Ma Barker traveled with her sons during their criminal careers.
13 Facts About Ma Barker
2.
Ma Barker was born Arizona Donnie Clark in Ash Grove, Missouri, the daughter of John and Emaline Clark; her family called her "Arrie".
3.
The 1910 to 1930 censuses and the Tulsa City Directories from 1916 to 1928 show that George Ma Barker worked in a variety of generally low-paying jobs.
4.
Ma Barker's sons committed crimes as early as 1910, when Herman was arrested for highway robbery after running over a child in the getaway car.
5.
Ma Barker shot the officer at point-blank range in the mouth.
6.
Ma Barker killed himself to avoid prosecution when he was seriously wounded after crashing his car.
7.
In 1928, Lloyd Ma Barker was incarcerated in the federal penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas, Arthur "Doc" Ma Barker was in the Oklahoma State Prison, and Fred was in the Kansas State Prison.
8.
Ma Barker is described as his wife on the 1930 census of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
9.
The gang relocated to Menomonie, Wisconsin, and Fred Ma Barker hid Ma in a variety of hotels and hideouts during their stay there.
10.
Ma Barker claimed that she enjoyed the lifestyle that was the fruit of her sons' crimes and supposedly had a string of lovers.
11.
Ma Barker certainly knew of the gang's activities and even helped them before and after they committed their crimes, and this made her an accomplice, but there is no evidence that she was involved in planning them.
12.
Ma Barker's role was in taking care of gang members, who often sent her to the movies while they committed crimes.
13.
Ma Barker observed in his autobiography that Ma Barker "couldn't plan breakfast" let alone a criminal enterprise.