This lovely tribute picture was made for me by daughter, Jamie, who does wonderful scrapbooking work. This is my favorite photo of myself which was done when I was 32 years old.
I was born in Grand Rapids, MI, in 1952, the first-born daughter of Charlene L. Brown and Robert Charles Taylor. Both the Brown and Taylor sides of the family are mostly of Scottish origin with a little German, English, and French thrown in here and there. Most of my life, I had reddish brown hair, hazel to green eyes, and was on the thin side. My interests have always been music, science, animals and nature, philosophy, sewing, crochet, embroidery, spinning, and reading. People describe me as being strong, determined, non-judgmental, loyal, and as having a great sense of humor.
In 1970, I had my first child, Christie Lee Taylor, who weighed exactly 7lbs and was only 17" long. She was born at Gerber Hospital in Fremont, MI after a short labor and with no complications. A very healthy and beautiful baby who has grown into one of the most loving, caring people I've ever known. She sacrifices herself for others continually, has worked hard all her life, and has given much more than she's ever taken from this world. Her easy laugh, and loving demeanor puts everyone at ease immediately which is one of the reasons she excels as a registered nurse, her chose occupation for the last 15 years. She has 3 children, Eric, Corissa, and Bailey, who will be described later, and lives with Joe Surman, a great guy who loves her unconditionally. I could not be more proud of this very lovely, vibrant, smart, young woman!
On June 21, 1971, in Waukegan, IL, my second daughter was born. What started out as a very heartbreaking story, has turned into one of the most amazing things that has ever happened to me in my life just before Christmas in 2010. Because I was poor and alone, I had decided that to give this child the opportunities she so-deserved, it would be best to adopt her out, which I did do, although I had have been trying to find her almost ever since. She found me on December 16, 2010! This feeling I have is totally indescribable! It's part of the reason I am making this blog so that she can be introduced to the whole family. The reactions have all been so positive, warm, and happy that words will not suffice! This incredible story has just begun and we are all looking forward to personally welcoming Ms. Gail Robin Berger to this diversified, conglomerate we call our family! Gail has 2 children, Carlie, 15, and Daniel, 9, so I have also gained 2 wonderful grandchildren whom I will describe later. My first impressions of Gail is that she is strong, warm, funny, and will fit right in like she's never been gone. I hope to collect some pictures of her as she was growing up to add to this page later on. Gail, you were always loved and missed by this family more than you can know!
My 3rd daughter, Jamie Lynn, was born in Lake Forest, IL in May of 1973, and was 8lbs 9 oz, and 21" long, a very healthy, beautiful baby girl with reddish hair and strong lungs! It was an easy delivery, so easy in fact that the doctor was still washing his hands when the nurse caught her as she jettisoned into this big old world protesting, pissed off, and not caring who knew it! If you ever had a burden too big to carry or needed someone to tell you just how it is, she's your girl! She has 3 girls and a boy, Lynn Rosa, Randi Jo, Alexandra Lee, and Jesse Michael, as well as 4 grandchildren, Keara Jade, Jaelynn Rose, Korben Alexander, and Malakai Scott. Jamie is an incredibly talented artist with a subtle eye for beauty and symmetry. She can take the ugly and profane and turn it into a delight for the soul which she does not only in her art but in her life! Though she has been stricken with ADD, Fibromyalgia, and deals with a special needs son every day, her spirit is never broken and she remains thoughtful, loving, and loyal to her loved ones and family. She has truly been a cherished gift in my life and once again, my pride is beyond words for this wonderful, beautiful, child.
On February 25, 1975, I was blessed with my first and only son, Daniel Ray, who was 6 lbs. 2 oz. and 21" long. He was born at Gerber Memorial Hospital in Fremont, MI, and we had a hard time getting him into this world because he wanted to be creative and tried to come breach. He was tiny but healthy and grew rapidly into an adventurous, clever, and very artistically creative child. Dan almost never missed school while growing up, not because he was an exceptional student necessarily but because school was much more exciting than staying home with a bunch of females! When he was 7 years old, he was accidentally shot in the eye with a bb gun, resulting in almost total blindness in one eye. It didn't seem to affect his talent for drawing. Dan has won awards for his art, is single, but lives with a wonderful lady, Leslie, in Grand Rapids, MI, and is going to college to become a high school science teacher. No mother could be more proud of the honesty, integrity, and joyfulness this son brought with him into this family!
On January 7, 1977, in Omaha, Nebraska, the long-overdue, Miss Kelly Sue Messenger arrived weighing 8lbs, 13 oz and being 21" long. She was a dark-haired beauty who instantly won the hearts of everyone. Never the least bit shy, she's always stolen the show, even singing on stage impromptu when she was only about 5 years old. She received a standing ovation from the crowd and things are not much different today. She has 3 daughters, Ayla Danielle, 14, Trinity Florence, 11, and Lillian Naomi, 9. Her sense of humor, generosity, and all around sweet personality makes her popular with everyone, including her extremely proud mama!
