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(Mariska's Mommy)
Her early years were fondly remembered as her family being fairly well off, having what normal kids have while growing up. Until she discovered movie fan magazines. From then on she wanted to become an actress. Her mother, while supportive of Jayne, had no idea how ferocious Jayne's aspirations were.
On May 6, 1950 at the age of seventeen, Jayne married Paul Mansfield after learning she was pregnant. She referred to Paul as being the most handsome boy in her crowd at school, and having the most gorgeous eyes. She graduated from high school and gave birth to Jayne Marie Mansfield on November 8, 1950.
That fall Paul entered college, and shortly after the birth of Jayne Marie she joined him. They rented a small apartment off campus, and because the couple were not able to afford a baby sitter Jayne would bring her daughter with her to her classes. She worked a grueling schedule, working at a receptionist at an Austin Dance studio from 7 - 11 every night, sold books and family photo albums door to door to help pay her way, modeled and slept on four hours a night.
The next summer, Paul went off for his ROTC training while Jayne ventured west to Los Angeles to enroll in UCLA to take special dramatic courses. While there she reached the finals of the Miss Southern California of 1951 contest. Paul, back home read accounts of the event and sent Jayne a disapproving letter, and she resigned from the competition. She headed back east to Dallas. Jayne at this time, began to blossom into her own persona, and Paul did not like what he saw.
Paul was drafted early in 1952, and Jayne joined him is Augusta, Georgia. During this time, she was awarded with the Miss Photoflash award. She provided much entertainment for the drill teams, and much dismay for their wives, on the base as she practiced ballet exercises on the front lawn and showed up at the base swimming pool in velvet bikinis. She also participated in some shows on the base.
Soon after Paul was sent to Korea, Jayne headed west once again to Dallas. She took classes including drama at Southern Methodist University and earned a living by modeling. She also occasionally posed nude for the universities women's art classes and it was also at this time she had at least one session with a Dallas photographer posing nude. Her thespian debut occurred on September 21, 1951 in the Austin Civic Theatre's production of Ten Nights in a Barroom.