Bart La Rue

Born Jimmie Bartell LaRue, "Bart LaRue" was born in Foard County, Texas on January 23, 1932 to James Blair LaRue (July 17, 1908-August 29, 1963) and Iva Pearl Teague LaRue (March 3, 1911-December 15, 2010). His father worked for the railroad and died from a heart attack shortly after the birth of his grand-daughter Kristin. Bart's mother died less than three months before her 100th birthday. Bart graduated from High School in Sweetwater Texas At age 17, he attended McMurry College. He left college before graduating to perform as a clown in the circus. Eventually, he attended and received a BA in Theatre Arts from Boston University, where he met and married Valrie Erickson. Their first daughter, Alecia, was born in 1955 in Sweetwater, Texas. Bart and Valrie, both actors, established the LaRue Theatre in Abilene, Texas. He also taught at McMurry University. Bart and Valrie had 3 more children, Erin (1960) Devin (1962) and Kristin (1964). The LaRues moved their young family to Southern California in the early 1960s, where Bart worked steadily as a character actor. He wrote, directed, and produced independent films until the time of his death from a heart attack in January 1990 in Sweetwater, Texas, aged 57. Bart's mother died at the age of 99 in 2010, just 3 months shy of her 100th birthday.