Basic Information
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Hubert Henry Morehead |
| Nickname | Whitey Morehead |
| Born | April 17, 1911, Leesburg, Highland County, Ohio |
| Died | March 18, 1974, Hawthorne, Los Angeles County, California |
| Age at death | 62 years |
| Burial | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Cypress, Orange County, California |
| Occupation | Meat cutter, butcher, food industry worker; CK3 Cook, U.S. Navy |
| Confirmed marriages | Three (Gladys May Dick; Alice Mary Franklin; Doris Evora Ward) |
| Confirmed children | One daughter, Barbara Jean Morehead (Barbara Eden), born August 23, 1931 |
| Confirmed grandchildren | Matthew Michael Ansara, born August 29, 1965, died June 25, 2001 |
| Primary residences | Ohio, Montana, Arizona, California |
Biography Overview
Hubert Henry Morehead was a man of ordinary trades and quiet travels, a figure whose life reads like a small, steady flame in the long night of 20th century American upheaval. Born in 1911 in rural Ohio, he grew up at a time when families moved in search of better soil and better work, and his own household followed that pattern westward into Montana and then Arizona. He lived through the Great Depression, found practical work as a meat cutter and butcher, and answered the nations call in World War II as a Navy cook with the rating CK3.
Numbers mark his life in straightforward ways: birth in 1911, marriage records in 1928 and again around 1930, a daughter born in 1931, wartime service in the 1940s, and death in 1974 at age 62. Those figures map a life of motion and maintenance. Where public fame was absent, routine persisted: he labored in packing plants and butcher shops, rented homes, and navigated the hardship of single parenthood after marital splits, though the historical record shows that his daughter moved away with her mother and later became a public figure.
Huberts legacy is a family one. His life intersects with Hollywood not by his own work but by lineage, because his daughter rose to stardom. He remains a background presence in memoirs, interviews, and family recollections, more a shadow in someone elses spotlight than a headline of his own.
Family and Relationships
| Relationship | Name | Birth – Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Father | George Robbins Morehead | circa 1873 – 1950 | Farmer, led family migrations west |
| Mother | Rebecca Adelaide Simpson Morehead | circa 1874 – 1947 | Worked as editor of farm publications in later census records |
| Siblings | Lula Bernice Urech; Jessie Mae Ross; Ralph Simpson Morehead; Mary Ruth Clay; Howard Abraham Morehead | Various | Part of a large Midwestern family that dispersed west |
| First spouse | Gladys May Dick | 1909 – 1973 | Married February 7, 1928 in Great Falls, Montana; later divorced |
| Second spouse | Alice Mary Franklin | August 13, 1915 – November 7, 1986 | Mother of Barbara; married around 1930-31; divorced mid 1930s |
| Third spouse | Doris Evora Ward | circa 1913 – unknown | Married after second divorce; limited public details |
| Child | Barbara Jean Morehead (Barbara Eden) | August 23, 1931 – living | Actress famous for television and film |
| Grandchild | Matthew Michael Ansara | August 29, 1965 – June 25, 2001 | Son of Barbara Eden and Michael Ansara; actor; died young |
Family life for Hubert followed a pattern common to many families in the early 20th century: multiple marriages, relocations, and a degree of distance between parents and children when economic pressures forced choices. His daughter would describe a distant relationship after the divorce, while public records and family trees fill in the skeleton of kinship.
Career and Service
Huberts working life is unadorned but solid. Census records place him in Tucson, Arizona, in 1930 at age 19, employed as a meat cutter in a packing plant and listed as a renter at 1725 E. 8th Street. The trade required early mornings, strong hands, and attention to routine. Later descriptions simply list him as a butcher, a trade that likely sustained him through the Depression and into the post-war decades.
Military service added a chapter of public duty. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II with the rating of CK3, Cook 3rd Class, a role that put him in charge of feeding sailors and supporting shipboard life. Service during a global conflict would have shaped him in ways that survive only faintly in records, perhaps offering access to veterans benefits but leaving no public record of large claims or business ventures.
Financially, the available details paint a picture of steady, modest income rather than accumulation. There are no records of estates or significant holdings that would suggest wealth; instead, the life of a blue collar worker of his era is implied by occupation and residence.
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1911 | Born April 17 in Leesburg, Highland County, Ohio |
| 1920 | Family recorded in Cascade County, Montana census |
| 1928 | Married Gladys May Dick on February 7 in Great Falls, Montana |
| 1930 | Listed in Tucson, Arizona census as meat cutter, age 19 |
| 1930 – 1931 | Married Alice Mary Franklin in Pima County, Arizona |
| 1931 | Daughter Barbara Jean Morehead born August 23 in Tucson |
| 1934 – 1935 | Divorce from Alice; Barbara relocates with mother to California |
| 1941 – 1945 | Served in U.S. Navy as CK3 during World War II |
| Post 1945 | Married Doris Evora Ward; lived in Los Angeles area |
| 1965 | Grandson Matthew Michael Ansara born August 29 |
| 1974 | Died March 18 in Hawthorne, California; buried in Cypress |
The timeline reads like a ledger of duty and movement. Gaps remain, because ordinary lives leave ordinary traces, and archival silence often equals a life lived without public spectacle.
Recent Mentions and Media
Mentions of Hubert in modern times are scarce and usually tethered to his daughter. Anniversaries, birthday tributes, and fan videos occasionally note his name. Short biographical pieces about Barbara Eden contain passing references to her father, and a handful of online videos recount family origin stories that place him in the background of a larger life.
Social media references are rare and typically corrective, clarifying family names or relationships. He does not appear as a subject of standalone articles or documentaries. Instead he exists as a connective tissue between a Midwestern farm household and a Hollywood family tree.
Related Videos
| Title | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|
| What Really Happened to BARBARA EDEN | 2021 | Biography video that mentions family origins |
| Barbra Eden Left Nothing To The Imagination, Try Not To Gasp | 2024 | Popular biography clip with family background |
| Remember Barbara Eden? This Is Her Now | 2024 | Retrospective that touches on early life |
| Barbara Eden Lived A Double Life For 30 Years, And No One Knew | 2025 | Video that references personal history, including family ties |
None of these focus exclusively on Hubert. They treat him as part of a familial backdrop, noted briefly and then left to the margins.
FAQ
Who was Hubert Henry Morehead?
He was a working class American born in 1911 who worked as a meat cutter and served as a Navy cook, best known today as the father of actress Barbara Eden.
When and where was he born?
He was born April 17, 1911 in Leesburg, Highland County, Ohio.
What was his occupation?
He worked in meat processing as a meat cutter and butcher and served as a CK3 cook in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
How many times was he married and did he have children?
He was married three times and had one confirmed child, Barbara Jean Morehead, born in 1931.
Did he serve in the military?
Yes, he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II with the rating of Cook 3rd Class.
Where is he buried?
He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Cypress, Orange County, California.
