Baker Publishing Group

Berniece Inez Gladys Miracle, born Berniece Inez Gladys Baker in 1919, was an American writer best known for her memoir about her half-sister, actress Marilyn Monroe. Her parents divorced when she was young, and her father took her and her brother to Kentucky, where they were raised by his family. Miracle's mother later remarried and had another daughter, Norma Jeane Mortenson, who would become Marilyn Monroe. Miracle and Norma Jeane met as adults and maintained contact. Miracle worked in various professions, including manufacturing inspector, bookkeeper, and costume designer, and lived a private life, generally avoiding the media. She passed away in 2014 at the age of 94. Her memoir, co-authored with her daughter, offered a personal perspective on Monroe's life and their shared maternal history.

Born Berniece Inez Gladys Baker in 1919, her parents' marriage was brief, ending in divorce when she was two years old. Her father then took Berniece and her older brother to Kentucky, where they were raised by his family. Her father remarried and had two more sons. Berniece's mother later remarried and had a third child, Norma Jeane Mortenson, who would later become known as Marilyn Monroe. Berniece's older brother passed away in his teens. Berniece married Paris Miracle in 1938, and they had a daughter, Mona Rae Miracle, who also became an author. Her marriage to Paris lasted until his death in 1990.

Berniece first learned of her half-sister, Norma Jeane Mortenson, from her mother. The sisters exchanged correspondence and photographs, eventually meeting in 1944 when Norma Jeane was eighteen. After their meeting, Norma Jeane began a career in modeling and acting, adopting the name Marilyn Monroe. The sisters remained in touch, with Berniece visiting Monroe in New York in 1961. Following Monroe's death in 1962, Berniece was among those who arranged her funeral and received a bequest of $10,000 in Monroe's will. In later interviews, Berniece expressed her belief that Monroe's death may have been accidental rather than intentional, citing conversations about future plans and happiness.

In 1994, Berniece Miracle co-authored the book "My Sister Marilyn: A Memoir of Marilyn Monroe" with her daughter. The memoir detailed their infrequent meetings and shared experiences leading up to Monroe's death. It also addressed the mental health struggles of their mother, Gladys, and the impact this had on both sisters' childhoods. They both felt a sense of abandonment due to their mother's condition but found mutual support in each other. The book included personal photographs and was recognized for its unique family perspective on Marilyn Monroe's life, being noted as the only authorized biography from Monroe's family.

“I don't think she committed suicide. It could have been an accident, because I had just talked to her a short time before. She told me what she had planned to do, she had just bought a new house and she was working on the curtains of the windows. She had so many things to look forward to and she was so happy.”

“We share the same mother, who early in our lives was diagnosed as mentally ill. We grew up feeling abandoned and, though both of us were told we were pretty and talented, we still needed courage and strength. We got that from each other.”