Gladys Pearl Baker
Her lifestory
Gladys was born in Mexico in 1902, the daughter of Della and Otis Monroe. After a failed marriage, her ex-husband took her first two children to Kentucky. Gladys married a second time in 1924 and had an affair with Hollywood producer Stanley Gifford during this time. Their third child, Norma Jeane, who later became Marilyn Monroe, was born in 1926. Gladys, who was mentally very unstable, gave her child to Ida and Albert Bolender for seven years. During this time, she divorced. She only took Norma Jean back in for a short time afterwards. She remarried in 1943. She remained mentally ill and was financially supported by Marilyn. She died in 1984.
Before the birth
Gladys was already severely traumatized and psychologically burdened when she became pregnant with Marilyn. An abortion was out of the question for Gladys, but it was clear that she would not really be able to raise the child. She placed her daughter in the care of foster parents. Norma Jean was obviously very unhappy there. No less happy, however, was Gladys‘ decision to take the child back into her care. From the 1920s to the 1950s, it was always a stroke of luck for children when they ended up in a good place. Many children ended up on farms as a „Verdingkind„. Foster parenting and adoption are now strictly regulated.
