Chuck Norris’ Mom Who Worked Nights to Get 3 Sons Out of Poverty Turns 102 — He Pays Her a Tribute

• Chuck Norris congratulated his mother heartily on her 102nd birthday!
• Wilma had to work nights to raise her three children after she was left with no money because of her former husband.
• Chuck was always his mother's defender from a young age.

On March 2, 2023, Chuck Norris shared a link to an article he wrote for his mother, Wilma Norris Knight, to commemorate her birthday. The Facebook post included a throwback picture of the actor sitting next to his mother as she lovingly embraced him.

The star said he couldn't believe his mother was getting older that week on May 4, 2023, having been born in 1921. He said what was most striking was how she was so full of life that she could live for another hundred years!

Chuck revealed his mother's birthday would fall the week before Mother's Day, and he confessed to being "overwhelmed with gratitude to God" for the influence of three women in his life, saying he wouldn't be the man he was today without them. In the article he wrote dated May 1, 2023, he greeted his mother, writing:

"Happy birthday to my 102-year-young mom!"

The celebrity revealed he didn't know which of the two—having a 102-year-old mother or that she had a child who was 83—was the hardest to believe, but he was and would always be "so grateful" that Wilma was his "mom."

He also noted how they'd "been through thick and thin" together and were still progressing. Chuck declared his love for his mother, who'd sacrificed a lot for her children.

How Wilma Took Care of Three Children Alone and Why Chuck Defends Her

In May 2012, Wilma appeared on "The Mike Huckabee Show," where she spoke candidly about her life. She described Chuck as her "defender," his brother, Aaron, as her "sunshine," and the last Norris boy who died in Vietnam, Wieland, as her "hero."

The actor's mother revealed that he would always be Carlos, his birth name, to her instead of Chuck. Wilma explained why she called him her defender, saying when they were poor, the star took the role of the man of the house because his father had abandoned them.

When Chuck's mother worked night shifts, he babysat his younger brothers. The star, around 14 then, even sat down with his mother and discussed what needed to be paid when the bills came.

Talking about Aaron, Wilma confessed that the family was so poor when he came along that she didn't know what she would feed him. Despite the challenges, when the boy was born, his family was so happy that he'd brought "sunshine" into their lives. Meanwhile, Wieland, who was "mama's boy," was the "happy-go-lucky" one who loved everyone.

Explaining why her first husband checked out of the family, Wilma believed taking part in World War II changed something in her children's father.

Things were so bad for the family that when Chuck was 14, and Wieland was 12, they asked their mother not to stay with their father for them. The boys confessed they couldn't take it anymore because he was abusive and an alcoholic.

Despite coming from a broken background, the Norris siblings still turned out to be good men. Wilma credited taking them to church and Sunday school, which she taught, and praying every day.

Chuck was born in 1940 and grew up in Ryan, Oklahoma, with a Cherokee and Irish heritage and a father who was two-faced at any given time because of his alcoholism. Watching people like John Wayne, Roy Rogers, and Hopalong Cassidy in movies shaped Chuck's idea of what a man or father should be.

His parents eventually divorced, leaving the family dirt poor, and by the time he was 15, he and his family had moved 16 times to low-rent houses. Wilma was on welfare and worked hard to sustain her children.

The mother of three eventually moved with her children to California, where her oldest took the name he's now known by. The religion Chuck was raised in and the role his mother played positively affected his life.

What Was Wilma's Influence on Chuck's Life?

In her Mike Huckabee interview, Wilma spoke about taking her children to church and praying with them to give the trio a wholesome upbringing. She noted how a spiritual life was significant to the rearing of her boys.

The mother of three also advised young mothers to raise their children well by giving them love and taking them to church and Sunday school. She emphasized that God didn't give parents their children but loaned them only "for a while."

Chuck once confessed that his mother still loved Jesus "with her heart and soul" and always believed in him. Wilma would tell her son that God had plans for him, and the actor was curious to find out what that meant.

The star accepted Jesus as his savior as a child who constantly attended church. However, the Billy Graham Crusade inspired him when he was younger, and his religious wake-up call only happened when his wife, Gena, went into pre-term labor. Gena was carrying their twin daughters Dakota and Danilee when she went through severe and life-threatening medical complications.

Chuck said his mother influenced him spiritually and gave him responsibility in his life which he took into adulthood.

In March 2023, Chuck admitted how his mother had always been his example of faith and perseverance. He credited her for raising him and his siblings alone during the Great Depression. Wilma also miraculously survived losing two husbands, a stepson, Wieland, and grandchildren, and went through several surgeries. He added:

"[She] has prayed for me all my life, through thick and thin."

Chuck recalled how his mother kept praying for his salvation and success when he almost lost his "soul to Hollywood. He thanked her for asking God to turn him into all he was and could be.

Chuck said Wilma's prayers also helped him find a godly wife and salvation. He faced challenges when he his first wife of 30 years, Dianne Holechek, divorced him, and his relationship with their sons became strained.

A young woman, Deena, had sent a letter to the actor alleging she was his daughter, revealing how he'd cheated on Holechek while in the army in another country. Today, Deena and her family have become an integral part of the celebrity's life.

Chuck said his mother influenced him spiritually and gave him responsibility in his life which he took into adulthood. He now knows God's plans for him, and he and Gena have since become promoters of conservative Christian values in public schools and politics.

In 1990, Chuck founded the Kickstart Kids program, a non-profit martial arts and character development program that provides kids with skills in character building, resisting insufficient peer pressure through karate, and responsibility. As of 2016, the program had over 70,000 graduates.

Ultimately, Chuck believes a prayerful mother could reach faraway countries and lead prodigal children back to God.

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