Norma McCorvey
| Norma McCorvey | |
|---|---|
,_1989_(cropped).jpg)
McCorvey in 1989
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| Born |
Norma Leah Nelson September 22, 1947 Simmesport, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | February 18, 2017 (aged 69) Katy, Texas, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Heart failure |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Jane Roe |
| Occupation | Director, Crossing Over Ministry formerly Roe No More Ministry, Inc. |
| Known for | Roe v. Wade |
| Spouse(s) | Elwood "Woody" McCorvey (m. 1963–65) |
| Partner(s) | Connie Gonzales (1970–1993) |
| Children | 3 |
Norma Leah McCorvey (née Nelson; September 22, 1947 – February 18, 2017), better known by the legal pseudonym "Jane Roe", was the plaintiff in the landmark American lawsuit Roe v. Wade in 1973. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that individual state laws banning abortion are unconstitutional. Later, McCorvey's views on abortion changed substantially; she became a Roman Catholic activist in the pro-life movement.
McCorvey was born in Simmesport, Louisiana. She was briefly raised at her family's residence in Lettsworth in Pointe Coupee Parish. Later in her childhood, the family moved to Houston, Texas. McCorvey's father left the family when she was 13 years old and her parents subsequently divorced. She and her older brother were raised by their mother Mildred, a violent alcoholic. McCorvey's father died on September 27, 1995. She was of partial Cajun ancestry.
McCorvey had entered a Catholic boarding school prior to her minor troubles with law enforcement that started at the age of ten, when she robbed the cash register at a gas station and ran away to Oklahoma City with a friend. They tricked a hotel worker into letting them rent a room, and were there for two days when a maid walked in on her and her female friend kissing. McCorvey was arrested and brought to court, where she was declared a ward of the state and sent to state-run institutions.
Later, McCorvey was sent to the State School for Girls in Gainesville, Texas, on and off from ages 11 to 15. She said this was the happiest time of her childhood, and every time she was sent home, would purposely do something bad to be sent back. After being released, McCorvey lived with her mother’s cousin, who allegedly raped her every night for three weeks. When McCorvey's mother found out, her cousin claimed McCorvey was lying.
While working at a restaurant, Norma met Woody McCorvey (born 1940), and she married him at the age of 16. She later left him after he allegedly assaulted her. She moved in with her mother and gave birth to her first child, Melissa, in 1965. After Melissa's birth, McCorvey developed a serious drinking problem. Soon after, she came out and began identifying as a lesbian. She went on a weekend trip to visit two friends, and left her baby with her mother. When she returned, her mother replaced Melissa with a baby doll and reported her to the police as having abandoned her baby, and called the police to take her out of the house. She would not tell her where Melissa was for weeks, and finally let her visit her child after three months. She let McCorvey move back in, and one day woke Norma up after a long day of work. She told her to sign insurance papers, and Norma did so without reading. However, she actually signed adoption papers, giving her mother custody of Melissa, and was then kicked out of the house. The following year, McCorvey again became pregnant and gave birth to a baby, who was placed for adoption.
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