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He was born James King Aurness on May 26, 1923, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and died as actor James Arness on June 3, 2011, in Los Angeles, CA. Best known as the iconic Marshall Matt Dillion who ruled over Dodge City on TV’s long-running and beloved Western, Gunsmoke (CBS, 1955-1975), Arness was 88 years old.
Before Gunsmoke
Years before he made his TV debut as Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke, James Arness wed Virginia Chapman in 1948. They began a family along with her adopted son, Craig. The union lasted until their divorce in 1963.…