From: Rich_Carol_Koster@cup.portal.com Subject: Thelma, Millionaire Disney Housekeeper Date: Fri, 28 Oct 94 17:18:32 PDT Cross-posted to Portal's Disney FANtasEARS Special Interest Group, Fidonet's Disney echo, and Usenet's rec.arts.disney newsgroup. There's word in the news that the estate of Walt Disney's housekeeper left $4 1/2 million to poor and disabled children, and the other half to her son, Michael. He is an only child from the housekeeper's brief marriage, and he is currently in a home for developmentally disabled. Michael is in his mid-50s. Thelma Howard was the housekeeper turned fairy godmother who lived frugally throughout her life, apparently not knowing the worth of the stock gifts that Walt had given her. She died just before her 80th birthday, on June 10. She became an apparently unknowing millionaire thanks to the skyrocketing value of stock that she received from Disney starting back in the 1950s. She'd get a few shares as a gift at Christmas and for birthdays and so on, when she started as housekeeper at the Disney household in 1951. "She was told to hang onto it, and she did. She never sold a share of it," said Jack Shakely, president of the California Community Foundation, which will assist the Thelma Pearl Foundation in dispensing the money. He said, "I don't think she knew what it was worth. She had great faith in the Disneys and wouldn't part with it." Shakely said the foundation will be making $250,000 grants per year thanks to the money she left to the foundation. Thelma Howard is described as having been more like the maid "Hazel" than like "Mary Poppins." "She was a combination of real loving and kind of crusty," Shakely said, "...a chain-smoking, no-nonsense type, but very loving, like TV's old 'Hazel' character." She was the Disney live-in housekeeper and cook for 30 years. Her nickname was "Fou-Fou" and Walt referred to her as "the real-life Mary Poppins." Walt's daughter, Diane Disney Miller, remembers Thelma as a perfectionist who would make sure that the fridge was always filled with hot dogs, because Walt often came home from work and would grab a few of them. He'd give one to "Lady", their pet poodle, and eat the other two himself -- cold and uncooked! Walt might have identified with Thelma. She had her share of tragedy in her early life, much like Walt did. Her mom died in childbirth when Thelmas was 6, and her sister died in a fire in their kitchen. Like Walt, she was from the midwest. Thelma was a native of Southwick, Idaho. Thelma's health took a turn for the worse in 1981 so she retired. She is buried at Forest Lawn high in the Hollywood Hills, and her grave is overlooking the Disney Studios. -Rich Koster ()_() ()~() ()_() Moderator, Portal Disney FANtasEARS SIG (_) Asst. Moderator, Fidonet Disney Echo FDC Mickey * "There will be riches and magical places."