‘Norma Jeane, Human Bean’ and was labelled as being dumb with no personality. She was extremely hurt when one boy in her class told her, ‘I hope some day your legs fill out.’ But at least Ana provided a sympathetic ear when she arrived home at night, which is something she had rarely experienced in the past.
In early 1939, Norma Jeane received a letter from Grace, telling her that she had a half-sister called Berniece. Grace had, of course, known about the existence of both Berniece and her late brother Robert for many years, but had not felt that it was her place to tell Norma Jeane. Finally, Grace had received a letter from Berniece to inform her that Gladys had been in touch from Agnew State Hospital, where she was residing at the time. Gladys had told her all about her half-sister Norma Jeane, and begged her eldest daughter to remove her from the institution. Spurred on by this, Berniece (who previously had no idea she had a half-sister and had believed her mother had probably died) contacted Grace, who in turn passed the letter on to Norma Jeane.
The child, who had searched for family stability her whole life, was thrilled to discover she had a sister and wanted to know all about her. Berniece had been married on 7 October 1938 to Paris Miracle, and having settled into married life in Pineville, Kentucky, was now pregnant with her first child. Grace immediately wrote a long letter to Berniece, passing on news of NormaJeane, and revealing that it had always been Gladys’ wish to have her children with her. Norma Jeane then wrote herself, enclosing a photograph and thus beginning an important relationship, which would last until her death some twenty-three years later.
Meanwhile, on hearing of Berniece’s existence, Grace’s mind went into overtime, and she wondered whether Norma Jeane could possibly move in with her new sister. However, there were two problems with this plan: firstly, Gladys had always vetoed any idea of Norma Jeane leaving the state of California, and secondly, Berniece had neither money nor room to accommodate another child. Later Grace saw this for herself when she made a pitstop in Pineville during a trip to West Virginia.
A year after she arrived at Ana’s house, Norma Jeane changed schools once again, and although she flunked arithmetic, she did do well in English and literature, once writing a paper on Abraham Lincoln, which was judged the best in the class. This seemingly small achievement was a great boost for Norma Jeane’s confidence and suddenly the child didn’t feel so dumb any more. Added to that, her once skinny body had begun to fill out, which attracted the attentions of some of her fellow students: ‘The boys didn’t have cars, they had bikes. They’d come by the house and whistle or they’d honk their little horns. Some had paper routes and I’d always get a free paper.’
While Norma Jeane did enjoy most of the attention, some was certainly unwanted and unnecessary. On the way home from school one day, she noticed an older boy standing on the corner, who started shouting obscene remarks as she passed. Hoping it would be a one-off occurrence she ignored him and made her way home. Unfortunately, the next day he was there again, and before long he was harassing Norma Jeane to such an extent that she told an older friend that she found the whole thing intimidating and rather scary. The problem was eventually solved with the help of a friendly storekeeper and a local policeman. ‘The fellow was let go with a stern warning,’ recalled her future sister-in-law Elyda Nelson, ‘and after that Norma Jeane went her way with no one molesting her in the neighbourhood.’
Soon boys were walking her home from school, and they would often stand and talk outside Aunt Ana’s home. Other kids would come along, and soon there would be a large crowd gathered on the pavement, eventually to be ushered into the house by Aunt Ana, joking that they were ‘starting to resemble a
In early 1939, Norma Jeane received a letter from Grace, telling her that she had a half-sister called Berniece. Grace had, of course, known about the existence of both Berniece and her late brother Robert for many years, but had not felt that it was her place to tell Norma Jeane. Finally, Grace had received a letter from Berniece to inform her that Gladys had been in touch from Agnew State Hospital, where she was residing at the time. Gladys had told her all about her half-sister Norma Jeane, and begged her eldest daughter to remove her from the institution. Spurred on by this, Berniece (who previously had no idea she had a half-sister and had believed her mother had probably died) contacted Grace, who in turn passed the letter on to Norma Jeane.
The child, who had searched for family stability her whole life, was thrilled to discover she had a sister and wanted to know all about her. Berniece had been married on 7 October 1938 to Paris Miracle, and having settled into married life in Pineville, Kentucky, was now pregnant with her first child. Grace immediately wrote a long letter to Berniece, passing on news of NormaJeane, and revealing that it had always been Gladys’ wish to have her children with her. Norma Jeane then wrote herself, enclosing a photograph and thus beginning an important relationship, which would last until her death some twenty-three years later.
Meanwhile, on hearing of Berniece’s existence, Grace’s mind went into overtime, and she wondered whether Norma Jeane could possibly move in with her new sister. However, there were two problems with this plan: firstly, Gladys had always vetoed any idea of Norma Jeane leaving the state of California, and secondly, Berniece had neither money nor room to accommodate another child. Later Grace saw this for herself when she made a pitstop in Pineville during a trip to West Virginia.
A year after she arrived at Ana’s house, Norma Jeane changed schools once again, and although she flunked arithmetic, she did do well in English and literature, once writing a paper on Abraham Lincoln, which was judged the best in the class. This seemingly small achievement was a great boost for Norma Jeane’s confidence and suddenly the child didn’t feel so dumb any more. Added to that, her once skinny body had begun to fill out, which attracted the attentions of some of her fellow students: ‘The boys didn’t have cars, they had bikes. They’d come by the house and whistle or they’d honk their little horns. Some had paper routes and I’d always get a free paper.’
While Norma Jeane did enjoy most of the attention, some was certainly unwanted and unnecessary. On the way home from school one day, she noticed an older boy standing on the corner, who started shouting obscene remarks as she passed. Hoping it would be a one-off occurrence she ignored him and made her way home. Unfortunately, the next day he was there again, and before long he was harassing Norma Jeane to such an extent that she told an older friend that she found the whole thing intimidating and rather scary. The problem was eventually solved with the help of a friendly storekeeper and a local policeman. ‘The fellow was let go with a stern warning,’ recalled her future sister-in-law Elyda Nelson, ‘and after that Norma Jeane went her way with no one molesting her in the neighbourhood.’
Soon boys were walking her home from school, and they would often stand and talk outside Aunt Ana’s home. Other kids would come along, and soon there would be a large crowd gathered on the pavement, eventually to be ushered into the house by Aunt Ana, joking that they were ‘starting to resemble a
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