Weldon Warren Bumgarner The Oklahoma Father Behind James Garner

An Oklahoma Beginning

Weldon Warren “Bill” Bumgarner was influenced by labour, family adversity, and the changing fortunes of 20th-century America. Not famous in his own right. He was most known as the father of James Scott Bumgarner, actor James Garner. But behind that legendary relationship was a difficult man who endured poverty, early loss, remarriage, separation, and family reconstruction.

In or near Norman, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, Weldon was born on January 13, 1901. Some documents list his birth year as 1902. His parents were 1865-born William Wilson Bumgarner and 1872-born Louella Briggs. While Weldon was growing up, the family maintained bonds with Norman. In 1910, they lived at 313 North Findley Avenue, placing young Weldon in a humble neighbourhood during Oklahoma’s early statehood.

His father died in 1914, when Weldon was still a teenager. That loss likely added responsibility to a family already living with limited means. Weldon grew into adulthood in a world where work was physical, wages were uncertain, and families often relied on relatives when crises arrived.

Marriage to Mildred Scott Meek

Around 1921 to 1923, Weldon married Mildred Scott Meek in Norman. Mildred was born in 1907 and had partial Cherokee heritage. Together, the couple had three sons:

The Great Depression strained the family financially. In Norman’s little general store, Weldon worked practical jobs and the family struggled. The 1930 census identified Weldon as a laundry driver. He also laid carpets and worked in warehouses.

These jobs reveal the texture of his life. He was a working man who earned money through steady physical labor rather than public recognition. His family did not begin with privilege, and the boys grew up aware of financial strain.

In 1933, Mildred died, leaving her sons young. James was about five years old. Loss was the family’s main wound. Later accounts describe the boys living with relatives after their mother’s death. Their youth was filled with relatives, transitory arrangements, and changed family ties.

Some later retellings have connected Mildred’s death with complications from an abortion, but that account should be treated carefully rather than as an uncontested fact. What is clear is that her death left three boys without their mother during the most vulnerable years of their lives.

A Difficult Household After Mildred’s Death

Weldon remarried several times after Mildred’s death. His later relationships included Mina Grace Davy, often known in the family as Grace, and a woman named Wilma. The repeated changes in the household created further instability for Charles, Jack, and James.

James Garner recalls his stepmother, “Red,” as physically and verbally violent. Her stories are among his most terrible childhood memories. He remembered beatings, humiliation, and powerlessness. She punished him by making him wear a dress in public, according to various accounts.

James fought back in a violent confrontation at 14 years old. Later, he remembered knocking her down and holding her until Weldon interfered. She left the house. Jack was said to hate her and was rough on her.

These events help explain why James later spoke about childhood with both humor and anger. His public personality was relaxed and charming, but behind that ease was a boy who had experienced grief, fear, and the absence of dependable protection.

During his sons’ youth, Weldon was considered absent or unreliable. Some tales mention drinking issues. He moved to California, but the sons stayed in Oklahoma. Separation made family bonds uneven and challenging, but not impossible.

The Three Bumgarner Brothers

The brothers responded to their childhood in different ways.

Charles Warren Bumgarner, born in 1924, became an educator. He became an assistant superintendent in Norman public schools. His life was more Oklahoman than his younger brothers’. Charles died 1984, two years before Weldon.

Born in 1926, Jack Bumgarner (Jack Garner or E) worked in entertainment. Jack Garner. He played secondary roles and collaborated with James. Jack never had the same fame as his brother, but his acting career paralleled their route after leaving Oklahoma.

James (1928) was the most famous of the three. He became famous as James Garner in movies and television. He was one of his generation’s most famous performers after appearing in Maverick, The Rockford Files, and The Great Escape.

In choppy water, the brothers’ past was a rope. Their childhood separated them physically, but it gave them an understanding that others couldn’t quite grasp. James and Jack worked, hung together, and didn’t seem to mind James’s celebrity.

Weldon and James Garner Later in Life

James’s relationship with his father was complicated rather than completely broken. The early years left scars, but James did not permanently reject Weldon. As James became successful, Weldon visited some of his son’s sets, including productions connected with Maverick and Up Periscope.

These visits indicate a changing relationship. James could not forget his childhood instability, and Weldon could not fix it. Still, the later connection allowed father and son to share emotions without denying the past.

In later years, Weldon lived in California. Retirement followed his profession as a warehouseman or manager. His life was modest despite his son’s stardom. Nothing suggests he accumulated fortune or had a prominent public career. He worked, maintained family relationships, and lived long enough to see James become a famous actor.

Grace and the Wider Family

Weldon’s later wife Grace survived him. She is also identified in family details as Mina Grace Davy, born in 1907. James appears to have regarded Grace more warmly than some of the other women who entered his father’s household. In family memories, she represented a gentler maternal presence.

Weldon died behind his wife Grace, a stepson, eleven grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, and a sister. James Garner’s grandchildren included Gigi and Kimberly. The extended family includes Liz Bumgarner.

James married Lois Clarke in 1956 after meeting her at a rally. Their marriage lasted nearly fifty eight years, until James’s death in 2014. Together they raised daughter Greta “Gigi” Garner, born in 1958. James also adopted Kimberly, Lois’s daughter from an earlier relationship.

James’s love for Lois, Gigi, and Kimberly is especially touching given his childhood. He wanted a house he hadn’t had before. He was warm, playful, protective, and a profoundly devoted parent, according to family. He worked hard to replace uncertainty with stability and fear with trust.

Weldon’s Final Years

Weldon died on March 15, 1986, at Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys, California, in the greater Los Angeles area. He was 85 years old. He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills.

Obituary listed him as a retired warehouseman and father of James Garner. That summary summarises his public existence but not his entire life. Weldon was a Norman youngster who lost his father young, a labourer who weathered economic changes, a widower who raised children amid chaos, and a father who saw one son become a national hero.

FAQ

Who was Weldon Warren Bumgarner?

Weldon Warren “Bill” Bumgarner was an Oklahoma born working man and the father of actor James Garner. He worked as a laundry driver, carpet layer, and warehouseman before retiring in California.

When was Weldon Bumgarner born?

He was born on January 13, 1901, in or near Norman, Oklahoma. Some records list 1902 as his birth year.

Who was Weldon Bumgarner’s first wife?

His first wife was Mildred Scott Meek, whom he married around 1921 to 1923. She died in 1933, leaving three young sons.

How many children did Weldon and Mildred have?

They had three sons: Charles Warren Bumgarner, Jack Bumgarner, and James Scott Bumgarner, who became known as James Garner.

What happened to Weldon’s sons after Mildred died?

The boys lived with relatives for periods after their mother’s death. Later, they experienced further household changes as Weldon remarried.

Was Weldon close to James Garner?

Their relationship was strained during James’s childhood because of family disruption and Weldon’s absences. They later reconnected, and Weldon visited James on film and television sets.

Who was Grace in Weldon Bumgarner’s later life?

Grace, also identified as Mina Grace Davy, was one of Weldon’s later wives. She survived him and was remembered more positively within the family than some other household figures.

When did Weldon Bumgarner die?

He died on March 15, 1986, in the Los Angeles area of California. He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills.