Version 6.01

11 February 2025

David March © 2014

GRETCHEN SCOTT DARLING

Gretchen Scott Darling was born on 3 October 1915 to William Scott Darling (1891-1951) & Olga (Olive) Mary Mortson (1890-1963). William & Olga had married on 18 January 1912 in Winnipeg, Manitoba and settled in Saskatoon where William worked for the ‘Daily Star’. At the time of her birth, Gretchen’s father was City Editor of the ‘Daily Star’, a post which he held for several years. The family lived at a succession of addresses in Saskatoon: 331 11th St E, 823 7th Avenue, Coronation Court on 5th Avenue, Riviera Apartments on 6th Avenue, 114 Main St & 709 McPherson Avenue over the years 1912-1918.

In 1919 the family moved to Los Angeles where Gretchen’s father became a prolific screen writer. There is a Wikipedia article on WS Darling which wrongly posits Eleanor Fried as Gretchen’s mother. Presumably William and Olga divorced as by at least 1926, Olga was married to Clarence J Boss. Between 1920 and 1935, Gretchen lived with her mother and step-father, Clarence in Seattle. After 1935, she lived with her father and her step-mother, Eleanor in Los Angeles. Gretchen is credited as a writer on the movie ‘Mississippi Rhythm’ (1949) starring Jimmie Davis and she may also have been a minor screen actress, although no film credits have been found.

Gretchen married Gerald Geraghty on 21 April 1940 in Los Angeles. Gerald subsequently married Marcia Maxine Sweet (1910-2002) who had a long career at Twentieth Century Fox. Gretchen married

William Sober Cook (1919-1981) on 9 December 1950 in Los Angeles. Gretchen died aged 78 on 29 March 1994.

This family tree can be found on Ancestry under the title 3rd Ave Darling Tree.