My first post.... my life in a nutshell

I figured I should start at the beginning.  My life was complicated. Let's start with my parents.
My mother was Waverly Berg.

Her parents were Vina and Alfred Berg. Strange side story on Alfred Berg... my grandpa. Him and Vina got divorced sometime and he remarried. At his home on Parcell Road he killed his 2nd wife and then himself. I always told Joyce to watch herself. It's in my blood!

Alfred Berg with daughter Waverly

Anyway, my mom was young when she married Ray Black in Port Townsend. I believe he was the love of her life.

Wray and Annie Black (my grandparents)

He hurt her bad.  They lived behind his mom and dad.... Wray and Annie Black. She was British. She was attached to her son.  Waverly was not accepted.  Annie told Ray that when he was at work Waverly was having an affair.  She was pregnant and Annie made him believe the child was not his.  It was all a lie... a lie that changed lives forever.  Waverly left Port Townsend devastated. She went home to her mom.  Ray tried to see her.  Mimmie (Vina.. Waverly's mom and my grandma) got a shot gun and ran him off the property.  He could not see me or Waverly. I also heard he sent child support to the courthouse in Port Townsend.... but mom never got it.
She divorced Ray and met and married Gordon Sipes.

They had a beautiful daughter named Susan, who became my shadow. We were close as close could be!  Inseparable ... or so I thought.

 The marriage was brief.  Mom did not have the best of luck at picking husbands. Next came her marriage to her last husband, Jack McCann. We all moved to Oklahoma. Jack was in the Marines... a boxer. He won Golden Gloves. While married to Jack, mom gave birth to Kern, Michael and Rita.  When my brother Michael was born... they had to take him back to the hospital 6 months later for surgery... something about his lower tract not working right. While on oxygen... the nurse decided to go out and have a cigarette leaving my brother alone. The oxygen shut off somehow leaving Michael with the permanent brain of a 6 month old.  He never recovered.  Jack and mom searched and searched for help for him... traveling frequently. They couldn't do it with all us kids.  I remember being about 5 or 6 (I was in school) when I came home from school and my shadow, Susan, was gone. She always sat on the porch waiting for me to come home... I could see her every day from the bus stop. She wasn't there! I remember going into our room and all her clothes were gone.  Her dresser drawers were empty. I asked "dad" and he said "wait until your mother comes home".  I don't remember what happened after that ... I think I shut down.  All I knew she was gone... she ended up living with her dad. It was the most painful time in my life. I was sent to live in Washington with Mimmie and Shorty (Campbell). I loved them so much. I was very close to my Mimmie.  She became my mom.... and I was her boy!  I started 2nd grade in Kingston.

 

While living with Mimmie I don't remember doing too much during the week... on the weekends I would play with my cousins... Pete and Dave Brazeau. Typical boy stuff, bb guns, and stuff.

Pete, Dave and me doing our thing.

I moved back to Oklahoma when I was going into 6th grade and stayed there until 11th when I went back to Kingston.  I remember my time in Oklahoma with lots of mixed emotions.  I remember going to school and then going over to dad's diner and working until 11 at night, going home and doing the same thing every day. We didn't get paid. He would give us a dollar or two if we needed it. I learned at that time since I wasn't going to amount to much in school... I was going to have to work hard the rest of my life. Nothing was handed to me.  I did play baseball for a couple years. My parents never watched because dad was busy with work and mom had the kids.  Michael was always a full time job. I never resented Michael. I always loved Michael and gave him a lot of attention.

Mimmie, Kern, me, Michael and Rita

I got to grow up half of my life with Kern, Rita and Michael.
I never saw my sister, Susan, again until 1987!!! I am so happy to be reunited with her! 

Sadly, we were never able to grab a family picture for mom with all 5 kids.

Back to Ray Black.... I did see him once in my life. He came to my home when Tara was just a baby. I was 27. He brought a friend with him.  He wanted to know where my mom was, where she lived and her phone number. I gave him nothing.  His parting words were "I still don't believe you are mine."  So I never tried to contact him again.  I think he died in 1996.

Something wonderful came from Ray Black besides me! In 2004 my cousins wife, Rebecca, found me.  My cousin I didn't know I had... Russ. She connected me to two sisters I didn't know about!!! Rhonda and Paula!  Joyce and I drove to Forks where they live and met them at a Pizza place! We met Rhonda's daughter, Hilary, at the same time!  It was a very happy day for me! I love my sisters!

Rhonda didn't look happy here but she really was... I think. Paula and I were! lol!

We made another trip up to Forks and met their mom, Deanie. What a wonderful woman... she is my adopted mom.  They filled me in on the type of person Ray Black was.

Hilary, her daughter Savanah, Deannie, and Rhonda! They really were happy I was there. Really!

We also got to meet our nieces and nephews... Hilary again... and Paula's daughter Kristen, and my brother's son, Corey.

Oh, didn't I mention I have a brother too? His name is Mike Black. He doesn't want to meet me.  He doesn't want anything to do with me.  I don't know why.  Been there before.  This is him.

Some say there is a family resemblance?

We've also met Rhonda's husband, Bruce!

Bruce with grandchildren Carter and Savanah

 They had a party for me welcoming me to the family... with this balloon...
 It was a great party... put to rest any idea if I was Ray Black's son. Apparently I sound like him, have the same mannerisms as him and even look a bit like him. hmmm. Here is an old picture of him....

I have a ton of cousins.... a couple of my favorites are Sam...

 and John....
 I also met Ray's sister... my Aunt Thelma.
 I have a great new family!  I love my old one so much and have been blessed with another one too! So now I have 3 brothers and 4 sisters!  Things have turned out good... no matter how much others messed up!