Dear Aunt Susan,

Well, It has only taken us 40 years to find each other! When I saw your website with the photo of my parents and grandmother, it was the most surreal feeling! I have never seen a photo of my father. Strange as it may seem, no one in my mother’s family had a picture. I always thought growing up how odd that it was that they didn’t want me to know who my father was. They never would talk about him or anyone in his family. I didn’t know how my father died until I was sitting with my grandfather while he was passing away in 1991 . He finally told me some things about my father but he said it was all he knew. My grandmother filled in some of the blanks as did my mother’s sister, Cassie who lived in Macon when my father was killed.

I went to live with my grandparents after my father’s funeral. They raised me off and on throughout my early childhood years in Orlando, Florida. When I was 12, my mother remarried my sister’s father in 1980. We moved to the Bahamas and lived there for 2 years. We were then transferred to the Marshall Islands until 1983 when we moved back to Florida. It was in the Marshall Islands that my step-father found out I had a great singing voice! I have been singing in front of people since I was about 4 years old. My grandmother would have me sing Patsy Cline all of the time! So, my step-father put me in his band as the lead singer! I have been singing ever since! I finished high school and married my high school boyfriend and had two children. Bradley Darrell was born in 1986 and Ashley Elizabeth was born in 1988. I went to college and also cosmetology school! I earned a degree in Business Management and became an Administrator for Assisted Living Facilities in Florida. All the while I have been performing in bands all over Florida! My son, Brad has inherited his mother’s love of music and is an accomplished musician and singer. He has earned a degree in Musical Engineering and still lives in Florida. Ashley is the artist! She is Picasso reincarnated! We both share a passion for photography too!

I was divorced from my children’s father in 1993 and continued to work in Assisted Living. I would perform for the residents once a month. They were all my "grandparents". When Ashley moved out of the nest in 2007, I decided to move to Nashville. I put a band together and we perform all over middle Tennessee. I also met a wonderful man, Trev E. He is a pilot and is the general manager of the county airport. We were married I September of 2008 in Jamaica. He has two children, Nathan is 12 and lives with us and Brady is 9 and lives with their mother.

This is the SHORT, SHORT version of me. Of course there are many things that have happened to me along the way but we can talk about that later. I can’t wait get to know you and Aunt Caro and the rest of the family. My children are very excited as well to know that we finally have found you as is Trev. He has offered take me to Washington to meet you in person! I can’t wait to talk with you! My number is 931-***-****. (number removed for privacy)