Meg Randall - Early Life

Early Life

Meg Randall was born August 1, 1926 in Clinton, Custer and Washita County, Oklahoma. Her birth name, Genevieve Roberts, was shortened to Gene Roberts as she was known by adulthood. Her father, Charles Patrick Roberts (1892-1980), originated from Texas and by 1900 his family moved into Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory of Oklahoma, to farm while Charles was still very young. He generally worked as an auto mechanic and then a construction laborer Her mother, Winnie McMillin (1899-1952), was born in Tennessee and grew up in an Oklahoma farming community as well. By the age of 20, she was a school teacher in Harris Township, OK. After World War II, both of Meg's parents were employed as attendants at the local Veterans' Administration Hospital in Muskogee, OK. Meg was the third of five children. Her two older siblings were Juanita and Juarez with the younger set named Cleo and Robert. Although her family is of primarily Welsh decent, it was noted that her father favored names of alternate ethnicity. So he selected a few for his children rather than naming them all strictly Welsh names, therefore breaking away from family tradition. Meg's older brother, Juarez Roberts (1923-2009), was a courageous World War II paratrooper who graduated from the University of Oklahoma after the war. He found his niche in Hollywood by writing for several television shows during the 1950's until the early 1960's.