June Havoc, little sister of Gypsy Rose Lee, has died in Connecticut. Tough life for a child vaudeville star:

Her age and place of birth are uncertain because her mother used various birth certificates to get around child labor laws. She was reportedly born in Seattle or Vancouver, Canada, on November 8, 1916, or as early as 1913.

As she grew older, Havoc chafed under her mother’s tyranny, stuck in an infantile act and wearing costumes she had outgrown. At 13 she rebelled by eloping with Bobby Reed, a teenage member of the troupe.

The newlyweds put together a new vaudeville act but found few bookings. They drifted apart as they went their separate ways searching for work. To earn money, Havoc began entering dance marathons and rode out the Depression by winning occasional prize money.