Gloria Greer was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, to Elbert Rush 'Bert' and Lillian May Greer (née Harris),her parents. She had two older sisters, Vivian and Lillian, and was the youngest child in the family. When she was just three years old, her family made a significant move to Ashland, Oregon, where her father purchased the Ashland Daily Tidings newspaper.
As she grew up, Gloria attended Ashland High School, where she was an outstanding student. After graduating, she went on to attend the University of Oregon, where she became a member of the prestigious Chi Omega sorority. Her time at the university was marked by her keen interest in pursuing a career in the entertainment industry, particularly in film.
In 1927, Gloria relocated to Los Angeles, California, to pursue her dream of becoming a movie star. She adopted the stage name Gloria Greer and quickly found work as a member of the Hal Roach Bathing Beauties, a group of young women who appeared in provocative bathing costumes in comedy short subjects and at promotional events. Her brief career included two speaking roles, one as Oliver Hardy's girlfriend in the 1929 film Men O' War and another as a honeymooner in the 1930 RKO short Moonlight and Monkey Business, directed by Mark Sandrich.
In 1930, Gloria married Carlos Noelle (1904-1978) and the couple planned to relocate to Ashland, where Gloria's mother lived. However, their plans were put on hold when Gloria became pregnant with their first child. On May 28, 1931, Gloria gave birth to a son, Carlos Noelle Jr (1931-1998),but unfortunately, she died just a few weeks later on June 6, 1931, due to complications from her son's birth.
Gloria's funeral was held at the Ashland Presbyterian Church, and her body was temporarily interred in the church cemetery's mausoleum. She was later buried in a cemetery in Burbank, California, where her father was also laid to rest. Her infant son was adopted by her sister, Vivian Dorothy Ling (née Greer, 1893-1966),who raised him as her own.
