Monday, September 21, 2020

Pulling the Past Together and Wondering about the Future?

    After making many ovatures to likely matches I seem to be honing in on a family who's roots were from the East Coast(Rhode Island) extending down through the Southeast into Oklahoma  into Texas.  The family name is Mount, Originally from Kent, England.  There actually was a geneology book written by one of the family members. 
    One of my cousins recalled an Aunt speaking of one of her nephews who had joined the Navy out of high school(in Dallas).  The family dynamics had apparently been a bit tumultuous involving three marriages (by my Grandfather Victor Timothy) and some degree of estrangement from the rest of the family.  However I now had a name to work with and checked out Ancestry's military records for Victor Leon Mount.
    This search led to a conundrum of questions.  At first glance it gave Victor's record and enlistment path.  However the thread disappeared in 1946...and there was no record of his demise in the War.  Alexandria suggested that we try a DD214 directly from the military archives.  This did take a while but finally it did come in.....with one little problem.  The record was attached to an other name!  Michael Lee Walker.  Same Selective Service #, same birthday, same date and place of enlistment, and same duty roster as Ancestry had for Victor??  I contacted the archive and asked what ???  Their advise was to research a new DD214 with Michaels name.  Here we go down another rabbit hole😕 ....This time the rest of his record was generated all of the way to his retirement to Florida......I said earlier that there was some strange dynamics in Leon's high school years.  Difficult enough to prompt him to change his birth name to that of his mom's new husband, Walker?!  I did find some city directory information which clarify things a bit.  I can't find a divorce record(yet) between Victor T and Virginia A nor a Marriage record(yet) between her and Evner A Walker.  However it seems according to the directories that Virginia was with Victor in Oklahoma City in 1930 and Evner in Dallas in 1931.  The really significant tidbit here is that Victor L would have been 10 or 11 years old when this came down soo...it isn't a huge stretch to see why he opted to change his name when he became an adult.    

    My Biodad, Michael, aka Leon, died in Florida in 1985 having finally married and having left no offspring, that he knew of, but three stepchildren by his wife, June.  Of course he didn't know of my existence and from his service record he was in the Pacific theater including, but not limited to Australia and Hawaii.  So who knows who may turn up in the future!  Not too long ago I finally connected with one of his stepsons in Florida, Duane Fish...He knew nothing of me, how would he, but did say that his stepdad did tell them that he had changed his name from Mount to Walker ....  

    Why have I felt the need to write this all down?  My seventy plus years have seen many changes and joys and a few disappointments.  But if I am learning anything it is that God doesn't make no junk!  And we should look for the fingerprint of the Divine in All things and especially in each other.

    Helene gave me up for adoption probably feeling that would be best for her new marriage.  I understand and honor that decision.  I must say emphatically that I have enjoyed my adopted life and have been abundantly blessed on this path.  I hope you can understand, also, my thankfulness that abortion was not readily available in 1944.  I would have liked to know her, however.  I am quite certain there are abundant joys and value to be experienced in both biologic and adoptive families.  I have experienced that and it sometimes bothers me a bit when unaware people denigrate either familial format.  We are all connected and both forms of family(among others) can be a fruitful experience.

  
    My greatest joys in my life are my children.  I do regret not having located Michael Lee before his passing.  But in the greater scheme of life I am hopeful he found great joy in his stepchildren with June.  And I think of him fondly whenever I come downwind of an 18 wheeler or a Greyhound bus :0)


    To Be Continued ??  
        I will be posting several documents and papers on here.  A lot of this is also on Ancestry.com under my public tree.  Any one who would like their headshot on that tree please send one to me. 
        On the post just before this string I mentioned a book that means a lot to me and then yesterday Richard's daily meditation was again very meaningful to me.  So the next post will be that morsel to share.  But first: 



A paternal linage going back to Kent England cir. 1560


From another Mount Geneology


Part of Ancestry Paternal side
    
    

Guess Who?


Early attempt to climb the Mountain


Treading Water with the Navy

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