Lois January Full name: Laura Lois January 1912 or 1913 - 2006

Texas born Lois January was under contract to Universal during the 1930s, and was frequently 'loaned out' to other studios and production companies.

Her B-western heroine duties were in about a dozen 1930s oaters starring Johnny Mack Brown, Bob Steele, Tim McCoy, Bob Baker, and others. You may catch a glimpse of the redheaded Lois January in THE WIZARD OF OZ (MGM, 1939), during the song "The Merry Old Land of Oz" (comes before Bert Lahr doing "I Was the King of the Forest").

In the 1940s, Lois worked in Broadway musicals and appeared on various radio programs. New York plays included "Yokel Boy" in 1939-1940 and the stars were Judy Canova and Buddy Ebsen. In 1941-1942, she had a role in the musical "High Kickers". One of her earliest radio ventures began in 1942. She became the early morning "Reveille Sweetheart", playing records and chit-chatting on New York's WABC (CBS station).

Lois also did a bit of TV work, including several appearances in MARCUS WELBY, as well as episodes of BARNABY JONES, THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW, POLICE STORY, KOLCHAK THE NIGHT STALKER, more.

There were two marriages - her first was to Abraham Meyer in 1937 and husband two was William Gernannt, and they tied the knot in 1941. Daughter Jan was born in 1949.

Suffering from Alzheimers, 93 year old Lois January passed away on August 7, 2006.

  Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Lois January: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0418363/

The Internet Broadway database lists two plays for Lois in the early 1940s: https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/lois-january-105820

J. David Goldin's RadioGoldIndex website lists Lois in only three radio shows (though I would speculate that she did a bunch more). When you get to the site, click "Start Here", then select "Search By Artist", then select J, then scroll down for Lois January radio credits: http://radiogoldindex.com/

The guardian.co.uk website has an obituary on Lois: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2006/sep/04/guardianobituaries.usa

The Family Search website, Social Security Death Index (SSDI), and trade publications have information on Lois January and family:

• 1920 census summary and census takers worksheet - owning their home in McAllen, Hidalgo county, Texas are 31 year old Charles J. January (born Missouri; occupation "Post Master"), his 28 year old wife Lucile (born Texas), 7 year old daughter Laura L. (born Texas), 4 year old son Charles Jr. (born Texas), and a servant: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHBP-6DJ
• Los Angeles marriage license of the April 17, 1937 marriage of 36 year old Abraham Meyer (born New York; occupation "Theatrical - Motion Pictures") and 24 year old Laura Lois January (born Texas; occupation "Actress - Motion Picture"). Her parents were Charles J. January and Lucille Buck: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8JY-P9N
• Jackson county, Missouri marriage license of the August 13, 1941 marriage of William Gernannt and Laura Lois January in Kansas City, Missouri: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2ZR-V6KC
• November 23 and November 30, 1949 issues of Radio Daily had announcements of the birth of a daughter: "It's an 8 lb. baby gal for the Bill Gernannts. Mom is the famous actress - singer, Lois January." and "The Bill Gernannts (Lois January) have named her Jan."
• Texas amended / corrected birth certificate from 1958-1959 with a questionable birth year - Laura Lois January was born October 5, 1920 in McAllen, Hidalgo county, Texas to Charles James January (born Missouri; occupation "Haberdasher") and Lucile Clara Buck (born Texas): https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X218-5XL
• Social Security Death Index (SSDI) - Lois January was born October 5, 1912 and passed away on August 7, 2006: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JGJ8-CM2

Find A Grave website has an unknown interment location for Lois: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16167014/laura-lois-january

(From Old Corral collection) Interesting bit of nostalgia and trivia here - this is a 1942 Chesterfield cigarette ad on the back of a Broadway Show "playbill", and Lois is shown.  The notation in the upper right reads: IT'S CHESTERFIELD SAYS LOIS JANUARY Star of Stage and Screen. (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above - Reb Russell, Tommy Bupp and Lois January in a scene from ARIZONA BAD MAN (Willis Kent, 1935). (From Old Corral collection) Above from L-to-R are Lois January, Horace Murphy, and Johnny Mack Brown from ROGUE OF THE RANGE (A. W. Hackel/Supreme, 1936). (Courtesy of Minard Coons) Above from L-to-R are heroine Lois January, Tim McCoy wearing his Mexican disguise, and baddie Ted Adams in McCoy's BORDER CABELLERO (Puritan, 1936). (Courtesy of Les Adams) Left to right are J. Farrell McDonald, Lois January, and Harry Woods in Bob Baker's COURAGE OF THE WEST (Universal, 1937). (From Old Corral collection) Above is a sepia duotone lobby card from the Film Classics re-release of COURAGE OF THE WEST (Universal, 1937). Holding his sixgun on Lois and Bob is prolific heavy Harry Woods. (Courtesy of Ed Phillips) Above - singin' cowboy Fred Scott and his favorite leading lady Lois January in MOONLIGHT ON THE RANGE (Spectrum, 1937). (Courtesy of Donn & Nancy Moyer) Above - Dave Twomey (Happy the Clown) with Lois January.