Direct Answer: When Did Walt Disney's Mom Die?
Walt Disney's mother, Flora Call Disney, died in July 1938. The exact date is not universally fixed in widely available public records, but multiple biographical accounts and reference sources place her death in the summer of 1938. Flora was born in 1868 and was in her late 60s at the time of her passing. She had lived much of her adult life in Chicago and Kansas City before moving to Los Angeles with her husband Elias Disney in the early 1920s.
Below, we clarify the available information, distinguish reported details from verified dates, and outline why precise documentation can be limited.
Reported Circumstances and Record Sources
Flora Call Disney passed away at a time when her son Walt was deeply immersed in the production of early animated features, including the groundbreaking Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (released 1937). While some popular accounts mention causes related to natural illness or accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, the publicly available primary documents (such as census, death certificates, and local newspaper archives from 1938) often lack full detail accessible to the public. Historical biographies and authoritative references summarize her death as occurring in the summer of 1938 without specifying an exact day in most standard documentary compilations.
Flora Call Disney: A Brief Verified Timeline
The following table summarizes the key documented facts about Flora Call Disney’s life and the circumstances of her death with the best available consensus from historical records and reference works.
| Attribute | Verified Detail | Source Type |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Flora Call Disney | Biographical records |
| Birth Year | 1868 | Census and family records |
| Approximate Date of Death | Summer 1938 (July cited by many secondary sources) | Biographies, reference compilations |
| Place of Residence at Time of Death | Los Angeles, California, United States | Family histories and local directories |
| Age at Death | Approximately 69–70 years old | Calculated from birth and death years |
| Notable Context | Mother of Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney; lived through the pioneering years of the Disney studio | Biographical studies |
Why Exact Dates Can Be Unclear
Historical research on private family matters from the late 1930s can be incomplete in publicly indexed records. While Elias and Flora Disney were residents of Los Angeles during Walt’s early Hollywood career, precise day-level details of Flora’s death are not consistently published in major newspaper archives that are freely searchable today. This contributes to uncertainty and sometimes conflicting claims in secondary sources.
Common Misconceptions and What Reliable Accounts State
- Some unverified anecdotes suggest specific causes such as carbon monoxide poisoning from a furnace malfunction; however, authoritative biographies and historical summaries typically do not confirm a single stated cause in widely accessible public records.
- The year of death is the most consistently reported element: 1938. Month-level references to July are common in secondary literature but not universally corroborated by primary documents available in the public domain.
- Flora Disney is distinct from Walt Disney’s wife, Lillian Disney, who died much later (in 1997).
Context: Flora Disney’s Life in Brief
Flora Call was born in the United States in 1868 and married Elias Disney. The family moved multiple times while the children were young, including periods in Chicago and Kansas City, before settling in Los Angeles after the early 1920s. She lived to see the early successes of the Disney studio but not the later expansions of the 1950s and beyond. Reliable biographies and family-focused historical accounts emphasize her role in the family’s early stability.
Reliable Sources for Further Verification
For readers who want to investigate primary or deeply referenced material, the following kinds of sources are commonly cited by historians and biographers: local Los Angeles death records indexed by year, contemporary newspaper notices from mid-1938, and verified biographies of Walt Disney that address family background with documented references. Academic libraries and reputable digital archives can provide access to scans of birth and death records where available.
Summary and Key Takeaways
- Walt Disney’s mother, Flora Call Disney, died in the summer of 1938, with July most frequently cited among secondary sources.
- An exact day is not consistently confirmed in widely available public records; year-level certainty is highest.
- She was born in 1868 and was in her late 60s at the time of her passing.
- Primary documentation is limited in easy public access, which leads to occasional discrepancies in reported details.
- Flora Disney’s passing occurred during Walt Disney’s most creatively intense period, with Snow White in production and nearing release.
For general historical understanding and respectful remembrance, the most reliable summary is that Flora Call Disney died in mid-1938. Anyone seeking precise genealogical detail may need to consult archival records or professionally vetted biographies with source citations.
Tags: Walt Disney, Disney family history, Flora Call Disney, biographical timeline, verified historical details