Abby Lu Ashley
(November 1, 1909 – August 1985)
Abby Lu Ashley (née Bartholomew) was one of the fans who lived in the original Slan Shack in Battle Creek, Michigan, from 1943–45. She and her husband, Al Ashley, owned the house. 4E gave her the Esperanto nickname Ruja-Blu (see below).
Abby Lu attended the 1941 Michiconference (Photos), the 1942 Bloomington Conference,and the 1943–45 Michiconferences were held at her home. After that, she and her husband, her daughter, Toople, and the rest of the Slan Shackers moved to LA and joined LASFS.
Things got pretty cozy in the Slan Shack, according to Bob Tucker in Sci-Fic Variety 6 (June 1942):
When we were up there last November, it surprised us no end to find that Al Ashley's wife was almost literally "our wife". First Evans would throw his arms about her and kiss her, then Jack Wiedenbeck would do likewise, and-so-help-me-hannah, so did Walt Liebscher! We are afraid we stared goggle-eyed at all this. We looked askance at Al and he shrugged his shoulders as if to say: "Shux. Every fan in the state of Michigan does it -- and some in Illinois!"
The Ashleys’ FAPAzine was En Garde and Abby Lu contributed to Nova. She was a member of the N3F.
Her photo (with others) appears on page 34 of All Our Yesterdays (1969) by Harry Warner, Jr..
Born Abby Lu Bartholomew in Tennessee, she married Wayne Adams in 1927 in Michigan; they had two children (Darlyne aka “Toople” and Milton) and divorced in 1936. While Abby Lu got custody of both children, Milton later went to live with his father.
Abby Lu married Al Ashley in 1936 in Indiana. At some point in the late 1940s or early 1950s, she divorced Al, gafiated and married Joseph Skinner in 1953 in California, then Charles Fuller in 1960, also in California. Abby Lu died in California in August 1985.
| From Fancyclopedia 1, ca. 1944 |
| Ruja-Blu (Ackerman) – Nickname for Abby Lu Ashley, referring to hair and eye coloration. The Michifen misunderstood it as ruj-Ablu. |
| Person | 1909—1985 |
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