Introduction

2009-06-08T14:37:00.000-07:00

My name is Ann. I was adopted by my parents at the age of five months.

In 2007 I found my birthmother through going to court and unsealing the records.

I have not met her personally, or talked by phone, but the time will occur one day.

For now, we have been in contact since 2007 via email

My birth mother's name is Heather.

My parents are also two incredible people. All of my life, they told me at various stages in an age appropriate way, of my birthmother and her love for me.

They treated me not as "someone elses's child" but truly "as their own"

I spent my first five years of life in Winston Salem and then we moved to Morehead City where we lived for 13 years.

My mother was a Morehead City native. Her father and mother were both from there. Her mother was the reason we moved back. Her mother had been in the nursing home in a vegitative state for over 10 years. Though she was the last grandparent that I had (died when I was seven) I NEVER knew her. We would bring her a mobile and hang it over her bed. She never knew me, and I never knew her. As for my mother's father, he died before I was even born.

My father's parents knew me somewhat. There are some incredible stories of my father's side.

His mother (Grandma Ruby) was married to a husband before she met my grandfather. Unfortunately, her first husband, Captain Wayne Williams, died in a plane crash. He was the pilot of the plane that crashed with Carole Lombard. Grandma also worked for TWA airlines in the Philippines.

My grandfather (father's father) was an incredible person. He worked for Colgate Palmolive and was the general manager of the Philippine plant. He was actually the one asked to bring Colgate to the Philippines. Unforuntately, he was at the wrong place at the wrong time when he was taken as a Japanese POW. Not much is known of his experience there, because he never talked about it. He survived it for four years.

He met my grandmother when he went in to complain about TWA and the flight he had been on. Isn't that incredible?

They had my father and they lived and traveled many places. Papa was born in the Philippines; he lived in Cuba from about age 5 to about age 9; Lived in France; New York; among some of the places he lived.

After college he went in to advertising and this is where he met my mother, in Winston Salem, both working for RJR. They met later in life.

My poor grandmother had Alzheimers and didn't really know who my mother was. Grandpa took care of her 24/7 until her death. Loosing her in the airport; being locked out on the porch of a high rise; many many events. You have to look back and laugh over these, I'm told.

Soon after my grandmother died (in 1987 when I was 2 years old) my grandfather informed my parents that he had Leukemia. He died in 1988 or 89 (not sure). He did not live long. It is thought he may have had it while taking care of Grandma, but wanted to truly take care of her as he thought he owed it to her. He was the most incredible man, I am told by many.

My parents met and got married and then in 1986 they brought me home. They had a dog Pollyanna.

That's a basic introduction of who I am where I came from; my parents and their parents....more to come overtime......

Ann

Ann Carpenter

Introduction