More Family- Tonight the Secrets

 
Here are two more pictures from the box I discovered yesterday. Again, one is known and one is a guess, an educated guess.

Here is the known person. This is William Ford Rappleye, always known as Ford. It is from him that my father gets his middle name, Ford. This is dad's biological grandfather, or maybe great-grandfather. My recollection of the stories is grandfather, but the dates don't jive, so it must be great-grandfather, which leaves me with a question as to the missing generation. This picture was taken in 1908, eight years before he died.

The Rappleyes were important people in the history of my small town. They were founders. One of the Rappleyes helped establish the First Baptist Church that I've occasionally posted about. They did not tolerate scandal.



Unfortunately, this young lady, Ada Rappleye, or maybe Hall, ran off with a man named Dana Walker. I was always told that my dad was their illegitimate child. However, I have found a wedding certificate for them, and I have dad's adoption papers which state that his parents were Dana and Ada Walker, and his name was Ray Ford Walker. The mysteries continue.

I am guessing that this is her picture. I remember being shown it in the past, and I can see that Dad and John both look like this woman, so I think this must be the correct one.



Well, the family cut her off completely. The Walkers were destitute and gave Ray up for adoption to the Learys. The adoption papers say they were unable to provide food or clothing for him.

She is buried in an unmarked grave in the Interlaken Cemetery. Dad knew where it was, but there is no headstone. I'm quite sure I couldn't find the exact location even if I went there. If there is an official record of it, it has not been recorded in Find-a-Grave. I hope somewhere there's a record.

Meanwhile, if Ada was Ford's granddaughter rather than his daughter, was her father Ansel Jay Rappleye, or her mother Augusta Claudine Rappleye Hall? My money is on Augusta, because I've always been told that my middle name, Hall, comes from both sides of the family, and that would be the connection on dad's biological side.

I have just found that Ansel Jay never married and had no children. Augusta is shown as having one daughter, Ada. So I've established that line, but there is no further information.

I guess if you are cut off, you are cut off. Period.

All this known history led to many of dad's emotional problems. He was adopted into a family who lived in the same town where all this scandal occurred and everyone knew who he was. They never let him forget. Small towns can be wonderful. Or not.

In other news: I wrote in the morning, got more groceries, did some formatting and editing.

	See Dad's Adoptive Parents
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