Unable to Cope
Not knowing what was going on, he began to walk faster. As he approached the building, he could hear his mother screaming. The nine-year-old was about to enter the building when he was stopped in his tracks by a police officer, who informed King that his father had passed away from a heart attack. He was only 44 years old.
Photo by Ron Galella / Ron Galella Collection/ Getty Images
The entire Zeigler family was devastated. On top of losing her husband, Jennie was now a single mother in charge of raising two kids. Aaron had been the primary breadwinner of the family, and Jennie barely made any money as a garment worker. Within months, the family’s economic situation became dire, and they were forced to enroll in welfare programs to make ends meet.