Blanche Barrow
Blanche Barrow (born Bennie Iva Caldwell; January 1, 1911 – December 24, 1988) was the wife of the elder brother of Clyde Barrow, known as Buck. He became her second husband after his release from prison after a pardon. To her dismay, Buck joined his brother's gang. Blanche was present at the shootout which resulted in the Barrow Gang becoming nationally recognized fugitives. She spent only four months with the gang.
Blanche Barrow | |
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Blanche and Buck Barrow in 1931 | |
Born | Bennie Iva Caldwell January 1, 1911 Garvin, Oklahoma, US |
Died | December 24, 1988 77) Dallas, Texas, US | (aged
Criminal status | Deceased |
Spouses | John Calloway
(m. 1928; div. 1931)Eddie Frasure
(m. 1940; died 1969) |
Although she never used a gun, Blanche was blinded in one eye during a getaway. In the same incident, she rescued her husband under heavy police gunfire. She was caught along with her fatally wounded husband by a posse of local men in Iowa. She served six years in prison for assault with intent to kill the sheriff of Platte County, Missouri, but he treated her sympathetically.
Upon her release, she remarried and lived quietly thereafter. Barrow was extensively consulted for the fictionalized 1967 film about the Barrow gang. She disliked her portrayal in it, despite Estelle Parsons winning an Oscar for the role.