Gale Storm Biography by Brendan Harrigan

Brendan Harrigan is Gale Storm's grandson. He was eleven years old when he composed this biography.

	BRENDAN HARRIGAN Age 9
	BRENDAN HARRIGAN Age 10
	BRENDAN HARRIGAN Age 11
	ERIN HARRIGAN Age 13
	SEAN HARRIGAN Age 15

This biography was first published in the Spring, 1998 issue of GALE LORE (Volume#3 Issue #2), and is published here with permission.

GRANDMA'S LIFE

I dedicate this biography to my grandma for taking the time to give me an interview. I also dedicate this to my mom for helping me type and interview my grandma.

My grandmother was born in Bloomington, Texas on April 5, 1922. Her parents named her Josephine Owaissa Cottle. She was nicknamed Baby Jo because she had four older brothers and sisters. Her dad died before she was even one year old. She lived in McDade, Texas until she was five years old.

Their family didn't have very much money. Since her dad had died, her mother made hats because they didn't have a lot of money. Her mom would take her to the shop and put her in a crib while she worked. They had a very small house with no indoor plumbing. She had to go to the bathroom in an outhouse. They got their water from a well outside. To take a bath they would get water from the well and put it in a bucket. Then they put it on a fire over a wood stove to heat it up. When the water was warm enough they would take a bath in the kitchen. They made their own soap and would wash their clothes with the soap. To wash their clothes, they would build a fire outside and have a pot hanging over the fire and would stir the clothes in the pot around with a stick.

When my grandma was five, they moved to Houston which was a big city where they rented a house. While she was there her mom made dresses for people because they weren't getting enough money making hats. My grandma's favorite toy was a doll that had a porcelain head and neck. It was the size of a Barbie doll. The doll's body was made of cloth. Her mom would sew dresses for the doll. My grandma also liked to play dress up and put on grown up clothes. She called it playing "Lady". She loved doing cartwheels and back bends in the front yard in front of the neighbors. Other games she liked were hopscotch and jump rope. Her favorite sports were softball and volleyball. She had to do many chores. They were washing and drying the dishes, washing windows, and helping to cook the meals. Some of her best memories were sitting on her grandpa's lap and he would tell her stories and teach her songs. Her favorite author was Tennyson. She liked his Charge of the Light Brigade. She also enjoyed reading Hiawatha by Longfellow,and The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes.

Their family never had enough money to buy a car, so they took the streetcar if they couldn't walk. Every Saturday she would go to the movies with her older brother. He acted like he didn't want to take her, but once they got out of sight of the house he was nice to her and held her hand. Every birthday they had their parties at home. Her mom baked a cake and made a nice meal. Her favorite foods were pinto beans over rice with mustard greens and cornbread or chicken and dumplings. For dessert her favorite cake was called a lady Baltimore cake. Every Sunday my grandma would go to church. She became friends with her Sunday School teachers. They were married and would take my grandma on outings to Galveston and the beach. This was very special since she would not have been able to go there with her family since they didn't have a car.

When my grandma was a teenager she went to school in Houston at Albert Sydney Johnston Junior High. She loved school. She was in the drama club and performed in many plays. There were other clubs like Girl Scouts and Rainbow Girls, but she couldn't afford to be in those. It didn't cost anything to be in the drama club.

She went to high school at San Jacinto High School in Houston. She was in the drama club there too. She did a play called "Madame President" and won in the State Competition. They had Declamation Contests which are like speech contests. She had to memorize a poem and recite it. She was sure another girl had won, but she ended up winning by reciting the poem The Land of Beginning Again. She still knows it by heart!

Some of the things they did after school to have fun was to have dances in the gym. They also liked to go ice skating at the Polar Palace. She had to borrow her sister's skates for this. Sometimes she would go over to friends' houses where they would roll up the rug and dance to records. They never went to her house because it wasn't nice enough. You went to friends' houses that had some money to afford records and snacks to eat.

She was only twelve years old when she went on her first date! The boy and his mother came to pick her up and they would go to dance or to the movies. Sometimes even to his house to have dinner. The first job she had she can't even remember, but her brother told her when she was four years old she picked cotton. Her family needed to raise some more money and so they picked cotton. My grandma took one of the bags and helped right beside them. Back then my grandma couldn't watch TV, play Nintendo, go on computers, or ride skateboards. They would listen to radio shows that we don't do very much now. The most important person to her when she was a child was her mom because she worked so hard and never complained. She made all of my grandma's clothes so she would look as nice as the other kids. her mom taught her to have good values, respect others and to love God.

My grandma and grandpa met at Hollywood, California while they both trying out for The Gateway to Hollywood Contest, held at the CBS Radio Studio. The two people that won would get a one year Contract with a movie studio. Both of them ended up winning. They knew they wanted to be together, so they married each other. There first house was an apartment in Hollywood. Then, when my grandma got pregnant they moved to a court which is like a condo today, with six houses attached. They bought there first house in Sherman Oaks and lived most of their life in a big house they built in Encino, California. My grandma had four children - three boys and one girl. The girl is my mom. She felt it was an important job to raise children. She was scared when her first son was born because my grandpa had to go into the Coast Guard which is sort of like the army. Luckily he didn't die. The most important thing she wanted for her kids was to raise them well, teach them good manners, show them how to have a good attitude, and have a sense of what is right and wrong. The most important advice she would give her children is "attitudes are more important than facts." You can't control everything that happens to you, but you can control your attitude about it. She also would teach her kids that God is the source of all things and to always be thankful for everything you have.

My grandma earned a living by being an actress and singer. She didn't really choose to be an actress, but always wanted to be one. Also, she loved acting but she never dreamed that she would be able to be an actress. But, she was lucky enough to win a contest and be given a chance.

She had two teachers in high school that pushed her to enter the Gateway to Hollywood Contest. It changed her life to win that contest. The two teachers believed in her. Winning the Contest helped her get started in the movie business.

Some of the jobs that have changed since my Grandma was little are that now men can be nurses. Only women were ever nurses before. In those days women were just mostly secretaries. Now they can own businesses and be bosses. Mostly men were in the military, but now women can fight right beside them.

My grandma was a homemaker and raised her four children when she wasn't acting. She also was a Sunday School teacher at church and put on a play with the Senior High School kids at church. During World War II she went out with other actresses and models and sold war bonds. If you bought a war bond you would either get a kiss on the cheek or your picture taken with her. Because she was so busy acting and being a mom, she didn't have much time for other things. When she did have time, most things were concerned with her church.

Some of the family traditions that have been carried on from generation to generation are cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving with my great great grandmother's stuffing recipe, getting a Christmas tree a few weeks before Christmas and decorating: it. It would stay up until January 1"'. Going to church on Sunday has been a tradition passed down. We would dye Easter eggs a few days before Easter and then have an Easter egg hunt on Easter morning.
One of the most memorable times in my grandma's life was when she was on a show called "This is Your Life". It was a show where they would surprise you and bring your friends and family that you hadn't seen in a long time to the show. They would tell about funny or touching times in your life. She was really happy to see all her friends and family that she hadn't seen for a long time. They even brought out the two teachers that had helped her decide to be in the Gateway to Hollywood Contest. She was totally surprised and cried a lot.

I have learned a lot from doing this report. I have learned that my grandma cares a lot about children. I used to think she was rich when she was a little kid, but she was actually very poor. But when she grew up she ended up being rich. It was strange how they took a bath and washed clothes when my grandma was little. I can't imagine not having a TV. I thought she was born and lived in California her whole life.

Some of the differences between my grandma and me are that she didn't believe she would be famous when she grew up and I think I do. When she was young she was very poor and my family was richer. She liked acting and being in drama clubs and I like playing sports. She had to get her water from a well and we have indoor plumbing.

We are similar in that she spent most of her life in a big house and I have too. We both had chores to do. I have to do things like set and clean the table, empty the dishwasher, take out the trash and help mow the lawn. People think she is funny and I am too. She is smart and so am I.