How This Actress, 96, Survived and Thrived After She Was Once Left Alone with 2 Kids & Made $35 a Day

Despite the personal struggles she faced, this resilient star found her way to a role that would forever change her life. Playing Marion Cunningham, the warm and loving mother on “Happy Days,” wasn’t a stretch for her, as the character closely mirrored her own compassionate nature.

At the time she landed the part, she was having a tough time in her life. The opportunity to portray Marion was life-altering for the actress, who had dreamed of becoming an actress since childhood.

It was a role that not only defined her career but one she would always cherish. Reflecting on the show’s success, she expressed her gratitude, “It was even beyond my dreams. Who knew that we would become an American legend?”

The actress, born in Watertown, Minnesota, moved several times during her childhood before settling in Albert Lea. At just 13, she changed the spelling of her name from “Marian” to “Marion” because she believed it would look better on a marquee.

Her desire to be seen and heard carried into adulthood, and at 21, she surprised her parents by eloping with fellow actor Freeman “Effie” Meskimen in 1951. The couple had two children, Jim and Ellen Meskimen, but their marriage was far from ideal.

The mother of two candidly described her husband as “an unmotivated, moody drinker,” reflecting the difficulties she faced during that time.

The actress detailed her marital woes in her 2018 memoir, “My Days: Happy and Otherwise.” She opened up about the turbulent relationship she had with Freeman, describing how their outwardly stable life masked deeper struggles.

Despite Effie holding a steady job and the family appearing settled, the pressure to support her children and take on every role available weighed heavily on her. She admitted that the “never gave me the feeling that now things would be the way I had always wanted them to be.”

However, the marriage was far from harmonious. Arguments and yelling were frequent, and she recalled how his mood swings intensified as time went on. Despite her attempts to encourage him, their relationship was fraught with ongoing tension.

Despite her efforts to hold the marriage together, the relationship reached a breaking point. The actress eventually left Freeman when “he began to have an affair with his secretary,” she revealed.

After nearly two decades of marriage, the couple divorced. Reflecting on that challenging time, the actress shared, “When I was 40, I got divorced. Nobody had a job [for me], and I had two small children,” she disclosed in an interview.

After overcoming the challenges of her first marriage and single motherhood, Marion Ross found love again at 60 with actor Paul Michael. Their romance was one filled with deep affection and mutual understanding.

They finished each other’s thoughts, held hands while they spoke, and shared dreamy gazes—exhibiting all the signs of a couple deeply in love.

Tragically, their love story came to an end when Paul passed away in 2011 at the age of 84 due to heart failure. At that point, he and Marion had spent 23 years together, building a bond that was as heartfelt as it was enduring. She had lived with Paul, whom she fondly referred to as “the love of my life.”

Several years after Paul’s passing, Marion revealed in 2018 that she had retired two years earlier. She expressed that she had already accomplished what she wanted in her career and now preferred to focus on enjoying her life with her family.

Marion Ross continues to embrace life with joy, and her son Jim often shares glimpses of their moments together on TikTok, particularly on her 95th birthday.