MILWAUKEE, WI (MetroSource-WSAU) - Oprah Winfrey's family says her mother Vernita Lee has died. The family announced Lee's death on Monday.
Lee was 18 when she gave birth to her first child, Oprah, in rural Mississippi. The name was picked as a reference to a biblical passage abort “Orpah” an in the Bible's Book of Ruth, but it was mispronounced by many as Oprah and the name stuck.
Oprah Winfrey said her relationship with her mother was difficult at times because of poverty. Winfrey lived with her grandmother until she was 6. She eventually moved to Milwaukee for a short time to live with her mother. Oprah would later live with her father in Tennessee.
Lee died on Thanksgiving at the age of 83. She is survived by two daughters, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Funeral arrangements will be private. The family asks that any donations be made to Feeding America.
Comments