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Grandma Walton

Esther Walton is the stern, tough love Grandmother of the Walton family. She is the church organist and helps Olivia run the kitchen and household chores. She can be proud, stubborn and jealous especially of her husband's relationship to other woman. Grandma would suffer a stroke and would recuperate in hospital care for 1 1/2 years before returning home. Soon after her return her husband Zeb would pass away and she continued to live with her son and family on Walton's Mountain.

Featured storylines  
"The Separation" (s2-ep3) "The Bequest" (s2-ep12)
"The Awakening"(s3-ep13) "The Birthday" (s3-ep14)
"The Caretakers" (s3-ep18) "The Statue" (s3-ep21)
"The Quilting" (s4-ep21) "The House" (s4-ep22)
"The Vigil" (s5-ep2) "The Rebellion" (s5-ep13)
"Grandma Comes Home" (s6-ep22) "The Portrait" (s7-ep6)
"The Beau" (s7-ep9)  

... more links to come ASAP


Ellen Corby

Born: June 3, 1911
Died: April 14, 1999

When Ellen Corby was cast as the Walton Grandmother in The Homecoming, she challenged Earl Hamner's preference for the tone of the character. She wanted to be the "salt" of the show because she felt that there were too many "nice" characters on the show and her "spice" was needed to balance out the family. Obviously she was right about the character winning 3 Best Supporting Actress Emmys for her role on The Waltons. Ellen was the only adult cast member to reprise her role when The Waltons premiered the following fall season. In November 1976 she suffered a severe stroke and temporarily left the show to recuperate. The stroke she suffered was written into the show and served to explain her absence from the series and provide story material upon her return.

Further Links and Reading

 

 

 


Ellen is a veteran actress who began her career in Hollywood as a script assistant which she did for twelve years before moving in front of the camera. She played a number of small bit roles but is remembered as Ms. Davis in It's a Wonderful Life and in 1948 she was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar and Golden Globe for her role as a lovelorn aunt in I Remember Mama.


Ellen Corby's 1974 appearance on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson"

 

Ellen is the author of a book that she began writing in the early 1970's.

"The Pebble of Gibraltar" is an allegory that chronicles the journey of a small adventurous pebble through France, Italy, and Spain, with discoveries along the way to delight and educate the reader, young or old.

She described it as “not a boy-meets-girl love story”. She adds "Traveling's my hobby, It always has been. I've been 'round the world twice."

It was finally published in 1988.

 

Ellen Corby - The Pebble of Gibraltar


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