Josephine Owaissa Cottle (April 5, 1922 â€" June 27, 2009), known
professionally as Gale Storm, was an American actress and singer who
starred in two popular television programs of the 1950s, My Little
Margie and The Gale Storm Show. Six of her songs were top ten hits.
Storm's greatest success was a cover version of "I Hear You Knockin',"
which hit #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1955.Storm was born in
Bloomington in Victoria County in South Texas. The youngest of five
children, she had two brothers and two sisters. Her father, William
Walter Cottle, died after a year-long illness when she was just 17
months old, and her mother, Minnie Corina Cottle, struggled to rear
the children alone.Storm's elder sister Lois gave her baby sister the
middle name "Owaissa", a Norridgewock Native American word meaning
"bluebird." Her mother took in sewing, then opened a millinery shop in
McDade, Texas, which failed, and finally moved her family to Houston.
Storm learned to be an accomplished dancer and became an excellent ice
skater at Houston's Polar Palace.Storm attended Holy Rosary School in
what is now Midtown Houston. She performed in the drama club at both
Albert Sidney Johnston Junior High School and San Jacinto High School.
professionally as Gale Storm, was an American actress and singer who
starred in two popular television programs of the 1950s, My Little
Margie and The Gale Storm Show. Six of her songs were top ten hits.
Storm's greatest success was a cover version of "I Hear You Knockin',"
which hit #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1955.Storm was born in
Bloomington in Victoria County in South Texas. The youngest of five
children, she had two brothers and two sisters. Her father, William
Walter Cottle, died after a year-long illness when she was just 17
months old, and her mother, Minnie Corina Cottle, struggled to rear
the children alone.Storm's elder sister Lois gave her baby sister the
middle name "Owaissa", a Norridgewock Native American word meaning
"bluebird." Her mother took in sewing, then opened a millinery shop in
McDade, Texas, which failed, and finally moved her family to Houston.
Storm learned to be an accomplished dancer and became an excellent ice
skater at Houston's Polar Palace.Storm attended Holy Rosary School in
what is now Midtown Houston. She performed in the drama club at both
Albert Sidney Johnston Junior High School and San Jacinto High School.
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