Hi Rochelle,

It’s amazing that I happened across your search for information on Lester. I have searched off and on for several years on the internet trying to see if I could find out if he was still alive or not. Yesterday, I typed in his name to search again and Ancestry.com came up with your posting. I couldn’t believe it! I’m very happy to hear that the twins were well cared for. I’m sorry that your father wasn’t there for you and your siblings. Being abandoned by our parents leaves hurtful scars, but I have found that the only father we can truly count on to be “perfect” is our Heavenly Father.

Lester was very restless. He deserted the army and finally was caught and served time for that. He was married twice before he married my mother. They met in McFarland, California. She married him when she was 16 years old. I was born in 1944, I’m the oldest. Lester, in my opinion, had a problem with alcohol, and definitely was a womanizer. He was also abusive to my mother. My last memory of him (at age six) was when he came to tell me that he and my mom were getting a divorce and that he was leaving, but that he would be back to take me to live with hi (I never saw him again). He brought me a bag of peanuts, the only gift I remember getting from him. Mother said that he bought me a high chair when I was a baby, but sold it for money to go to the show and whatever else he spent it on. He would leave our family and (usually drinking and with other women) and then would return and cry and beg my mother to forgive him. He then would accuse her of doing the things he had been doing and would become physical with her. I wish I had better things to say about his character, the one good thing that I’ve been told is that he was very likeable (I guess that’s the flip-side). I have forgiven him because at 67 years old, I realize that people can’t give you what they don’t have to give and not forgiving would be hurtful only to me. I have a few pictures of him that I could get to you. Your aunt may like to have some. I can scan them and e-mail them if you like.

My name is Joanne Stone (I kept my married name after my divorce which was about 34 years ago). I’ve been living with my mother for about four years now. She has had cancer, but is doing very well now. She’s 85 years old. I design and write greeting cards and have sold them to several stores here in California. At some point, I would be happy to send some to you. I lived in Fort Morgan, Colorado for about five years and left there in 1987 and came back to California. I went to Denver three or four times while I lived in Fort Morgan.

I hope we can keep in touch. There’s something about a dad not being there that leaves a hole in your heart and maybe this connection will bring some healing to both of us.

I tried e-mailing you at the address you typed in on your response to me, but for some reason it didn't go through (I even copy and pasted it), My e-mail address is joannes@socal.rr.com. Try e-mailing me direct.
Blessings,

Joanne