The real beginning of a hope and dream of coming together was from Tom Roper’s column, ("On the Ropes," The Interior News, Nov.4, 2021). He had written a story about Barb Walker and somehow it showed up on ancestry.ca.
It was a shock for Barb Walker to get a phone call, but it was one that she and her family had been hoping for or hoping to make.
Barb’s sons, Dan and Doug Walker, knew they had a younger half-sister but the trail for her was cold.
Their mom had been engaged to their dad, “Ted” Frederic Walker, but broke it off. She gave the ring back, she was too young and wanted to have fun. Ted gave the ring to a girl, Carol, whom he met in Pemberton and they, together, had a baby Laura Lee.
Carol hadn’t wanted to look after a child and gave Laura Lee to Ted’s parents to look after, which they did until the child was three. Then a custody battle between Carol together with social services and against the grandparents started. Laura Lee was taken into foster care. There were no leads until recently.
Barb got a phone call from relatives on Ted’s side. They had found info on ancestry.ca and started putting together all of what they thought were connections. A family puzzle.
Barb had a daughter, Patti, when she and Ted reconnected. This time she kept his ring and they married and had two children Dan and Doug. All were in for some surprises when that first phone call came. Barb made a phone call back and directly to Laura Lee.
Laura Lee told of Charlie Cook, a half-brother to Dan and Doug and he is only two months older than Doug.
The story started to unravel. Carol was pregnant when she left Ted and went to Alberta. Charlie was raised by an uncle and aunt who adopted him. He took on their last name, Cook. Laura Lee found out when she was twelve that Charlie was her brother, not her cousin.
Their story, which would make a great screenplay for a movie, continues to have connections here in the valley.
As the family on Ted’s side have been sharing the good news of finding a family lost from each other, Barb got a call from Carol’s brother, Curtis Sloan. He had been working in Houston and Smithers for years delivering machinery to various industries. He had no idea that he had family here.
The siblings' first meeting together was at the Keg in Prince George, a middle ground for travelling. Their connections strengthened and Dan spent a week with Charlie in Quesnel. Curtis Sloan wants to come to any future family gatherings.
Back now to Tom Roper. People tell me how much they enjoyed his column. You can catch him doing interviews with various valley connections on CICK Radio 93.9 FM every second Monday or go to smithersradio.com where the shows are archived.
Paul Wojdak geologist/author is one of his recent ones. Paul’s book Escape from Siberia, Escape from Memory.is sold locally at Mountain Eagle Books on 3rd Ave. and Mills Stationery near the end of Main Street.
If you have a tip for this column please call me at 250-847-4414 or email sonja.lester.b.c@gmail.com
