Babe Ruth Marries Claire Merritt Hodgson

Born near Athens, Georgia, United States, she met Ruth in 1923, a year after her husband Frank Hodgson died, leaving her with a daughter, Julia.

Ruth was still married to Helen Woodford. Woodford died in a house fire in January 1929, and Ruth and Hodgson married that April 17, staying together until Ruth's death in 1948.

Since they were Catholic, neither Babe nor Helen believed in divorce. However, by 1925 Babe and Helen were permanently separated, with their adopted daughter living with Helen. When Helen died in a house fire in 1929, Babe married model Claire Merritt Hodgson, who tried to help Babe curb some of his worst habits.