Born on June 29, 1916, in Saint Joseph, Missouri, she began her career in radio before transitioning to film and television. Her breakout role was in Orson Welles's "Citizen Kane" (1941), where she played Emily Monroe Norton. Throughout her career, she appeared in numerous films and television series, most notably as Phoebe Tyler on the soap opera "All My Children," a role she played from 1970 until her passing in 2005. She was known for her versatile acting and contributions to both film and TV.