In this heartfelt episode, host Priscilla Rahn welcomes Summer Chapin to reflect on the life of her mother, Lauren Chapin, best known for her role on the TV series ‘Father Knows Best.’ Beyond her on-screen persona, Lauren was a resilient soul who overcame adversities and used her experiences to help others. Through poignant memories and stories, Summer shares how her mother’s faith and strength became her legacy, touching countless lives beyond just entertainment.
Welcome to Restoring Education in America with Priscilla Rahn. She’s a master educator and author leading the conversation to restore the American mind through wisdom, virtue, and truth.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, hello, everybody. Welcome to Restoring Education in America. I’m your host, Priscilla Rahn, and I’m so excited that you’ve decided to join the conversation today. You know, on the radio show here at KLTT, all of our episodes are sponsored by donors. And today’s episode is sponsored by my mom, who’s an author of Morning to Morning. It is her Korean War survival memoir. And if you would like to get your own copy of Morning to Morning by my mom, Yoli Soon-Shaw, you can go to amazon.com and order your copy. It is a beautiful firsthand account of her survival story. Another reason why I’m really looking forward to this conversation is because we’re talking about someone who was really special to me, someone who was near and dear to my heart and to the heart of so many Americans. And I’m not going to delay. I am going to bring to the stage my dear friend, Summer Chapin. Hi, Summer. Hi.
SPEAKER 03 :
Hi, Priscilla. Thank you for having me on today.
SPEAKER 01 :
You are so courageous. We’ve been talking every day for the past week and decided it would be something really special for you to talk about who your mom was. The world knew your mom, Lauren Chapin, as Kathy on the TV series Father Knows Best. But you and I, especially you, know her as Lauren and who she was. And she was so much more than a celebrity and a famous child actress. But she did so many amazing things. And so I wanted to have you on. And let’s just really show America who you are. who your mom was this beautiful lady before we get started i want to go back and talk about how we all met um i was in high school when your mom was working at colleen high school in colleen texas and she was a substitute teacher and she also came in and talked to student council about the amazing things she was doing And she started her pageant industry. And that’s how your mom and my mom met because my mom had a wedding dress shop and was making personalized dresses. And so when our moms became friends, that’s when you and I became friends. I’m a little bit older than you. Just a little bit. Just a little bit. But you’re like family. Yes, we’ve grown up together. It’s so funny. I mean, I’m old enough that I babysat you. And I would think, you know what, this little girl is so mature. I don’t think she needs a babysitter, but we still had a good time.
SPEAKER 03 :
And I think also the fact that we also came from families that really loved the Lord. That was a really important part of our relationship. And I us, uh, growing and staying in touch over all of these years, you know? So your mom, your, your, Mrs. Shot, definitely buy the book. I love your mom. She’s yeah. We’ll talk about her last word. She said to me on the phone this past week as well. Yeah.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yes. Well, and your mom was one of the officiants at my wedding 11 years ago. She flew all the way from Florida and was a special part of my way. I knew when I got engaged, I was like, who do I want to be a part of my wedding? And I was like, Mama Lauren, of course.
SPEAKER 03 :
And she loved you to bits. She loved you to bits, Priscilla. Yeah. You guys had a very special relationship, which is why you’ve been here for me for
SPEAKER 01 :
one of the hardest seasons of my life yeah so let’s go back talk a little bit about your mom’s history starting out um just a little bit about her uh journey as a child actress
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, I think for most people who know my mom, they probably know her story because it’s quite publicized. But my mom came from a family that had not only my mom as a child actor, but my two uncles were also child stars. They were movie stars. And my mom was a TV star. So she was born into a very dysfunctional family. And… suffered because of that. Um, I know you and I spoke about that. I, I, I always thought, you know, why, why would my mom have such a horrible story of growing up, you know, and that ultimately led to what her testimony was for her life, you know, being able to help people. So my mom played on this television show called father knows best, um, for the majority of her life from age five to 17, um, on and off through those years. Um, I think she finished when she was 15 and they came back and then they ended up doing some other, uh, reruns in the 70s as well. And then she did other things, but she started out, I think for her first movie was A Star is Born. So she had been doing film or television since she was basically born. Anyways, my mom had a very, very tough childhood and became this actress that everybody knew and loved. She was in their homes every week and she played kitten on Father Knows Best. And when my mom finished the show, like many child actors, the industry is not the healthiest of places for people. That’s why you read a lot of stories, horror stories of people who’ve been in the industry and they end up having a lot of struggles afterwards. I think what compounded that was my mom’s family. When my mom wrote her New York Times bestselling book, Father Does Know Best, people got an insight into why. her growing up, which was quite horrific and shocking. So my mom has a very interesting story because even I’ve heard or read things about my mom. And I think to myself, how, how did this woman ever survive that? You know, something like your mom too. She grew up in the war. You know, these are tragic trauma things that have happened to, to our mothers. But my mom went through a very dark period of her life and ended up finding the Lord. And she used, that test in her life as a testimony to help millions of people around the world. So I was fortunate enough to grow up with my mom being an ordained evangelist. I grew up in the church and grew up with a very different person than my mom was prior to finding the Lord. But to me, she’s… was a pillar of strength a a woman i looked up to i admired yeah i i just think my mom my mom was able to touch so many people’s lives not only being the actress that she was and and the character they knew her for but also for the person the actual person she was in reality
SPEAKER 01 :
Right. Let’s talk about that. Because again, like a celebrity, people see them in a box and then they get a picture of who they are as the character that they play, not realizing these are real people with real lives and they’re human beings and they go through all their things. But yes, she found the Lord. And by the time I met you guys, she was really strong in her faith. And everything that Lauren did was outward facing. Even when she was running the pageant, it was about, you know, helping women become beautiful. I remember… I don’t know if you remember this conversation when you were young back in Killeen and you, I remember seeing a picture of you with beautiful makeup for your pageant photo. And he says, oh, I really just like to look presentable. I like to look presentable. I don’t know if you remember that. And I thought, well, that’s really, really wise for a young. I was always that way.
SPEAKER 03 :
You know what I mean? It’s funny because I, you know, we came here, my mom came here I left Los Angeles and my mom and I came to Miami beach for my mom to get cancer treatment and the neighbor next door, she’s from the Netherlands. And she just thought my mom, every time she said, you are the most fascinating lady I’ve ever seen. You always look so good. You’re always done up your hair, makeup, you look nice. And my mom raised me to be that way. Always be presentable, take care of yourself, look good, you know? So I think that’s, that’s also, a little bit of the women of that time, you know, like fifties and sixties women took care of themselves. So I think that’s something she always instilled in me.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, Summer, I want to brag on you a little bit because I know you had this amazing career in California as an actress, singer. You had your own design company. You have worked with so many famous people, if we don’t have time to name them all. And you gave everything up. You sold everything, packed your car with six boxes. And you’ve just been at your mom’s side for the last three years helping her. People don’t realize this about you. And I want to love on you a little bit because that is remarkable that you did that for your mom. Talk to me about how special, now that you’re looking back, how I’m sure you think that was a smart decision that you gave that up.
SPEAKER 03 :
100%. I think the thing is, is, you know, I had a very successful design company in Los Angeles and worked with a lot of celebrities doing their homes and some of the largest developments throughout California or throughout the world, actually. And God really blessed me. And he was very, very favored when it came to my, my, my business and everything was going really well. Then 2020 hit and my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer and she, In between that, the pandemic, everything kind of shifted. So for the first two years, it was actually five years that I, you know, spent taking care of my mom. For the first two years, I was flying back and forth from LA to Florida. like three people, just myself and three people on a plane. It was during that time where people were not flying and you had to be covered and it was, you know, a lot going on. My mom seemed to do okay the first two years. And then by the third year, her cancer had progressed and I knew that I needed to take care of my mom. she was my best friend you know and I knew I needed to not only honor her but I needed to obey and honor what God calls us to do you know so I closed my business of 15 years sold everything that I had ever worked for and left with six boxes to take care of my mom and it was really really tough But I would not take back those three full years of being able to be with my mom. Right. It took a lot of sacrifice. I have such respect and admiration now for caregivers because people or even people, let’s say, with handicapped children, a lot of people don’t realize what goes into it. Right. And the selflessness that goes into that. But my mom was such a fighter. This woman, I mean, she would, the doctors would think, how is your mom still alive? You can even read my mom’s book and still think that. How’s this woman still alive? You know, she just fought to the very end. And, you know, I was there till I held her face in my hands when she took her last breath and her soul departed. to the arms of Jesus. And, uh, it was, it was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever passed in my life those three years, but I would never take it back because I just got to know my mom on such a different level. You often switch roles when you’re in that caretaking position, you know, your parent becomes almost like a child and it’s a role re re re reversal. Uh, but, uh, my mom just, the one thing that I have to say about my mom is, And I hope to one day be like my mom for a few reasons. She never let anything bother her. Her faith was so strong, right? She just was always steadfast in her faith and always positive. I never heard my mom complain once, Priscilla, imagine. how painful cancer is and what she had to go through and being in the hospital. I think she was in the hospital one year, one year straight. You know, I spent, I slept on a bench six weeks while she was in the ICU. She really went through a lot and she never complained. And I think that that is just a testament to who she was you know she she had grit that woman had been through so much that she just had so much strength and faith and i’m happy that i got to spend those years with her and um i always feel like my mom had a really bad mom a really really bad mom she was not she was an evil woman and i always used to tell my mom mom the lord didn’t bless you with a good mother But he will bless you always with a good daughter who’s going to give you the love and care that you never had. So I feel like I was able to pour that back into my mom’s life, though she never had it in the beginning of her life.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, Summer, when you texted me, hey, mom’s not doing good. You might want to come. I was on a plane right away. Yeah. Within eight hours. I was like… I don’t typically get a text like that from you. So when I got that text, I thought, oh, this is serious. Let me see what kind of flights I can get. And so I jumped on a plane the very next morning, 6 AM, got to around 2 PM, and was so impressed by how you had been by your mom’s side, sleeping in the hospital bed right next to her. it was really a blessing to be there with you, my dear sister.
SPEAKER 03 :
But God had you there for a purpose.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yeah. Cause you, cause I had lost my dad a year ago and I just, when I walked in, it was a little bit of deja vu for me. Like, Oh, been, been here. I think I can anticipate how this is going to go. But we, we, you, we, it, the dog had been with your mom the whole time. And I, and the whole time I’m sitting there, it’s been hours. I’m like, that dog hasn’t needed to go to the bathroom, you know? And I remember saying, you know, yeah, service dog. That’s like, I don’t need to go to the bathroom. But I, but I, I kept saying, you know, did you want me to take the dog to the bathroom so you can stay here or I can stay here. You can take the dog to the bathroom. And he said, no, let’s, let’s both go down. And you kept saying to your mom,
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, I whispered over her ear. Yep.
SPEAKER 01 :
You kept saying, don’t you go anywhere. Don’t you go anywhere. And you said it so many times. I’m like, Summer, that’s excessive. Like, where is she going to go? She’s not going. But you kept saying, don’t you go anywhere. And I’m like, hmm. Okay, so we went, took the dog down to the bathroom, came back, getting ready for bed.
SPEAKER 03 :
Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER 01 :
And do you want to tell the rest of the story?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah. I, we were, I was making your bed in the chair, the lovely chair. And I was putting my pillow next to my mom. And when I told her before we left, I said, mom, don’t go anywhere. We’re going to, we’re going to go take Finley downstairs. So don’t go anywhere. Yeah. And I said it probably 20 times. Yeah. I think we left at 7.30. We got back up to the room by 7.45. We started to make your bed. And at 7.50, I swear, Priscilla, it was like the Holy Ghost, the Lord tapped me on the shoulder because we didn’t hear my mom. just tapped me on the shoulder and when i look back i saw my mom’s eyes she’d been you know she’d been out of it the whole time for that whole day her eyes just opened remember and it was as if she saw jesus her eyes were open and fixated up on to i know god was calling her in that moment And, um, remember I jumped on the bed and you were there with me and I just grabbed her face and I started to kiss her and tell her mommy, go to Jesus. And then remember we started, I prayed over her. I prayed over her into her soul’s passing. It happened so fast.
SPEAKER 01 :
It happens.
SPEAKER 03 :
It happens. it’s not even been a week, you know, I’m, it’s funny because when it comes to death, especially I was so close with my mom, you know, I, I kept looking at you Priscilla after I’m like, well, you know, I had my meltdown, the nurses, and it was a little crazy, but, um, I think the thing is it’s weird because I’m in a very weird, I’ve cried so much. I’m almost can’t cry, but I keep crying. I can’t stop crying. But it’s weird because the doctor told me that morning that my mom was going to pass soon, you know, which I was shocked. I was like, what do you mean? Like there’s no, she was just normal yesterday. You know, she said she’s been holding on. She has been holding on and I’m assuming she’s been holding on for you. And I think, you know, when she passed, it was just that release. But I know my mom’s, I know my mom’s prayer the whole time was that the Holy Spirit would give me that peace that passes all understanding. And I have peace. I miss my mom. I don’t think I’ve gotten to the extent of my grieving yet, right? But you remember, we slept, we came to my house and we slept next to each other. And I woke up at three because I thought, Let’s see if there’s anything there. And it was an explosion of press everywhere about my mom’s passing. And, you know, that that for me has been something that’s been so. beautiful to see even still today. I there, they just did a thing on CBS morning news to honor my mom. They did on ABC. It’s still a week after there’s been like 26 of the major headlines has been my mom’s passing and who she was right. And what she’s done. And that, that for me gives me so much comfort thinking, wow, you know, like this woman really touched so many people’s lives. You know, it just makes me so proud, but You know, we’re missing somebody, but I’m happy that she is. She’s with the Lord and she’ll be an angel that will watch over all of us from this point on. And I just want to make her proud. But it’s surreal, Priscilla, because I would have never thought, you know, it’s funny life. You never think things, you always have a vision of how your life is going to turn out. And then it’s written completely different, right? I never thought that you and I would have this bond and this experience together. never in my life. I just, I just didn’t think things would go that way, but I’m, I’m eternally grateful because you, you are, you are my sister. You’ve, you’ve been in our family. You gave me and have given me so much support and love. And, um, I’m like, oh, no, God, you knew. You knew this was a person there.
SPEAKER 01 :
You know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you’re right. The shared experience that we’ll always have is a bond. And I’m just so grateful to the Lord that, you know, we have been able to be there for each other through the years. And so your mom had a wish. that her remains would be at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. And for people who are not part of Hollywood, it sounds fancy, but it’s a cemetery. It’s a place that is a special place. And I think really deserving for her. We’re working really hard to make her last wish a reality. So we have together set up a GoFundMe. It is very expensive because getting your mom from Florida to to california would have been very expensive and so you’ve decided to go the cremation route because that’s the most cost effective way because you’re paying out of pocket and a lot of people just assume that because your mom was a child actress that she was a millionaire there’s something on social media that says she’s like got all this money she’s she doesn’t so talk a little bit about that
SPEAKER 03 :
They’re like, $5 million. I was like, well, that’s a lot of money. I think the thing is, is people just don’t… Well, first of all, I think we need to address the elephant in the room. Most of the stuff that you read in the press is not accurate. The majority of the stuff is not accurate. Even I was reading things, I won’t name the sources, but I was reading things on my mom. I’m going, what? That’s not true. Where’d they pull that from? You know what I mean? So it’s like… So people have a very skewed vision of people’s lives, especially in the limelight, right? But my mom’s mom sued my mom when she finished Father Knows Best for all of her money and won. So my mom was left with no money. And the year that my mom’s show had finished, the year after is when they started this law of TV shows would then have residuals. So my mom’s show finished a year before residuals were even in place. But as we see now, if you look at the gentleman from Dawson’s Creek who just passed away also from cancer, right? He was just in a show not long ago and he still did not receive residuals. Imagine. So he was still an A-list celebrity of our time, another celebrity that also passed away. They’ve done GoFundMe for him because a lot of these celebrities are not, they’re not what you’re, you know, Mm hmm. Contracts can have a lot of different addendums that don’t allow celebrities to actually make money outside of that. My mom was actually one of the people who passed a law which now protects child actors. So after my mom had been sued by her mother, my mom actually went and fought to make sure that child actors would not be sued by their parents. So my mom actually put that in place again, used her pain, her suffering, her her her trauma into bettering, helping the system, you know. So, yeah, my mom, my mom did not have, you know, she was not she was not a gazillionaire. And the truth is, is we want to put her into this this cemetery that’s quite expensive. And she deserves to be there. She deserves it. She’s she’s Hollywood royalty. And it was your idea to put together this GoFundMe, which I think is awesome to be able to have her fans support it. and be able to put her into a place where she can be remembered and people can go and visit. And, uh, we were planning to do, um, an unveiling with her other celebrity friends that would like to have an addiction for her to get her there and have an invite for people, whoever donated that they’d be invited, um, to the ceremony to see the unveiling of it. And just to honor her for who she was as an actress and what she brought, you know, my mom’s a five-time junior Emmy award winning actress, you know, and she’s, my mom’s done, big things so i want her to be able to be there it’s in the judy garland pavilion next to all the other big celebrities and so i would love and we need the support because it is it is it’s very expensive right so people need to know um we’re trying to raise 35 000 that includes the cremation the memorial the service how you know the it’s not cremation i’ve already paid
SPEAKER 01 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 03 :
So I’ve already paid for that, but it’s, it’s, it’s the it’s being able to get her actually into that area of the cemetery. It’s not even a mausoleum that would even been like a hundred thousand dollars. So this is just basically just a plaque to get her into there. I mean, it costs money. It’s.
SPEAKER 01 :
a very expensive business yes so we need everybody to chip in no matter how much money you have chip in and then um we’ll we’d love to invite you to the special memorial service and then you can go visit anytime and and you know pray for the family yeah i think it’s i think it’s you know it’d be different it’s if if i were doing just a funeral saying you know
SPEAKER 03 :
if you could help with this, it’s not, that’s not what this is about. This is about being able to put my mom in a place where I think she deserves to be that will honor her as, as the American actress and beloved Hollywood star that she was.
SPEAKER 01 :
So Summer, as we close out this conversation, what do you think your mom’s final lasting legacy is?
SPEAKER 03 :
I think besides being America’s sweetheart through television, my mom is, In the end, her legacy is she ended up being somebody who helped people. And we’ve gotten messages before people from my mom’s book and said, you know, I was on the verge of killing myself. I was suicidal. And then I read your book and you gave me so much hope. I think my mom’s legacy and story is that… God can make all things new, you know, he can make all things new. And my mom was the she embodied that she she embodied God’s grace and forgiveness and redemption. and used her pain to help heal others. And I feel like my mom’s life had such a greater purpose than just being a TV actress. She actually did good in the world and helped people. And that’s what it’s really about for all of us. We all need to be like that, right? So I’m proud to say that my mom actually made a difference in this world for the better.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, I can attest to that firsthand that your mom really loved the Lord and she spent all of her time when she met the Lord to give back to others and be Christ-like. And so I have no doubt that your mom is on the streets of glory and is free from pain and looking down on you with so much love. I love you so much, my sister Summer. And looking forward to seeing you again soon. And you’re in our prayers. And just thank you so much for your time.
SPEAKER 03 :
Thank you. And thank you for putting this together. And thank you, everybody who, you know, is going to support. I appreciate that. It’s a blessing, I hope, too, if you guys come out. We can meet you on the day of the invitation where we do the unveiling. And be able to meet and thank you for your time.
SPEAKER 01 :
your donations. Of course. And to my listeners, thank you so much for tuning in and catch me next time. Remember educating the mind without the heart is no education. So seek wisdom, cultivate virtue and speak truth.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thanks for tuning in to Restoring Education in America with Priscilla Rahn. Visit PriscillaRahn.com to connect or learn how you can sponsor future episodes to keep this message of faith, freedom, and education on the air.
