Elvis is supposed to have resembled his maternal great-great-great grandmother, Morning Dove White, a full-blooded Cherokee. Her son, John Mansell, Elvis' great-great grandfather, was a hard-drinking conman who was also a bigamist. His much more respectable son, White Mansell (pictured at left), raised his own brothers and sisters in addition to White's own family. Elvis' maternal grandmother was Octavia Luvenia "Doll" Mansell, one of White's daughters. She was constantly ill and also experienced periods of mental instability, periods which grew in frequency as she aged. On September 20, 1903, "Doll" married her first cousin Robert Lee Smith, a not uncommon practice in the South at this time.

The Smiths (pictured at right) put great emphasis on Christian values and had a strong sense of familial responsibility, traits Gladys would exhibit in caring for her own family. Born April 25, 1912, Gladys Love Smith was the fourth of six children. Her family was very poor and moved often, in part because of Robert Smith's moonshining business. In the face of this, Gladys was determined to make something better of herself. She had to care for her brothers and sisters at an early age, since her mother was not well. Gladys was interested in education and schooling, but couldn't go much because of the necessity of work to feed the family.

Quite independent in nature (Eleanor Roosevelt was her hero), Gladys moved her family to East Tupelo after her dad died in 1932, and at the age of 20 began working in the Tupelo Garment Company, which was essentially nothing more than a sweat shop. She earned $2 per 12 hour work day. Still, she was a popular girl who often entertained herself and her co-workers by singing to make the time pass quickly. In addition, the First Assembly of God Church provided Gladys with a social as well as religious outlet. It was there she met Vernon Presley. Pictured at left is Gladys' grandma, Ann Smith.

Elvis' great-great paternal grandfather, Dunnan Pressley Jr, fought for the Confederacy in the American Civil War. He eventually married Martha Jane Wesson. One of their daughters, Elvis' great grandmother Rosella Pressley, bore nine children out of wedlock, and was considered by many to be mentally unstable. At the same time, she raised her children to be very patriotic and religious. Jessie D. Presley, Elvis' grandfather, was born 1896; by the age of 17, he'd already acquired a reputation as a hard-drinking hell-raiser who was very good with the ladies (many Tupeloans remembered him as being better-looking than Elvis!). In contrast, Noah, Jessie's brother and Elvis' great uncle, was considered the star of the family: a successful businessman, he became mayor of Tupelo. It was Noah who often paid for young Elvis to go to Memphis Zoo, among other treats.

In 1913, Jessie surprised his friends and family by marrying Minnie Mae Hood, Elvis' grandmother, who was not especially attractive or good-natured. Nonetheless, they had five children: Vester, Vernon, Delta Mae, Gladys Earlene, and Nashville Lorene. Vernon Elvis Presley was born in 1916. Jessie rarely held down a job and often spent his money on fine clothes, characteristics Vernon emulated. Jessie and Minnie finally divorced in 1947, and Minnie, whom Elvis affectionately termed "Dodger" lived with Vernon and his family, eventually moving into Graceland where she remained until her death in 1980. Vester and Vernon grew up as little hellions, imitating their father in both their attitude toward work and their interest in women. The Presleys were blessed with good looks, and so it wasn't hard for Vernon to catch the eye of a number of young women. In 1932, one of those women was Gladys Love Smith.

Elvis speaks out about the Army & Fans. Soon after he passed his Army physical, Elvis rented a roller-skating rink for eight nights at $520 to hold the biggest blast ever. Cheerful then. But at his local board #86 one morning Elvis confessed his qualms about Army IQ tests. "If I seem nervous," he confided, "it's because I am." ...while girls cross-country sobbed their hearts out, Elvis left for Killeen, then Fort Hood, Texas, for his basic training. Just months later, he was aboard the U.S.S. General Randall on his way to do jeep duty in Friedberg, Germany. If Elvis had any fears about fans forgetting him, his devotees did not. By hundreds they trudged down to the docks to wave goodbye and sob, "We'll never forget you!" And they didn't. Nor did Elvis forget his many fans and friends back home. Fearful that they would misunderstand his philandering overseas, he insisted: "When I get home I've got a lot of things to catch up on, including American girls." Discharged at McGuire Air Force Base, Elvis claimed: "The Army made a man of me. I was glad for the experience, glad no one can now say that I had it made." Elvis appeared on ABC's Frank Sinatra's Welcome Home Party, was slated for films "G.I.Blues,"- and picked up just where he left off -- hotter than ever.

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