The story of Myrtle Buckmiller's professional development as a theater operator would not be complete without the accompanying story of her second husband, Donald Geddes.

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Donald was born on Valentine's Day in 1889 in Thurso, on the north coast of Scotland. An ambitious young man, he set sail for America just two months after his 18th birthday, arriving in New York on April 30th, 1907. He was trained as a haberdasher and was given employment by the Smith & Murray department store, a store established by Scottish immigrants. 

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Soon, he set his sights on the west coast, and travelled westward. By 1910, he was living on Main Street in Moscow, Idaho and working as a dry goods salesman. 

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In 1910, Myrtle's marriage to Benjamin Wheeler was on the rocks, and she decided to take a job playing piano at a theater in Moscow for a few months. Presumably, this is how they met. After a tumultuous courtroom drama, Myrtle's divorce was finalized on April 8, 1911, with a stipulation that she not enter any relationships with other men for 6 months post-divorce. Myrtle and Donald were married on October 8, 1911. 

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The Geddeses resided in Myrtle's home on South Grand Avenue in Spokane, for the next five years.

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It appears that Donald didn't have the same misgivings about his wife working, and together they embarked on an ambitious journey. In interviews later in life, Myrtle claims to have worked "for years" for the Keith-Orpheum circuit as a dancer and a member of a musical trio. The road show part of her career most likely occurred during this time, before the Geddeses began buying and operating multiple theaters. 

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In 1916, Myrtle and Donald briefly moved back to Moscow to operate the Strand Theater there, and then quickly moved to Seattle where they purchased the Ye College Playhouse. 

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