When I was 4 years old, my name was Lamon, and I was taken from my home along with my  older sister and my baby brother. My other sister was taken later. We lived in TN. at the end of the depression and our birth mother had just given birth to a baby boy and he was 13 days old when they came and took all of us away. Tennessee had 2 orphanages that were in the black market and both were run by the same woman. But God took something bad in my life and turned it into something good. I had the best adopted Mother and Daddy that anyone could have had and they taught us right from wrong. They adopted my sister a year after they adopted me. I am a Christian and have a great education thanks to my adopted Mother and Dad.

If you think this sounds strange and untrue, go to a store where you rent videos and get one called "Stolen Babies." It is a true story about the same orphanages. The woman is played by Mary Tyler Moore, who does a fantastic job. They never got to prosecute the lady, she died of cancer before they could. 

A year after I was adopted, the Wilson's were called and 

asked if they wanted my sister. I had really missed my sister, although I didn't remember anything much about my past, I only knew I had a sister. So God was kind enough to bring us back together again. She has been such a blessing to me. I always knew that she was there for me if I needed her and 

she has been. 

We were raised very strict and weren't even allowed to fuss. That has really been a blessing, to me because we don't even now. I got saved when I was 5 years old. I guess it was because of what had happened to us that made me want to be saved. I became a church pianist at the age of 15. My music has really been a God send to me, because, when the bad things happened to me, I could go to my piano and play and get lost in my gospel music. 

In February of 1957 I met Earl H Cleckler and married him 6 months later. He had attended Lee College. I really loved him and you know how you plan your whole life ahead of you. It wasn't to be though, for after we had been married 2 years and eight months, I went to church one Sunday morning and when I came back home and opened the front door, there he was on the floor dead.  He had only been dead not more than 5 minutes when I returned.  I felt so guilty having left him alone, even if I was only going to Church.  I had asked him if he wanted me to stay home with him, because he had gotten up with a stomach ache. He said for me to go on to church.  It took me a long time to get over his death. I was only 23 when he passed away.

I went back and moved in with my adopted parents and my life went on. We moved to Signal Mountain, TN. I taught music for over 25 years not only in my home, but commercially. I enjoyed teaching very much. Then due to  circumstances  of the studio where I taught went out of business I had to change my profession. I became a cashier.

In 1983 one afternoon I got a telephone call from a social worker who told me I had a sister who had been searching for me for 31 years and she wanted to know whether I would let her give my identity and where I lived to my sister. How can you refuse to give your name and address and telephone number to someone who had been looking for you for that long. I said yes even though I knew my adopted Mother had always feared that our birth family would somehow find us. It was her number one fear and it was actually happening.  I called my sister Peggy who had never forgotten her birth family. I was so young, when we were separated I didn't  remember anyone but Peggy.  We made arrangements to meet her in Memphis TN, where she lived. We also got to reunite with our older brother, who lives in Kentucky. We didn't get to meet our younger brother till much later. He lives in New Mexico. We all caught up with all that had happened to each of us. It was great. We took our adopted Mother with  us so she would be part of it. God had brought us full circle

My adopted father became ill and because of him being  a little violent at times, we had to put him in a Nursing Home. Mother and   I stayed on the mountain. I worked, but I took her out to eat a lot, because she really enjoyed it. With the help of the Lord I was able to take her 2 times to Hawaii, which she enjoyed so much. I will never regret doing that because she had so many good memories.  She developed Diabetes. I had to keep working so we could stay in the house, but she got much worse and the Doctor said that she needed 24 hour care. We finally just had to place my mother in a Nursing Home.

My sister then was there for me, not that she hadn't been there before for Mother and I. But she told me that I could come and live with her. Peggy is the wife of Rev Arville Hurst, who is a great minister of the Gospel. They opened their home to me when I very much needed one. 

I play my Roland 500 keyboard at church, we have a great church band. I enjoy it so much. I even got a computer and enjoy working on it very much. Anyone can stay busy and keep themselves happy. I have to say though, that my happiness comes from being a Christian. I don't know what I would have done if it hadn't been for the Lord. I would tell anyone if you want happiness and peace of mind, it only comes from knowing Jesus as your Savior and Lord.