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 1926 - 1962 (36 years) Submit Photo / Document
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| Name |
Norma Jeane Mortenson |
| Born |
1 Jun 1926 |
Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California  |
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Marilyn Monroe Birth Certificate.
Marilyn Monroe Birth Certificate. |
| Gender |
Female |
| Also Known As |
Norma Jeane Baker
Marylin Monroe |
| Biographical Information |
From a genealogical standpoint the true identity of Monroe's father is unknown.
Martin Edward Mortensen married Gladys Pearl Monroe on October 11, 1924. Gladys left 4 months later. Mortinsen filed for divorce on May 26, 1925 on the grounds of abandonment. They were divorced on August 15, 1928. In the petition for divorce it was stated that; "no children have resulted from said marriage".
Norma Jeane was born June 1, 1926. This means Marilyn was conceived in early September 1925. This means the conception occurred well after Gladys and Mortensen were separated and after they filed for divorce. Marilyn's mom gave the hospital the name "Mortenson," as the father. Note that the spelling uses an "o" instead of an "e" as in Mortensen. We can only speculate but, perhaps she didn't want her daughter to appear to be illegitimate.
Years later when she was first married Marilyn identified her father as "E. Mortensen" for the marriage certificate. Making her legal last name match that of her father would have been the path of least resistance. She believed Charles Gifford was her father and she stated this to a number of people including her first husband. Charles was a supervisor at the film laboratory at Consolidated Film Industries. Gladys was employed there as a film cutter. At the time Norma Jeane was conceived Charles and Gladys were in daily contact which, makes this scenario much more likely than the estranged husband being the father.
When Mortensen died a copy of Norma Jeane's birth certificate along with some magazine clippings following her career were found among his belongings. Some claim this is proof that Mortensen was the father. There are a lot a ways to explain that that don't lead to proof he is the father. Decades before the words; "identity theft" were ever muttered, getting a copy of a birth certificate wasn't complicated.
Neither Mortensen or Gifford played any part in Norma Jeane's life. Her mother was declared insane (paranoid schizophrenia) by the doctors from the Norwalk State Hospital on January 15, 1935. Later a doctor would report, "Her illness is characterized by religious preoccupations and a deep depression and some excitation; this condition seems to be chronic." Gladys passed away March 11, 1984. a number of people including Marylyn's half sister wrote books implying Gifford was the father without mentioning his name i.e. "her father worked in the film industry".
We may never know the absolute truth. |
| Census |
1940 |
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1940 Marylin Monroe.
1940 US census, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, enumeration district 60-238, Family Number 107. Listed as Norma Jean Baker age 13 living as a "ward" with the Goddard family. |
| Census |
1950 |
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1950 Monroe.
1950 US census, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, enumeration district 19-216, Lines Number 9, Monroe. |
| Died |
4 Aug 1962 |
Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California |
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Probe Marilyn Monroe's Death.
Mt. Vernon (Illinois) Register-News, Monday, August 6, 1962 page one. |
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Probe Marilyn Monroe's Death
Mt. Vernon (Illinois) Register-News, Monday, August 6, 1962 page three. |
| Buried |
Westwood Memorial Park, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States |
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Hefner-Monroe Niches.
Hefner-Monroe Niches. |
| Person ID |
I55430 |
Nagel |
| Last Modified |
4 Apr 2022 |
| Father |
Charles Stanley Gifford, b. 18 Sep 1898, Newport, Newport, Rhode Island , d. 27 Jun 1965, Hemet, Riverside, California (Age 66 years) |
| Relationship |
Putative |
| Mother |
Gladys Pearl Monroe, b. 27 May 1902, Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico , d. 11 Mar 1984, Gainesville, Alachua, Florida (Age 81 years) |
| Relationship |
Birth |
| Married |
- Charles and Gladys were never married.
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| Family ID |
F16163 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family 2 |
Joe DiMaggio, b. 25 Nov 1914, Martinez, Contra Costa, California , d. 8 Mar 1999, Hollywood, Broward, Florida (Age 84 years) |
| Married |
1954 |
| Divorced |
1955 |
| Last Modified |
3 Oct 2020 |
| Family ID |
F14443 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
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| Event Map |
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 | Born - 1 Jun 1926 - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California |
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| Married - 19 Jun 1942 - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California |
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| Died - 4 Aug 1962 - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California |
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 | Buried - - Westwood Memorial Park, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States |
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| Pin Legend |
 : Address
 : Location
 : City/Town
 : County/Shire
 : State/Province
 : Country
 : Not Set |
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Submit Photo / Document
