Meeting Bettie Page for the First Time: Nephew Ron Brem Reminisces

At the 19th annual Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend, I had the pleasure and honor of meeting Ron Brem, Bettie’s nephew and her sister Goldie’s son. “It was quite an eye-opener and a heart-warming experience seeing my Aunt Bettie’s influence on so many people,” he said. (Thanks to you ladies rocking the Bettie bangs, no doubt!) “I remember my mom and Bettie both were in disbelief at just how popular Bettie had become.” Ron is wonderfully warm and generous, and it is certainly in that spirit that he shares this cherished personal memory of meeting his Aunt Bettie in 1961–several years after she ended her modeling career and disappeared from the public eye. You will find more exclusive stories and photos in Ron’s monthly blog posts* here at BettiePage.com.

Ron Brem with a Bettie “wannabe” at the Bettie Page Wines display, Viva Las Vegas #19

This is a picture that is very dear to me, of the day I met my Aunt Bettie for the very first time in 1961. My grandma, Edna Page, and Bettie had traveled up to southern Illinois from Nashville, Tennessee, to visit my mom and dad and to meet me! While they were visiting, my dad drove all of us across the Mississippi River for a very fun-filled day at the Saint Louis Zoo in Forest Park, which was the site of the 1904 World’s Fair.

My mom loved photography and always had a camera in her hand, and she took a lot of great pictures of our adventure there. I can clearly remember Bettie often holding my hand as we walked through the zoo and the park that day. I also remember how nice and kind Bettie was to me. I could tell that she really liked me, and she later told my mom that I was a good kid.