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Oprah Winfrey’s Mother, Vernita Lee, Dies At 83 In Milwaukee

Lee, Winfrey Moved To Milwaukee From Mississippi When Winfrey Was 6

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Oprah Winfrey’s mother, Vernita Lee, has died at the age of 83.

A Winfrey spokeswoman on Monday issued a statement saying Lee died at her Milwaukee home on Thanksgiving, Nov. 22. The spokeswoman said private funeral services were held. No other details were provided.

Lee was a teenager when she gave birth to Winfrey in Mississippi in 1954. They moved to Milwaukee when Winfrey was 6 years old.

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Lee was featured getting a makeover on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in 1990.

Lee is also survived by another daughter, Patricia Amanda, and four grandchildren. She was predeceased by a son, Jeffrey, and by a daughter, Patricia.

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