JOESPHINE ALICIA SAENZ

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e6/Josephine_saenz.jpg

Information From Wikipedia.

Date of Birth
1909

Date of Death
24 June 2003
Los Angeles, California
Cause of death-Cancer

Born
Josephine Alicia Saenz Morrison

Religious beliefs Catholic

Children
Michael Wayne
Mary Antonia "Toni" Wayne LaCava
Patrick Wayne
Melinda Wayne Munoz

Parents
José Saenz

Spouse
Cyril Nigg 1996- death
John Wayne1933-1944

Biography
"Josie" was born daughter to Consul General of Panama in the United States
José Saenz a wealthy businessman who lived in Los Angeles, California.
She was 15 or 16 when she met John Wayne, an actor in college still
named Marion Morrison, while at a beach party in Balboa, California.
Their relationship met with considerable resistance from her family
because he was not a Catholic but rather a Presbyterian.
After courting for seven years, however, Wayne's
financial status improved considerably due to his
success at the box office and he was able to convince her family
to allow the marriage. The couple married June 24, 1933,
in a garden ceremony at Loretta Young's home.

Their union produced four children:

Michael Wayne (film producer, b. November 23, 1934, d. April 2, 2003),
Mary Antonia "Toni" Wayne LaCava (b. February 25, 1936, d. December 6, 2000),
Patrick Wayne (actor, b. July 15, 1939),
and Melinda Wayne Munoz (b. December 3, 1940).

After a few years, the marriage was in trouble.
Wayne worked long hours at his career,
which his wife found hard to accept.
He was always surrounded by associates from the film world,
which did not please Josephine.
The couple also had differences of opinion about how their children should be raised.
Consequently, in 1943 they separated and the marriage ended
in divorce on November 29 1944

Josephine Morrison died in 2003, of cancer.

A previous thread is here:-

Joesphine Wayne (http://www.dukewayne.com/showthread.php?t=26)

Duke met, Josephine a great beauty,
with enormous black eyes and long thick lashes,
on a blind date.
He was originally paired with her sister Carmen,
but was invited to walk her home.
It was to prove a union that was hard to maintain,
with the Saenz family totally opposed to what they considered,
Duke's rowdy, drunken, brawling high spirited college way of life.
With no breeding, little or no prospects, Duke was not welcome,
in this upper class Hispanic family,
and he was not even a Catholic!
This got worse as his movie career developed
and was constantly surrounded by, in their eyes,
his equally loutish movie friends.

It was October 30 1943, when Josephine Wayne
sued her husband for divorce, charging him with extreme cruelty!
On November 29 1944, their divorce became final.
Joesphine announced to the press,
Because of my religion..

I regard divorce as a purely civil action,
in no way affecting the moral staus of my marriage.

She continued to regard herself as Mrs. John Wayne,
and in her mind, she was the only legal wife, he ever had!
Indeed the children of that marriage, had trouble
accepting their father's later marriages,
and because of their religious training,
considered their father and mother, to be still married!

After the divorce Joesphine devoted herself,
to her children and church events.
having no intention of remarrying, whilst Duke was still alive.
Along with Loretta Young and Irene Dunne,
Josephine emerged as a leading lady figure,
within Hollywood's Catholic enclave.

Pilar Wayne recalled.

Duke told me, he walked away from the marriage,
with his clothes, his car and an overwhelming guilt,
he never completely put behind him.

When Duke's marriage to Chata, was deteriorating.
his relationship with Joesphine improved.
After their divorce, Jose's patrician and prudish attitudes
bothered him less, since they no longer threatened him.
From a distance, he could admire her dignity.

She never made the children hate me
Duke said with gratitude

I destroyed my first marriage..
I was a different man, back then.
I was much more selfish
Joesphine by her own choice,
was not present at Duke's funeral,
Aissa remarked at the time,

I merely stood back, and fumed,
watching my father denied, a fitting farewell

Here is a photo of the wedding to Jose. The Maid of Honor is Loretta Young.

http://www.dukewayne.com/picture.php?albumid=6&pictureid=20

Mark

We were trying to find out if she had lived or died. We were not sure, and debated this when Michael died. It seems that she died before her two children. Thanks for the information, Keith.

She was my grandfather's age by the year. He was born in 1909. He died in April 2007 at the age of 97 years, two months shy of his 98th birthday.

Cheers :cool:

Here is Michael's obit form Variety. It says he was survived by his mother Josephine Wayne Nigg which would mean she had remarried.

http://http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-23123213_ITM

MICHAEL WAYNE

Michael Wayne, eldest son of John Wayne and a film producer in his own right, died in Burbank, Calif., April 2 from heart failure, after surgery. He was 68 and had been suffering from Lupus.

He produced films for 40 years, mainly pics starring his father, including "McLintock," "Brannigan," "Cahill U.S. Marshall," "The Train Robbers," "Chisum" and "Cast a Giant Shadow." Michael produced while John Wayne directed and starred in "The Green Berets," "Big Jake," "The War Wagon" and "The Alamo."

L.A. native was known as a hard-nosed businessman who kept a tight rein on his productions. After his father's death, he focused on protecting the John Wayne legacy, including careful attention to the use of "The Duke's" likeness.

He became an active member of the Hollywood community, serving as vice chairman of the board of trustees of the Motion Picture & Television Fund as well as president and chairman of the board of the John Wayne Foundation.

Michael and wife Gretchen Ann Wayne spearheaded the annual Odyssey ball fund-raiser staged by the John Wayne Cancer Institute.

He is survived by his wife; his mother, Josephine Wayne Nigg; two brothers; three sisters; and five children

We were trying to find out if she had lived or died. We were not sure, and debated this when Michael died. It seems that she died before her two children. Thanks for the information, Keith.

She was my grandfather's age by the year. He was born in 1909. He died in April 2007 at the age of 97 years, two months shy of his 98th birthday.

Cheers :cool:

I stand corrected. She died after her two oldest children. She lived a little over two months after Michael did.

Cheers :cool:

Hondo, do you know Josie's exact date of death?

According to Wikipedia, it was

Josephine Alicia Saenz Morrison (1909 - 24 June 2003)

However if anyone can confirm this?

may2, Keith supplied the information, according to Wikipedia, which is posted above.

Cheers :cool: Hondo

I found her obit in the June 26, 2003 LA Times.

She died peacefully in her sleep June 24. She had 22 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren. She was a life long volunteer.

"She found great happiness in 1996 whebn she married Cyril Nigg, a well known LA businessman."

In lieu of flowers, donations could be made to the John Wayne Cancer Institute.

The funeral was to be held June 27.

Consequently, in 1943 they separated and the marriage ended in divorce on Christmas Day, December 25, 1945.


It was October 30 1943, when Josephine Wayne sued her husband for divorce, charging him with extreme cruelty!
On November 29 1944, their divorce became final.
Keith,

Let me preface my remarks with the comment that I am not trying to find fault, but looking to make our information as accurate as humanly possible. The two sources above are obviously contradictory, although in light of "recent developments" the second scenario seems more likely. I don't remember where I read it, but I remember reading a comment by Michael Wayne recalling his parents divorcing when he was nine years old, which would also lend credence to the 1943 split.

What was the source for your second entry? I know the first one was from Wikipedia, which we know is not always the most accurate (but once we figure out the "real" facts, we can update Wikipedia to reflect that).

Do any of the biographical books on Duke help with this? Or just make the water more muddy?

Chester :newyear:

Jim,
the waters are indeed muddy relating to Joesphine.
It's taken this long to establish when she died!!
Thanks for pointing out the error of my two different dates
I've edited the biog to reflect the second date,
as this was taken from my research in Duke's biographies.
One can only assume therefore that Wikipedia are incorrect

Wikipedia is often incorrect.

I agree it is also Many Times incorrect !!!
Chilibill
:cowboy:

Here is a little more Info. on Duke and Josephine and their So Called Marriage !
:yeaahh:
http://www.ranch26bar.com/JOSE.html


Chilibill
:cowboy:

Bill,

Regardless of the amount of tension that existed between the Duke and Josephine, their relationship brought forth 4 children into the world and from the viewpoint of the Catholic Church would have been the only valid marriage Duke ever undertook if this marriage was never annulled.

Their marriage brought some pretty talented people into the world and for what ever problems the two of them may have had, I'm glad of that.

Bill,

I don't know much about the Masons or the Catholic church. Without giving too much information that we are not to know is there some sort of friction between the two?

Cheers :cool: Hondo

Here's another shot from the wedding, with Loretta Young

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c187/john-wayne/John%20Wayne/965d07e7.jpg

and Duke and Josephine on holiday

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c187/john-wayne/John%20Wayne/30dae899.jpg

What a happy couple they were!!!!

Bill,

I don't know much about the Masons or the Catholic church. Without giving too much information that we are not to know is there some sort of friction between the two?

Cheers :cool: Hondo

Hondo,

To answer your question, yes through out history there has been a great deal of friction between the Catholic Church and the Masons. The Masons are a secret society and the Catholic Church forbids membership to secret societies.

Here is a link that explains the issues.

http://showcase.netins.net/web/clearlight/mason.html

Tbone what you said about the Catholics and the Masons is true !


It all started with "Henry The Eight" when He Split The Church over His Wlves and The Church.


The Catholics have "The Knights Of Columbus," and must answer to the Church and The Pope, and the Masons only must Beleave in One God, and that is the First thing They ask you when you go into the Masons, Do you Beleave in God?


If you say No You Do Not Get In !!!


Duke Did Not Care for the Organized Church, but because His Family were all Catholics He would never say anything about the Church.
Duke became a Mason in 1970 in Tucson, Arizona.


Bill

This thread is drifting off topic,
can you please keep the posts made,
to relate to Josephine Saenz

Sorry Keith I wasn't thinking there.

In getting back to the topic of Josephine Saenz, I think it is reasonable to say the Duke wasn't prepared for living with a Catholic wife and that caused a good deal of strain in their marriage.

Sad that she outlived her two children, but she did live a rather long life...

-IHW

To re-introduce Duke's first wife to our members

http://i37.servimg.com/u/f37/11/97/59/03/duke_c43.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=4288&u=11975903)

New photo found of Duke and Josephine in 1934, at Palm Springs. Note Spencer Tracy and Loretta Young also in bunch.

Loretta Young (a close personal friend of Josie's) is in there too, to the right of Tracy - from our view.

1928-1929

Thanks for the pic, JamesMace. That was a very pretty woman. A shame Duke couldn't keep her. Just too much difference between to two. Love those swim suits.

Cheers :cool: Hondo

For many years Duke said that he regretted divorcing Josie, even though he was uncomfortble with her Catholicism and her Catholic friends. He said it was the worst mistake he ever made.

I have merged Jim's photo into this dedicated thread,
where much of the above has been discussed

Did he not convert to the catholic church before he died??

Lot of opposite stories out there about that, certain family members and religious types will push hard that he had a death bed conversion but personally given the things he said and did during his life I don't believe it.

birth Michael Wayne 1934

http://i77.servimg.com/u/f77/11/97/59/03/wayne933.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=12203&u=11975903)

http://i77.servimg.com/u/f77/11/97/59/03/wayne133.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=12380&u=11975903)

http://i83.servimg.com/u/f83/11/97/59/03/wayne223.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=12884&u=11975903)

Great and unusual photo

Is that Clair Trevor?

Is that Clair Trevor?
Mark, it sure looks like it

Mark, it sure looks like it


This is Claire Trevor