Lora lee michel biography of abraham

Lora Lee Michel

American actress (born )

Lora Lee Michel

Born

Virginia Joy Willeford


()September 13,

La Grange, Texas, US

OccupationChild actress
Years&#;active–
Spouses

Donald Mayo Ford

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Joe Wendel Owen

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Carey Hand Bray

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Frank O'Neil Scot

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Lora Lee Michel (born Virginia Joy Willeford, September 13, ) is an American former child actress.[1] She appeared in several feature films during the Golden Age of Hollywood in the late s and early s.

What happened to former child star Lora Lee Michel? - Los ...: Like an anthropologist, I began tracing genealogy reports and tracking down anyone who crossed paths with her, trying to understand what they might tell me about who Lora Lee Michel was and what happened to her. Otto continued to correspond with his brother, often asking for money. Effie Forrest on the other, when Mrs. Bray, her previous husband, sent money to put her on a train back to Corpus Christi.

In , she was the focus of a custody dispute in Beverly Hills, California, in which she alleged that her adoptive mother had beaten and starved her. She came to public attention again in when she and her third husband were sentenced in federal court for stealing a car and driving it across state lines. After her release from prison, she disappeared.

It is believed she died from cancer in [2]

Early life and family

Michel was born in La Grange, Texas, on September 13, , to Willie Walker Willeford and Lena Smith Brunson.[1][2] Brunson gave Michel and two other younger siblings up for adoption when Michel was five years old.

She was adopted by Otto and Lorraine Michel in Schulenburg, Texas.[3] As of , Michel has one living sister, Barbara Michel Wright.[4]

Career

Michel was a successful child actress in the late s.

Biography of isaac Toggle the table of contents. What they did know of Lora Lee was by turns anguished and dramatic. And he came back and said she died in of cancer. When she looked in on Lora Lee, she was gone.

By the age of 9, she was earning $ a day (equivalent to $1, in ).[3] By her own count, she appeared in 19 films.[5]

Custody trial

In , Michel told one of her friends that her adoptive mother Lorraine Michel was "starving her to keep her small and slim so that she could continue to get screen roles," leading to Lorraine's arrest.[3] Lora Lee's birth mother, Lena Brunson, alerted by the resulting publicity, filed a countersuit in a Beverly Hills court to reclaim custody of her daughter.[3] During the custody hearing, a widely publicized fist fight occurred between Mrs.

Brunson and Lora Lee's former agent and drama coach Ona Wargin on one side and Mrs. Michel and her friend Mrs. Effie Forrest on the other, when Mrs. Brunson attempted to hug and physically hold Michel.[6]

At the trial, a clergyman testified that Michel appeared to him to have been "terribly bruised", which the girl claimed was from physical punishment administered by Lorraine.[7] He said he had seen Michel at the home of her drama coach and that she had "black and blue marks on her arms, shoulders, buttocks and legs."[7] However, Michel contradicted his testimony, saying she had not been physically punished but had only been sent to bed.[7] The girl's drama coach backed the claim that Michel was being starved by her adopted parents, testifying that Lorraine had said, "I am determined to conquer her gluttonous appetite."[8] But the judge, who questioned Michel's veracity, ruled the adoption was legal and awarded custody to the Michels and told them to take her back to Texas so she could live a "normal life."[3][5]

Later life

Back in Texas, Michel was enrolled at Saint Agnes Academy in Houston and performed in some local theatrical productions.[5] During one of these performances in , she was bitten by a dog.

Her adoptive father sued the American Automobile Insurance Company, claiming her career would be affected by facial disfigurement. The court awarded $1, in damages (equivalent to $11, in ).[9]

On February 28, , Michel married Donald Mayo Ford at the age of [2] Michel gave birth to a girl named Donna Ann, who she put up for adoption.

Ford later told authorities that they divorced in November or December [2] On February 12, Michel gave birth to a son named William Henry.

Lora lee michel biography of abraham Illustrations and story design by Jim Cooke. Then Wright Isaacs balled up her shirt in her fists and began to cry. Source: [ 11 ]. Effie Forrest on the other, when Mrs.

He was born with congenital atelectasis, and died the same day. In February , she met Joe Wendel Owen, and they wed on March 5, After two weeks of marriage, Michel left him but did not legally divorce him.[2] In August , Michel married Carey Hand Bray, a Houston pharmacist.[2] Bray later told investigators that they divorced on November 7, , although a divorce record has not been located.[2]

In February , Michel moved to Corpus Christi.

She was working as a waitress in a night club when she met Frank O'Neil Scott. Scott was a former Marine sergeant who had served in the Korean War, before enlisting in the Army. Although they were both legally married to other people, they married on July 22, [5] Scott deserted the Army in February , and Michel and Scott began engaging in various schemes.[2] She and Scott were arrested in El Paso, Texas, in December and charged in federal court with driving a stolen car over state lines.[5] According to newspaper reports, she and Scott had stolen a Mercury demonstration model in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and driven it to Houston.

They then embarked on a six-month trip around the southern and eastern United States after stealing Michel's ex-husband's car, a Ford convertible, and used three credit cards they found in the glove compartment to run up $3, in bills (equivalent to $36, in ).[10] Scott was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison while Michel was sentenced to 13 months at the Federal Women's Institution in Alderson, West Virginia.[5] After her release, Michel disappeared.[2]

In May , the Los Angeles Times published an article by writer Stacy Perman titled "What happened to former child star Lora Lee Michel?"[2] In the article, Michel's sister Barbara Wright Isaacs was reported to still be searching for Michel after a period of 55 years, believing "she's either got to be dead or doesn't want to be found."[2] Perman ultimately discovered notes kept by Michel's second husband, Joe Wendel Owen, which suggested that Michel had died in of cancer.[2]

Filmography

Source:[11]

References

  1. ^ abBarrileaux, Gladys (February 2, ).

    Biography of abraham bible At p. They listened politely as I discussed her marriages. She was separated from her siblings at age 5 and given a new name. Her activities were often chronicled in local papers.

    "Mrs. Brunson of Nederland Asks Custody". The Beaumont Journal.

  2. ^ abcdefghijklPerman, Stacy (May 19, ).

    "A child star at 7, in prison at Then she vanished. What happened to Lora Lee Michael?". The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 19, Retrieved May 19,

  3. ^ abcde"Little Lora Lee Mixup".

    Newsweek. 35:

  4. ^"Lora Lee Michel?". March 18, Retrieved January 30,
  5. ^ abcdefUnited Press International (March 3, ).

    "Ex-Child Star Jailed as Thief".

  6. Item 1 of 3
  7. Item 1 of 1
  8. CHILD STAR’S LIFE OF CHAOS AND SECRETS - PressReader
  9. Lora Lee Michel - Actor Filmography، photos، Video

    10. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p.&#;59 &#; via

  10. ^unknown (February 9, ). "Movie Moppet's Adoption Upheld; Career Ends to Begin Normal Life". The Mirror (Los Angeles).
  11. ^ abcUnited Press (March 22, ).

  12. What happened to former child star Lora Lee Michel? - Los ...
  14. CHILD STAR’S LIFE OF CHAOS AND SECRETS - PressReader

    15. "Lora Lee Tells Tearful Tale of Hunger and Filched Food". Knoxville News Sentinel. p.&#;1 &#; via

  15. ^"Movie Child Lost Weight, Jury Told". Los Angeles Times. March 23, p.&#;33 &#; via
  16. ^"Former Child Film Starlet Awarded $1, Damages". Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

    Associated Press.

    Biography of jacob Her birth mother was Mrs. Owen later met and settled down with another woman, who would become their mother. They eventually adopted Barbara and sent Penny to a friend, who adopted her. She was working as a waitress in a night club when she met Frank O'Neil Scott.

    July 18, p.&#;9 &#; via

  17. ^"Former Schulenberg Child Star Jailed for Stealing Car". The Weimar Mercury. Weimar, Texas. March 7, p.&#;10 &#; via
  18. ^"Lora Lee Michel". TV Guide. Retrieved January 30,

External links