Gary married Valene Ewing (Joan Van Ark) in January 1961, when Gary was 17 and Valene was 15. Valene was soon pregnant, and many months into the pregnancy, Valene pestered Gary to take her to visit his family at the Southfork Ranch. They settled at Southfork, much to J.R.'s annoyance. Unlike J.R., Jock liked Valene, but demanded that Gary face up to all his responsibilities as a husband and father. To help the newlyweds out, Miss Ellie gave Gary a job as ranch foreman. Gary and Valene's daughter, Lucy, was born in the fall of 1961. However, J.R. kept harassing the young couple, and Gary and Valene were soon fighting. Under the pressure, Gary took to heavy drinking, became violent, and eventually walked out on his family. With Gary gone, J.R. then forced Valene out of Southfork. Valene fled to Virginia with baby Lucy, and later to her home state of Tennessee, hoping to have her mother, Lilimae Clements, care for her child, but was refused. Valene and Lucy were tracked down by heavies hired by J.R., who ripped Lucy out of Valene's hands and took Lucy back to Southfork, to be raised by her paternal grandparents. When Valene later tried legal action to get Lucy back, J.R. warned Valene that he'd kill her if she returned to the state of Texas.