing a contract for one year, with an option, for the Ice Capades in 1942. The option continued and the pair became a regular part of the “The Greatest Show on Ice.” Their performance remained relatively the same through the years, a five-minute graceful glide on the ice to traditional waltz music, often “You’re An Old Smoothie”, “Jealous”, and “Shine On, Harvest Moon”. Orrin in his white tailcoats and Irma in a flowing gown. They shook hands at the beginning of each performance and ended with Irma ceremoniously wiping the sweat from Orrin’s brow. Their fine-tuned simple act, they fell only seven times in the first ten years, proved to be immensely popular with the public. They had their share of injuries as they aged, but neither of them missed any of their 7,000 shows. After a series of escalating health issues, the duo retired in 1964 at the ages of 72 and 65. They were married in 1966 after the passing of Irma’s first husband Charles. The lived out their retirement in Victorville, CA until Orrin’s passing in 1979 and Irma’s in 1995.