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Jacklyn DeVon Taylor, known professionally as Jackie Lynn Taylor, was born on June 29, 1925, daughter of Chester T Taylor & Ethel I Adams, in Compton, California.[1][2][3] She gained early fame as a child actress in the Our Gang comedy film series, appearing in five short films from 1934 to 1935.
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| Jackie Lynn |
Often playing the sister or girlfriend of Wally Albright's character, she became one of the few prominent girls in the beloved series. After her time with Our Gang, she continued acting in Hollywood for 15 years, performing in over 75 films, theater productions, television dramas, and national commercials.
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| Jackie Lynn in an "Our Gang" comedy |
Transitioning into television, she became a pioneering TV personality, joining KTTV in 1951 as the host of the first daily two-hour variety show in the Los Angeles area. She later became a highly rated television host in San Diego, where she was named TV Woman of the Year by the San Francisco Examiner in 1955. She also worked as a news anchor and reporter at stations in Bakersfield, Tulare, Stockton, Salinas, and Sacramento. In 1958, NBC attempted to hire her after a guest-hosting appearance on Today, but her contract with a San Diego station prevented the move.
In her personal life, she married actor and drama teacher Ben Bard in 1948[4][5], but the marriage ended in divorce in 1954. In 1966, she married television producer and journalist Jack Fries, with whom she shared a lifelong professional and personal partnership. Together, they produced and co-hosted the "Little Rascals Family Theater" television series in Southern California from the mid-1970s through the mid-1980s, featuring interviews with former "Our Gang" members.
By the late 1970s, she and her husband transitioned to ministry, moving to Missouri to study for the clergy. Jack was ordained in 1977, followed by Jackie in 1979. They led Unity Church congregations in Missouri, California, and Nevada before retiring in Sacramento in 1993. In retirement, they remained active as motivational speakers, educators at Sierra College, and operators of their website RascalandUSA.com.
Jackie Lynn Taylor Fries passed away on May 5, 2014, at the age of 88 due to Alzheimer's disease.[6] A dynamic presence throughout her life, she was a trailblazer in television broadcasting, a beloved childhood actress, and a dedicated minister. She was honored by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Silver Circle and the San Diego Press Club for her contributions to the industry. Warm, gracious, and inspiring, she believed in embracing the present while cherishing the past.
Research Notes
- needs profiles created for immediate family members (second husband Jack Fries)
In the 1930 census, Jaqueline (age 4) was the daughter of Ethel I Taylor in Long Beach, Los Angeles, California, United States.[7]
| Name | Sex | Race | Age | Status | Relation | Occupation | Birth Place |
| Ethel I Taylor | F | White | 27 | Widowed | Head | Texas | |
| Jaqueline Taylor | F | White | 4 | Single | Daughter | California |
Sources
- ↑ Birth: "California, Birth Index, 1905-1995", FamilySearch Record: V25Y-PCZ (accessed 1 April 2025), Jaqua Lynn Taylor born on 29 Jun 1925, daughter of Adams, in Los Angeles, California, United States.
- ↑ Birth: "California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994", citing Digital film/folder number: 005585065; Image number: 927, FamilySearch Record: QGLW-GGFN (accessed 1 April 2025) FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-89SF-8XK1, Jacklyn Devon Taylor born on 29 Jun 1925, daughter of Chester T Taylor & Ethel I Adams, in Compton, Los Angeles, California, United States.
- ↑ Birth: "California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994", citing Digital film/folder number: 005585065; Image number: 926, FamilySearch Record: QGL7-JF71 (accessed 1 April 2025) FamilySearch Image: 3QSQ-G9SF-8XC8, Jacklyn Devon Taylor born on 29 Jun 1925, daughter of Ethel Ione Wells, in Compton, Los Angeles, California, United States.
- ↑ Marriage: "Nevada County Marriages, 1862-1993", citing Digital film/folder number: 005247196; FHL microfilm: 005247196; Image number: 760, FamilySearch Record: QL4G-PLSP (accessed 1 April 2025) FamilySearch Image: 33S7-81WK-WZQ, Jaqua Lynn Taylor marriage to Ben Bard on 22 May 1948 in Clark, Nevada, United States.
- ↑ Marriage: "Nevada County Marriages, 1862-1993", citing Digital film/folder number: 005241849; FHL microfilm: 005241849; Image number: 114, FamilySearch Record: QL4L-3M7V (accessed 1 April 2025) FamilySearch Image: 33S7-917L-VZ4, Jaqua Lynn Taylor marriage to Ben Bard on 28 May 1948 in Clark, Nevada, United States.
- ↑ Burial: "Find a Grave Index", citing record ID 129309898, Find a Grave, FamilySearch Record: QVG5-22TG (accessed 1 April 2025) Find A Grave: Memorial #129309898, Jacqueline Devon Taylor Fries burial (died on 5 May 2014) in Bonita, San Diego, California, United States of America. Born on 29 Jun 1925.
- ↑ 1930 Census: "United States, Census, 1930", citing Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: T626; Line: 58; Digital film/folder number: 004950121; FHL microfilm: 2339865; Image number: 570; Sheet number: 21; Sheet letter: B; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: N03990-4, FamilySearch Record: XCJ5-3CK (accessed 1 April 2025) FamilySearch Image: 33SQ-GR42-J5N, Jaqueline Taylor (4), single daughter, in household of Ethel I Taylor (27) in Long Beach, Los Angeles, California, United States. Born in California.
- Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002. Year: 1930; Census Place: Long Beach, Los Angeles, California; Page: 21B; Enumeration District: 1128; FHL microfilm: 2339865.
- Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Year: 1940; Census Place: Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California; Roll: m-t0627-00222; Page: 61B; Enumeration District: 19-64.
- Wikipedia contributors. (2025, February 3). Jackie Lynn Taylor. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 04:36, February 12, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jackie_Lynn_Taylor&oldid=1273721924.
- Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/129309898/jacqueline_devon-fries: accessed February 11, 2025), memorial page for Jacqueline Devon “Jackie Lynn” Taylor Fries (29 Jun 1925–5 May 2014), Find A Grave: Memorial #129309898, citing Glen Abbey Memorial Park, Bonita, San Diego County, California, USA; Maintained by Everett Mefford (contributor 47576323).
