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A rough patch
In 1932, Tempie died from serious injuries
she received in a car accident. Ella took the loss very
hard. After staying with Joe for a short time, Tempie's
sister Virginia took Ella home. Shortly afterward Joe
suffered a heart attack and died, and her little sister
Frances joined them.
Unable to adjust to the new circumstances,
Ella became increasingly unhappy and entered into a
difficult period of her life. Her grades dropped dramatically,
and she frequently skipped school. After getting into
trouble with the police, she was taken into custody
and sent to a reform school. Living there was even more
unbearable, as she suffered beatings at the hands of
her caretakers.
Eventually Ella escaped from the reformatory.
The fifteen-year-old found herself broke and alone during
the Great Depression, and strove to endure.
Never one to complain, Ella later reflected on her most
difficult years with an appreciation for how they helped
her to mature. She used the memories from these times
to help gather emotions for performances, and felt she
was more grateful for her success because she knew what
it was like to struggle in life.
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