Susie Garland

Mary Jane Gumm was born on September 24, 1915 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She had two younger sisters - Virginia and Frances. Their parents, Frank and Ethel Gumm, owned a local theater. Frank was gay and the couple had an unhappy marriage. In 1926 they were forced to move to Lancaster, California after Frank was accused of hitting on several boys. The three talented sisters formed a singing group called The Gumm Sisters. They toured the country and became a very popular vaudeville act. The Gumm Sisters made their film debut in the 1929 short The Big Revue. They also appeared in the shorts Bubbles and The Wedding Of Jack And Jill. Eventually the group changed their name to The Garland Sisters. Mary Jane changed her name to Suzanne and married orchestra leader Lee Kahn in August of 1935. Just a few months later her father died suddenly from a heart attack. Meanwhile her baby sister, now known as Judy Garland, was signed by MGM and quickly became a star.

Suzanne occasionally performed with Lee's orchestra in Lake Tahoe. After getting some bad reviews she decided to quit singing. She had bit parts in Broadway Melody of 1940 and Babes On Broadway. Suzanne divorced Lee and married musician Jack Cathcart in 1941. She got a job in the mail room at MGM while Jack worked as Judy's musical conductor. The couple later moved to Las Vegas. Unfortunately she developed a serious drinking problem and became estranged from her famous sister. She was heartbroken when Jack divorced her for another woman in 1963. That same year she was hospitalized after overdosing on sleeping pills. Tragically on May 28, 1964 Suzanne died at the young age of forty-eight. There were rumors she had committed suicide but the truth was she died from asphyxiation caused by a seizure. Judy was unable to attend the funeral because she was too sick. Suzanne was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

Mary Jane Gumm is the oldest daughter of vaudevillians Frank and Ethel Gumm and future older sister of the actress Judy Garland. She was raised in Grand Rapids and, along with her younger sister Virginia 'Jimmie', performed a dancing act at their father's vaudeville theater known as The Gumm Sisters, while their mother played the piano. The sisters had tremendous talent, although they were nothing compared to their youngest sister Baby Frances, the future Judy Garland. Their mother continuously kept trying with all three of her daughters and after moving from their home in Minnesota in 1927 when Mary Jane was 12, they began to go for auditions in shows and bigger more famous nightclubs. After some bad reviews, Mary Jane decided that a life of show business wasn't what she wanted and, along with Jimmie, she backed out only to perform at their father's vaudeville theater in 1930. She later went on to marry Lee Kahn and changed her name to Suzanne Kahn. Then later married band conductor Jack Cathcart.

Moved from her home in Grand Rapids, Minnesota to a desert community called Lancaster in 1927 at the age of 12 before leaving with her mother and sisters for Down Town Los Angeles in 1933 at the age of 18.

Was educated along with her younger sister Jimmie at Mrs. Lawler's theater school between 1927 and 1928. Lived with her sister, actress Judy Garland, mother Ethel Gumm and grandmother Eva Milne at 1231 Stone Canyon Road in Bel Air in 1939.

Her father Frank Gumm (born 1886) died on 17 November 1935 at the age of 49 of spinal meningitis when she was 20.

Virginia, her second sister, had a daughter, Judy Gail "Judaline," with her husband, musician Bobby Sherwood. The name "Judaline" means "little Judy" in Jewish and was originally given to Virginia's youngest sister Francis Ethel (Judy Garland), the endearing nickname given to Judy (Francis Ethel Gumm) Garland by one of her directors when "Baby Francis" was a child vaudeville performer. The name "Judaline" was subsequently used by the family to differentiate between "BIG - Judy" and "LITTLE - Judaline." Judaline Gail loved the name so much she had it made legal when she grew up. Judy Gail was born in May 1938, and was named after her aunt, actress Judy Garland. After Virginia's divorce from Bobby Sherwood, she was married to Johnny Thompson. Virginia Susanne Gumm was born on July 4, 1917 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, as Dorothy Virginia Gumm. She was an actress, known for "La Fiesta de Santa Barbara" (1935), "The Wedding of Jack and Jill" (1930) and "The Harvey Girls" (1946). She died on May 27, 1977 in Dallas, Texas.