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Euphemia "Mae" (Ragan) Jones was born on August 28, 1884, in Oswego, Kansas. Known to her family as Famie Mae but referred to by everyone else as Mae. She grew up with two sisters and five brothers.
- Early Life
- Career
- Personal Life
- Death and Legacy
- Further Reading
- External Links
Vance was born in Cherryvale, Kansas, the second of six children of Robert Andrew, Sr., and Euphemia Mae (née Ragan) Jones. When she was six, her family moved to Independence, Kansas, where she eventually began her dramatic studies at Independence High School with instructor Anna Ingleman. Her love of acting clashed with her mother's strict religio...
Broadway
Starting in 1932, Vance was in a number of shows on Broadway, usually as a member of the chorus. Eventually, she graduated to supporting parts after she replaced Kay Thompson in the musical Hooray for What! (1937). Her most successful stage role was that of Nancy Collister in the Cole Porter musical Let's Face It! (1941), in which she starred alongside Danny Kaye and Eve Ardenfor 547 performances.
Film
Following her appearance in a revival of The Cradle Will Rock in 1947, Vance decided to move to California to pursue other theatre projects and opportunities in film. During her stay in Los Angeles, Vance appeared in two films: as streetwise chambermaid Leah in The Secret Fury (1950), and as Alicia in The Blue Veil (1951). She received several positive notices for her performances, but the films did little else to further her screen career. Following her departure from The Lucy Show at the en...
Television
1951–1958: I Love Lucyand success When Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball were casting their new television sitcom I Love Lucy in 1951, director Marc Daniels, who had previously worked with Vance in a theater production, suggested her for the role of landlady Ethel Mertz. Lucille Ball had wanted either Bea Benaderet or Barbara Pepper, both close friends, to play the role. CBS refused Pepper on the grounds that she had a drinking problem, and Benaderet was already playing Blanche Morton on The George...
Vance was married four times; her first three marriages ended in divorce. She was married to her third husband, actor Philip Ober, for 18 years. Ober was rumored to have abused Vance because he was envious of her successful career. On January 16, 1961, Vance married literary agent, editor, and publisher John Dodds. They lived in Stamford, Connectic...
Vance died at age 70 on August 17, 1979, of metastatic breast cancer. After her death, Desi Arnazsaid, "It’s bad enough to lose one of the great artists we had the honor and the pleasure to work with, but it’s even harder to reconcile the loss of one of your best friends." Family members donated Vance's Emmy Award to the Albuquerque Little Theatre ...
Castelluccio, Frank and Walker, Alvin. The Other Side of Ethel Mertz: The Life Story of Vivian Vance. New York: Berkley Books, 2000. ISBN 0-425-17609-6Edelman, Rob and Kupferberg, Audrey. Meet the Mertzes: The Life Stories of I Love Lucy's Other Couple. Los Angeles, Calif.: Renaissance Books, 1999. ISBN 1-58063-095-2Vivian Vance at the Internet Broadway DatabaseVivian Vance at IMDbVivian Vance at the TCM Movie DatabaseChildhood & Early Life. Vivian was born Vivian Roberta Jones on July 26, 1909, in Cherryvale, Kansas. She was raised by her parents, Robert and Euphemia Jones, along with her five siblings. When Vivian was six years old her family moved to Independence, Kansas.
Oct 17, 2018 · Biography . Euphemia Mae Ragan married Robert Andrew Jones (1880 - 1958) and was the mother of six children. Her daughter Vivian took the stage name of "Vivian Vance" and was especially noted for playing the part of Ethel Mertz on the "I Love Lucy" television show.
- Female
- August 28, 1884
- Robert Andrew Jones Sr
- March 4, 1974
May 24, 2018 · Euphemia Mae Jones (Ragan) Birthdate: 1884. Death: 1974 (89-90) Immediate Family: Daughter of William Wallace Ragan and Louisa F. Ragan. Wife of Robert Andrew Jones, Sr. Mother of Venus Speer; Vivian Vance; Dorothy Mae O'Neal; Private; Maxine Bowyer and 1 other.
- Robert Andrew Jones, Sr.
- 1974 (89-90)
- 1884
- May 24, 2018
Sep 8, 2023 · Born Vivian Roberta Jones in Cherryvale, Kansas, Vance was the second of six children born to Robert Jones and Euphemia Ragan. When she was six years old her family moved to Independence, Kansas, where she eventually began her dramatic studies at Independence High School under the tutelage of Anna Ingleman, the drama instructor.
Oct 17, 2023 · Halloween 2004, Grackle Tree Farm, the infamous haunted house of the famous poet Euphemia "Effie" Whitney-Jones, has unwanted visitors. Mercy Carr isn't afraid of no ghosts, but she's not backing down from the dare to enter the house to see the ghost witch that is known to make an appearance this time of year.
