My father died from tuberculosis in January 1965, and my Mother had left us for another man. I believe she was so lonely and overwhelmed by the responsibility. My Dad had been so sick for such a long time, being in the hospital for long periods of time. I was also in the same hospital with him. We were at the T.B. Sanitorium in Clinton, Oklahoma. I was there for one and a half years, at the age of 101/2 to 12.

Anyway I was 13, my brother Gary was 9, and Terrisa was 11. Dad died in Phoenix, and we needed a place to go, so my sister, who was 15, had gotten married and was pregnant with her first child. So we stayed with her and her husband for about a week. The Church of Christ in Woodward, Oklahoma was the last church we had attended, and were baptized in. So, they, through the court, told us we could go to Turley Children's home in Tulsa.

When we arrived, I was in the Whites cottage, Terrisa was in the Williams cottage next door, and poor Gary was left out in the cold at the Brady's in Skiatook. After the Whites left, the Smiths came to be our houseparents. I always felt funny around Mr. Smith. He didn't do anything, just looked a lot at all of us girls. He would come to our room, and walk in unannounced. They were there for about a year. Then, the home found the Jones. Mr. Jones was working at Armour Meat Packing Co. and Mrs. Jones was home with her three little boys and us. One summer morning, her youngest son, Robin who was about 5, came into the kitchen. I had a lot of work to do before I could go swimming with the girls. And since time was almost up for girls to swim, I was upset and knew I would not be swimming that day. Also, I think I was being punished for something, because I had "extra" chores, that I normally would not have to do. I made a remark to Robin that I was not going to get to go swimming, and that life was such a "bummer". Well, Robin went and told Mrs. Jones what I said. Mrs. Jones was a large woman, guessing maybe 300 lbs. , and I was 15, and weighed maybe 100 lbs. She came running out of the apartment and grabbed me by the hair and threw me in the apartment across her bed. She slammed the door, and proceeded to slap me across the face and pulled my hair out. She was using the back of her hand, so my lips were busted and my nose was bleeding. I was a mess. She threw me off of the bed and onto the floor, all the while hitting me on my back, and saying, "Don't you EVER tell my son life is a bummer!" Then she grounded me, so I could go nowhere but to church. I could not see my sister, or anyone. I went to my room and she ordered me to clean the room and the bathroom. From that day, I started planning to leave the home. I was so glad they did not stay. I think Mr. and Mrs. Robinson came after them. I did not hate Mrs. Jones, but I did fear for my life, and thought any provocation would set her off again. She did not like me at all after that, and I knew it. I had bruises all over my body, and I thought I would die from trying to eat. The other kids said nothing about my injuries, and I told them exactly what had happened, but I knew no one would do anything about it. I went to church, and no one said anything or even asked me anything about it. I think they had carte blanche just what they wanted to do to any of us. The fact that I had been hospitalized with T.B., had no effect and did not matter in the least.

This only happened once, but it was enough to scare me to death.

I hope this is not too long for you to include in your book. Please shorten it if you want, I know I gave you more background than was necessary. But I felt you would appreciate it more if I told you some of the things we went through before the Home. Please let me know, if I can be of further assistance.

God Bless,

Melodee (Willoughby)Barela

I forgot to tell you. We were married at The First Christian Church in Roswell, New Mexico.

After my mother left us at that motel, we stayed there for four days. We had no food except for crackers and ketchup, so that's what we ate. My older sister Debbie would go to school and tell the teachers we were all sick. Then Billy my older brother would stay home with us younger ones. Then he went to school, and did the same thing.

I guess Mother did not pay for the motel room, so the manager came to collect. Obviously, he phoned the authories telling them their were five kids, from 3 years old, to 11, left abandoned at the motel. When the state of Oklahoma Welfare worker arrived, she divided us into two groups. Three girls, and two boys. We girls went to one foster home, our brothers to another.

We did not see each other for over a year, then we were called in to court to determine who we wanted to live with. Dad or Mother, and only Gary, who was 3, wanted to live with Mother. Dad was still in the hospital. He was released to come and get custody, if the court would allow a man to have custody. Then he went back to the hospital, and we went back to foster care, for two years with this family. Then 1 1/2 years with another family.

My Mother, upon hearing Dad awarded custody, yelled to the Judge, "I guess I can have some more of the little bastards (sorry!), if I want to!" We heard that sitting outside on a bench, just beyond the doors to the courtroom. For years, we knew that Mother had left us for her boyfriend, she married.

After dad was released from the hospital, he came and collected us. We lived in the same house we used to live in when he and Mother were together. Except, the landlords had remodelled it. We lived there for quite a while, but Dad was getting sick again. In May of 1962, we had a family baptism at the Fifth street Church of Christ in Woodward, Oklahoma All except my older brother, Billy, was baptized.

That same month, the state welfare dept. had us tested as a family for T.B. My skin test came back positive. I was 10 years old, and Dads of course was positive too. They took us to Clinton, Oklahoma, where we were admittedand put on separae wards. I was on S.W. 3. We spent 1 1/2 years there.

During that time,Billy, Debbie, Terrisa, and Gary were living together, with Debbie's boyfriend, and soon to be husband, Charles. The state, once again, wanted Terrisa and Gary. So Dad and I left the hospital, without permission. We loaded up Charles car, and headed to California to see Dads sisters.

Once there, we rented a duplex. Charles and Debbie went to see one of ouraunts. She warned us to leave California, or the state would take the younger ones. Once again, we packed up and went toPhoenix, Arizona to my mother's Mother, grandmother. She took us into her little one room house. It was really a wash-house behind a larger house. When she tested positive for T.B. at the school cafeteria, were she worked, she was fired. We found a small apartment to rent that resembled small cabins, and Charles and Debbie left to return to Woodward. Billy had not gone with us, he was living with his friend, Rick Parker, from school.

We paid for our apt. by painting the other apts. Dad could not take breathing the fumes, so I ended up painting them. I did not go to school, but Terrisa and Gary did. Dad was continuing to get sicker. I did not know he had stopped taking his medication, so I could have it. We could not afford to buy it, and to expose ourselves to an agency, would mean the welfare agency again. Dad was determined to keep us together, with him. Gary and Dad slept in one room, and Terrisa and I slept in the other.Gary came in crying that he had a dream for three nights that Dad was hurt. The following night, Gary came to tell me that Dad was bleeding. his lungs had burst from the disease, and he was bleeding to death. The disease had rotted everything. I sent both, Terrisa and Gary to the office to call an ambulance. By the time the ambulance got there, Dad was gone.

We spent the night at my Aunt Betty's, then Debbie came for us and took us home to Woodward with her.

I think I gave you the rest of the story from here.

We met while Lionel was working on his Masters degree at ENMU-Portales, New Mexico. I was still in high school, my senior year. He saw me helping my Mother at her job, and called back 9 months later, when I graduated, and had enrolled in Nursing school. i was at ENMU-Roswell, New Mexico campus. It was strange that he waited, but he told me he had rather I start college, before dating me. We were engaged December 1971, and Married July 29, 1972.

I hope this is not too long for you to include in your book or on our site. Please shorten it if you want, I know I gave you more background than was necessary. But I felt you would appreciate it more if I told you some of the things we went through before the Home. Please let me know, if I can be of further assistance.

God Bless,

Melodee (Willoughby) Barela