Mood: thankful
Music: Oldies
Last week I began the search for my father and thanks to the members at
www.peoplesite.com I now know who he was.
Born 12/24/1929
Died 03/07/1997
Served in the Korean war. Medal of Honor, Purple heart.
Diabetic, handsome, funny, clever, patient.
All these words were spoken to me by my Aunt Leora of Gary IN just today.
His sister. She called me her niece. Welcomed me to the family.
Told me stories, such as the fact that my Uncle Dick (mom’s brother)
and Edna (My fathers sister) were married.
I had a sister named Juanita who died recently of cancer.
I have a brother Tom who lives in Ohio.
My grandmothers name was Fannie Thomas, Maiden name Brooks.
There are two uncles who live in Holland MI and Fennville MI.
Tommie and Earnest Thomas.
Leora didn’t think that Mom and Earl were married.
Though my birth certificate states that they were.
She didn’t know of a child born to them at first.
But she remembered my mother visiting her.
Then as she came back from getting paper and pen to write down
my information. She said, “you know…
I seem to remember hearing that Earl and Vi had a child.
I never met the baby, but…that must have been you, did Earl take care of you ?”
“No ma’am”, I said “I don’t think I ever met him”.
She asked me for my address to send me pictures of my father.
She stated that she was old and then she said the most amazing thing.
She said, “I’ll just put down that you are Earl’s girl so I wont forget.”
Earl’s girl… Me, Annie Thomas, Granddaughter of Fannie, Niece of Leora.
Sister to Tom and Juanita.
I cant process all the lies that I now know played out all my life.
That will be a task that will take some time.
My Mother’s lies, my mom’s sisters, my mom’s brothers, all
had to have known who my father was. They knew Edna, Dick’s wife.
All faced me and never told the truth.
Never thought I deserved to know who I was.
But I do know now. In spite of them. Because of them.
In defiance of them. I deserve this. Every child does.
My father was not a bad man and a pimp.
As my mothers only information on my father stated.
He served his country and was awarded medals for his actions there.
He fathered two more children and stayed with them and his wife.
He was a hard working steel worker and a farmer.
He was my dad.
No one can make it not so.
I’m so sorry he never knew me and I him.
I no longer have a lop-sided family tree.
I can tell my children about the paternal side of my family now.
I love my mother.
She made some seriously questionable decisions.
Maybe she didn’t know any better.
I don’t know. Time will heal this, of that I am sure.
On another happier note.
I spoke with and received an email from Laura.
She is well, happy and content in her life.
It’s all I wanted to know.
I’ll email her occasionally and maybe some day,
when I take a trip up north, we can meet somewhere for a meal.
It’s all so good.
