Marietta Celebrates Legacy of 'Gone With the Wind' Actress

by city of Marietta

Marietta City leaders and representatives from the Gone With the Wind Museum celebrated the life and legacy of actress Ann Rutherford with a tree planting and dedication ceremony on Nov. 2, which would have been her 95th birthday.

"Ann, who played Scarlett O'Hara's younger sister, Careen, in Gone With the Wind, appeared in more than 50 movies during her lifetime and was known as one of the stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood," Marietta Gone With the Wind museum executive director Connie Sutherland said. "She made about five trips to the museum for our events, which we have annually."

City leaders presented Rutherford, an honorary citizen of Marietta, the key to Marietta during the 70th anniversary of the movie in 2009.

"She declared Marietta the official home of Gone With the Wind during her acceptance speech and noted her love for the city of Marietta and the people who work and govern in the city," city manager Bill Bruton said.

Thousands of tourists came to Marietta as a result of Rutherford's appearances in the city and stayed in area hotels, ate in restaurants around the city and shopped at stores around the Square, which helped bring money to Marietta's economy, Bruton said.

"Ann donated artifacts, her personal time and money to the museum out of love and admiration for the book and movie, the community, the Gone With the Wind Museum and especially her fans, known as 'Windies.'"

Rutherford passed away on June 11, 2012.

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