Born in 1908, Fort Wayne Indiana, this soon-to-be-fan-favorite appeared to have a reasonably content childhood. Kind in nature, she was a girl who at every step thought about how she may be able to help others. Her parents did divorce when she was young and her mother then settled in Los Angeles with her children. At age 12, a studio executive discovered her while she was playing baseball on the street and she was then offered a part in a silent movie. Her career was launched. At age 18, she was injured in a car accident that left her face scarred. Lombard was released by her studio, but after some plastic surgery repaired the damage sufficiently, her career resumed. Her greatest success came in the late 1930’s when she starred in “screwball comedies” – a subgenre of romantic comedy very popular during the Great Depression. Her witty and kind nature was not only adored by fans, but also caught the eye of Hollywood’s leading man, Clarke Gable. In 1942, with a desire to serve her country during WWII, she set out on a war bond selling tour with her mother, and tragically the two were killed in a plane crash on their way back home. Carole was married to Clarke Gable at the time, and it is said that he was devastated by her loss and never fully recovered from his beloved’s passing. “It is easier to die when the heart is full of gratitude.” ~ Carole Lombard