Blanche Barrow

Blanche Barrow (born Bennie Iva Caldwell; January 1, 1911 – December 24, 1988) was the wife of Buck Barrow, the older brother of Clyde Barrow. He became her second husband after his release from prison. To her dismay, Buck joined his brother's gang. Blanche was present at the shootout which resulted in the Barrow Gang becoming nationally recognized fugitives. She spent only four months with the gang. Although she never used a gun, Blanche was blinded in one eye during a getaway. In the same incident, she rescued her husband under heavy police gunfire. She was caught along with her fatally wounded husband by a posse of local men in Iowa. She served six years in prison for assault with intent to kill, her target being the sheriff of Platte County, Missouri. After Barrow's release from prison, she eventually remarried and lived quietly thereafter. Barrow was consulted for the partially fictionalized film Bonnie and Clyde (1967) about the Barrow gang. She disliked her portrayal in the film by Estelle Parsons, who won an Academy Award for the role.