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To this day, Shirley Temple is still remembered as a cinematic icon. During the 1930s, she was a dimpled, bright, and feisty little girl who sang and tap-danced her way to a level of Hollywood celebrity and global acclaim that no child star has ever achieved. In addition to her career as an actress, singer, and dancer, she served as the United States Chief of Protocol and as Ambassador to Ghana and the Czechoslovak Republic.
According to Today, Temple hailed her life as having "three wonderful careers." Of these, being a mother was the most significant, although her acting career in Hollywood and political activities were also meaningful. In 1943, when Temple was 15 years old, she met John Agar, a sergeant in the Army Air Corps, a physical training teacher, and a native of a Chicago meat-packing family. The couple tied the knot in an Episcopal ceremony at Los Angeles' Wilshire Methodist Church on September 19, 1945, when she was just 17 years old. Temple and her husband welcomed a daughter named Linda Susan on January 30, 1948.
Linda Susan Agar's Early Years Growing Up With Her Family
John Agar entered the film industry, and the couple appeared in two RKO features: Fort Apache (1948) and Adventure in Baltimore (1949). John's alcoholism soon marred their blissful existence. On December 5, 1949, Temple and Agar divorced, and Temple was awarded custody of their daughter Linda Susan.
Shortly afterward, Shirley, a single mother, started dating a man named Charles Alden Black. During World War II, he served as a Navy intelligence officer, and for his efforts, he was honored with the Silver Star. A little over a year after her divorce, Shirley remarried when her daughter Linda was around three.
Temple gave birth to her son Charles Alden Black Jr. on April 28, 1952, in the District of Columbia. After the war ended and Black was discharged from the Navy in May 1953, he and his family moved back to California. Temple became a stay-at-home mom while Black ran KABC-TV in Los Angeles. On April 9, 1954, the couple welcomed a daughter, Lori, who would later become a bassist for the rock band the Melvins.
Although Linda Susan Agar grew up with her two younger siblings, whether or not her stepfather adopted her remains unanswered. In many interviews, Shirley Temple's daughter has been referred to as Susan Black, suggesting that Charles Alden Black Sr. adopted her as a child.
Shirley and Charles had been married for more than 50 years by the time he passed, and Shirley lived another nine years afterward.
What Little Is Known About Linda Susan Agar's Mysterious Life Today
Linda Susan Agar billed as Susan Agar on IMDb was the only child of Temple and her ex-husband, the actor John Agar, and had a close relationship with her famous mother. Growing up, Agar had a go at acting, having played two different characters in her mother's TV show, "The Shirley Temple Storybook." She then apparently decided against pursuing a career in the entertainment industry and instead chose to remain in the background.
According to Fabiosa, Agar had a daughter named Teresa Caltabiano, and Temple was quite close to her. Additionally, Caltabiano went on to have a daughter, and Temple had the opportunity to meet her before her death. Agar may have avoided the spotlight, but she never passed up the chance to gush about her mother's compassion toward her family and how much fun she had helping her mom with home decorating when she was a kid.
According to The List, Agar shared with Closer Weekly in 2018 about her close bond with Temple. "Being a wife and mom is the greatest of her achievement. We were shopping and travel buddies and went to many places together. She was one of my very best friends."
"She was wonderful — and normal," Agar's young brother Charles Jr. also shared positive memories of their mother in another interview with Closer Weekly. "We had dinner at the table every night all together."
What Linda Susan Agar's Siblings Are Up To These Days
Lori Black, the younger sister of Linda Agar, followed a career as a bassist, initially for the band Clown Alley and then for the band Melvins. During her active years, she became known as Lorax to many people. For many years, Lori struggled with an addiction to drugs, and in her fight against it, she received encouragement and support from their mother. Lori was born on April 9, 1954, making her Linda's younger sister by six years.
Her older brother and Linda's younger, Charles Alden Jr., was born on April 24, 1952. Before withdrawing from public view entirely, Charles Alden Jr. tried his hand at acting for some time. In "Shirley Temple's Storybook," he performed the character Andy. After some time, he started working in the real estate industry.