I think of Judaline Gumm as a figure at the edge of a brighter spotlight, someone whose life touched a famous American family but also moved in a more private rhythm. Her story has the shape of an old photograph: a little faded at the edges, but still vivid where it matters. She was born into the Gumm family line, connected to Judy Garland through her mother, Dorothy Virginia Gumm, and she later built her own life through marriage, children, and work in Nevada.
Basic information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Name used here | Judaline Gumm |
| Full family name often recorded | Judaline Gale Sherwood, later Judaline Havens |
| Birth date | 28 May 1938 |
| Birthplace | La Porte County, Indiana |
| Death date | 19 July 1985 |
| Death place | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Parents | Dorothy Virginia Gumm and Bobby Sherwood |
| Grandparents | Ethel Marion Milne and Francis Avent Gumm |
| Known spouses | David Lee Eshelman, Dennis Michael Havens |
| Known children | Alondra Lynn Havens, Stephanie Diane Havens |
A family name with deep roots
The Gumm family has long been known for entertaining. Her mother, Dorothy Virginia Gumm, was Judy Garland’s older sister. That alone placed Judaline in a family tree studied, repeated, and remembered fragmentarily for decades. Her grandmother, Ethel Marion Milne, and grandpa, Francis Avent Gumm, established the family line before celebrity, stage lights, and public attention.
Her family valued performance, travel, reinvention, and survival, so I saw her as more than just a famous relative. Gumm represents music, vaudeville, ambition, and adversity. Normal family life is also carried. Judaline connected those worlds.
Her parents and the shape of her childhood
Judaline’s mother, Dorothy Virginia Gumm, lived in the long shadow and bright glow of the Garland family story. Dorothy was part of the household that helped produce one of the most recognized performers of the 20th century. Her father, Bobby Sherwood, was a musician and bandleader. That means Judaline came from two different streams of American entertainment life, even if she did not spend her own life in the same public lane.
Her childhood likely unfolded with family history in the background like a radio left playing in another room. Her parents’ relationship, later marriages, and the broader family movement across states suggest a life shaped by change. She was born in 1938, which placed her in a generation that would grow up after the vaudeville era and into a much faster, more modern America.
That kind of family history can feel like a map with several overlapping roads. Judaline’s path seems to have followed one of the quieter roads, but it was still part of the same landscape.
Marriage, home life, and children
Judaline married at least twice. First she married David Lee Eshelman in 1960, then Dennis Michael Havens in 1961. Those dates show a young adulthood moving quickly, almost as if life turned the page before the ink had fully dried on the last line. Later records connect her to the surname Havens, which appears in local and genealogical references.
Her children, Alondra Lynn Havens and Stephanie Diane Havens, are among the clearest parts of her personal legacy. In family history, children often become the strongest bridge between one generation and the next. That is true here. Through them, Judaline’s story continues beyond the dates attached to her own life.
I find the family line especially interesting because it keeps branching. Alondra is linked with children of her own, including Audra Mae Butts, Amanda Kae Butts, and Yousseff Mohammed Amin Dallaly. Stephanie is linked with Se’Rita Marie Williams. These names turn a single life into a fuller web of generations, each one carrying something forward.
Family members around her
Judaline’s family tree includes names that are familiar to many people who know Garland history. Her maternal aunt was Judy Garland, born Frances Ethel Gumm. Her grandparents were Ethel Marion Milne and Francis Avent Gumm. Behind them are earlier generations, including John B. Milne and Eva Marion Fitzpatrick on one side, and William Tecumseh Gumm and Elizabeth Baugh on the other.
What stands out to me is how the family line moves in layers. Each generation seems to hold both public interest and private reality. Dorothy Virginia Gumm was not just Judy Garland’s sister. She was also Judaline’s mother, which matters just as much. Bobby Sherwood was not just a name in a family tree. He was Judaline’s father. That is the human scale of genealogy. Famous names matter, but family roles matter more.
Career and local achievements
Judaline’s labor is less well-documented than the Garland family’s, but evidence remains. Later in life, Nevada local notes list her as a community theater director and manager. That implies involvement in local performance practice.
She was also the first woman to join a Staten Island plumbers union, according to another thread. The detail, if true, makes her more remarkable. It would require woman to break through a solid wall and enter a male-dominated field. The picture is the same in theater and trade work: a woman making space.
Her work should be viewed that way. She was not just a celebrity-related relative. It appears she moved, adapted, and worked hard.
Later years and final chapter
Judaline died in Las Vegas on 19 July 1985, at the age of 47. That is not a long life. It leaves the feeling of an unfinished letter. Still, the record of her life shows a person connected to family, marriage, children, work, and local community life.
The dates matter because they place her story across a specific American era. Born in 1938, married in 1960 and 1961, active in the 1970s, and gone by 1985, she lived through postwar America, the rise of television culture, shifting gender roles, and a changing public understanding of women’s work. Her life may not have been built for headlines, but it still reflected a century in motion.
FAQ
Who was Judaline Gumm?
Judaline Gumm was a member of the Gumm family, connected to Judy Garland through her mother, Dorothy Virginia Gumm. She was born in 1938 and died in 1985. Her life included marriage, children, and work in Nevada.
Why is Judaline Gumm historically interesting?
She matters because she sits inside the Garland family line, but she also appears to have had her own path. She was linked to local theater activity and, according to some family history material, to pioneering work in plumbing. That combination makes her story unusual and memorable.
Who were Judaline Gumm’s parents?
Her parents were Dorothy Virginia Gumm and Bobby Sherwood. Dorothy was Judy Garland’s sister, and Bobby Sherwood was a musician and bandleader.
Who were Judaline Gumm’s grandparents?
Her grandparents were Ethel Marion Milne and Francis Avent Gumm. They are important because they form the older Gumm family line that connects Judaline to the broader Garland family history.
Did Judaline Gumm have children?
Yes. The names most often linked to her are Alondra Lynn Havens and Stephanie Diane Havens. Family records also connect grandchildren through both daughters.
What is known about Judaline Gumm’s career?
Her career is not widely documented in mainstream celebrity histories, but she appears in Nevada local records connected to community theater. Some family history material also describes her as a woman who broke into plumbing work, which would make her a notable example of a woman entering a male-dominated trade.
When did Judaline Gumm die?
She died on 19 July 1985 in Las Vegas, Nevada. She was 47 years old.
Was Judaline Gumm famous like Judy Garland?
No, not in the same way. Judy Garland became an international star. Judaline’s story is quieter and more private, but it is still meaningful because it shows the wider family behind the fame and the real lives that continued beyond the spotlight.
