Betsy Gay, a former child actress best known for her role as Alfalfa’s girlfriend Effie in the “Our Gang” comedy series, later known as “The Little Rascals,” died on Friday, June 13, in Bakersfield, California. She was 96.

Gay’s death was announced by her friend Robert Satterfield in a Facebook post. Satterfield wrote that “she will be deeply missed,” noting that Gay attended the very last Little Rascals reunion in 2014.

Born on February 2, 1929, in Waterford, Connecticut, Gay began her entertainment career at age six when her family relocated to Hollywood in 1935. Her parents operated a music school where they taught singing, piano, banjo, violin, guitar and accordion. A mother told Gay’s mother that she should take her daughter to the studio, as they frequently sought children to appear in “Our Gang” comedies.

Gay joined the “Our Gang Comedies” series in 1935, appearing in several episodes before landing the recurring role of Effie, the girlfriend of Carl Switzer’s character Alfalfa. She remained with the comedy group for more than four years before transitioning to other film projects in 1938. Her “Our Gang” appearances included “The Pinch Singer,” “Arbor Day” and “Our Gang Follies of 1938.”

Throughout her acting career, Gay appeared in more than 40 feature films. Her notable roles included appearances in “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” “When You’re in Love” with Cary Grant, “It Happened in Hollywood” with Richard Dix, “At the Circus” with the Marx Brothers, “A Day at the Circus,” “Man of Conquest” and “Mystery Plane.” She also performed in stage plays at the Pasadena Playhouse through 1943, with roles in “Quality Street,” “A Kiss For Cinderella” and “Heroes Unlimited.”

In 1941, Gay transitioned into music after being asked to appear in an Andy Clyde movie short for Columbia Pictures, where she performed a yodeling scene. This marked the beginning of her accomplished yodeling career. She appeared in “What’s Buzzin’, Cousin?” in 1943, showcasing both her acting and yodeling abilities alongside Ann Miller, Dub Taylor and Freddy Martin and his orchestra.

Gay’s yodeling talents earned her recognition when she won the California State Yodeling Championship at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles in 1945, successfully defending her title again in 1946. Despite not having a hit yodeling single, she became a regular guest on several radio programs including “The Hank Penny Show,” “The Jimmy Wakely Show” and “The Don Ameche Show,” where she performed songs such as “Belle of the Old Barn Dance,” “Texas Plains,” “Chime Bells,” “Cowboy’s Sweetheart” and “I Want to be a Cowboy’s Dream Girl.”

In 1946, Gay recorded “Belle of the Old Barn Dance” for Superior Record Label and embarked on an East Coast tour. She continued her music career by performing with country music artist Stuart Hamblen and his Lucky Stars, making regular singing appearances by 1944. She later joined a group of singers and performed with Tex Williams and his band throughout the 1950s.

Gay’s television credits expanded to include regular appearances on various country music programs. She became a regular cast member of the ABC show “Squeakin’ Deacon’s Country Store” and appeared on “Hometown Jamboree,” “County Barn Dance,” “Town Hall Party,” “Country America,” “International Party Time” and “Polka Show.” From 1957 to 1959, she was a regular on “Country America” on KABC TV alongside Johnny Cash, Faron Young and The Everly Brothers.

In a 2019 interview, Gay reflected on reuniting with Carl Switzer years later on Stuart Hamblen’s radio show. She recalled that she was 16 and he was 19 when Hamblen would pretend they were boyfriend and girlfriend for the show. Gay described receiving her first kiss from Switzer during one of these radio appearances.

Gay married Thomas Cashen in 1954, and the couple had five children: twins Mimi and Gigi, Tommy, Suzy and Cathy. Cashen died in 2005 after more than five decades of marriage. According to her biography, Gay’s children and grandchildren all play instruments and share her love of music. The twins Mimi and Gigi appeared as babies in the movie “Giant” featuring Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson, and also made appearances on “The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show” and “The Johnny Carson Show,” as well as in commercials.

The “Our Gang” shorts, created by producer Hal Roach and released between 1922 and 1944, later spawned various iterations, including the 1994 film “The Little Rascals.” Gay’s contribution to this beloved series during the 1930s helped establish her place in entertainment history as both a child actress and accomplished performer.