The Chosen One

By Mary Ann Smith

I wrote this book from the time I was two years old up until the present day to tell my life story about the trials that life puts you through, and many of the trials have been very hard and bitter. They left scars in my heart, and at times, I was wondering if God was watching over me. But through it all, I remember what the Christian family that I grew up in has taught me and made me realize all I had to do was to call his name, and he would comfort me in my time of need.

I'm hoping this book would be an inspiration for someone going through similar trials!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 19, 2024
• ISBN: 9798891578463

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The Chosen One

Mary Ann Smith

Copyright © 2024 Mary Ann Smith

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2024

This book is a true story.

Some parts of this book are elicited.

She has endured much but is a survivor.

Some of the names in this book are anonymous.

ISBN 979-8-89157-856-2 (pbk)

ISBN 979-8-89157-846-3 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Family Ancestors of Roscoe Smith, My Daddy

The Birth of a Pearl River County Boy (My Daddy) and His Brothers and Sisters

The Birth of a Simpson County Girl (My Mama) and Her Brothers and Sisters

One of the Worst Times in Daddy's Family Life, One of the Best Times in Daddy's Life, and Daddy's First Memories When He Was Little (2–12 Years)

Daddy's Growing Up (12–20 Years)

Family Traditions and Celebrations of Daddy's Life

Daddy's Courtship and Marriage to His Beautiful Bride

How Times Were Different Then

Big Events in My Daddy's Life

Daddy's Views and Feelings

About Daddy's Children

About My Mama, Annie Will Bill Shivers Smith

Letter from My Mama, Annie Will Bill Shivers Smith

Memories of a Chosen Child

In Search of My Birth Daddy

My Birth Daddy and Little Information Concerning His Life and Family

My Biological Father, Garland Wesley Byrd, Information

My Biological Mother, Juanita Brown Byrd, Information

The Only Thing That Kept Me Going

Words for Other Adopted Children

The Birth of a Little Girl and a Little Boy Who Were Never Wanted or Accepted by Their Birth Parents

The Real Truth Comes Out

The Day When Our Lives Changed Forever

The First Time to See Their Chosen Children

Growing Up on the Farm and Visiting with My Daddy's Family in Pearl River County

Tough Decisions

School Days at New Hebron

Remember Me This Way, I Pray

Life Began to Change

My Decision to Try to Have a Relationship with My Birth Mother

One of the Most Calming Days of My Life

Finding the Missing Piece in My Puzzle of Life

My Recipe for a Happy and Lasting Marriage

Days Gone By and Days to Come

About the Author

This book is dedicated to my wonderful parents who God chose for me and it was a blessing, Mr. and Mrs. Roscoe Smith from Shivers, Mississippi.

To my most loving second mom, Aunt Lula Shivers from New Hebron, Mississippi, who loved me without a doubt and knew my heart. Aunt Lula, I will always honor your love and devotion. Our time spent together will always be treasured and never forgotten.

To my most trusted and remarkable sister, Sandra Preuss. God has truly blessed me with a big sister who, I must say, has been an inspiration of hope, patience, tolerance, encouragement, and strength for me and who is strong spirited, way too generous, and definitely a giver and not a taker. She is one of the most with high Christian values, and the most important thing to her is family. My sister has claimed me as her baby sister, and I am so proud to be a part of my sister's family!

To my friend Charlotte Chappell Lee from New Hebron, Mississippi. We have been through a lot of sadness together and many times of happiness together. You have been there for my parents when I couldn't be there. You have listened to me laugh, and you have listened to me cry. Yes, ma'am, sure did.

There was a quote from a precious little Black lady at the bus station in Mendenhall, Mississippi, many, many moons ago! We have never forgotten this quote, and we have used it often. You loved me so much and lifted my spirits. What would one do without friends? You realize who your friends are when you need them the most.

To Mrs. Janice Flynt from New Hebron, Mississippi. She was my teacher and my friend who I shared a lot of memories with and who taught me a lot about life and the meaning of a chosen child and the love a chosen child has for their parents and the love the parents have for their chosen child.

To my firstborn daughter, Kelly Deanne Sanders Thompson, who has been a wonderful, thoughtful, and loving daughter and her husband, Jon Brady Thompson. To Jaiden Leigh Thompson, Nonnie's little angel, my first grandchild.

To my son, Matthew Quinton Sanders, and his wife, Julie Sylvester Sanders, and my Laurel Dade Sanders, my second grandchild, Nonnie's little mermaid, and a gift from God to her Nonnie.

To my third grandchild, precious, handsome little man who has grown to be a tall man, Evan Walker Thompson who fills my life with spirit, joy, and purpose.

To my second daughter, Ashley Leanne Sanders Richard, and her husband, Mark Richard. This little baby lit my days and nights when I couldn't see the light. She brought me so much joy in my life and supported me and has been my rock when I could not go on. She loves me unconditionally forever and always. We have a special saying when the time comes for us to end our conservations: I love you, cool cat.

To my wonderful late pastor, Duanne Doc Bradford, from New Hebron, Mississippi. He gave me hope and lifted me when I was down by receiving so many blessings through his messages and through the music that he sang in church. What a beautiful voice. Doc, I shall never forget you and miss you dearly.

To a dear, dear sweet friend from grade one through now, Delores McNair. One of the most caring and loving friends that I could have ever asked for. She shared my good memories, the bad memories, and the ugly memories. She knew my thoughts without me speaking one word.

To Donna Buckey Taylor from New Hebron, Mississippi. Donna was always there through the bad times of my life. Donna and I shared so many conversations and calls and spent many hours together, laughing and acting silly. I love you, my dear friend, today and always.

And most of all, to my most Christian-loving devoted husband, Kenneth Glen Ashley, who gives me unconditional love, support, guidance, and is my rock and best friend. I love you, Kenneth Glen Ashley, from the first day we met forever and always.

Thank you, Lord, for giving me the courage and supplying me the words to my mouth to express my thoughts, and I hope that this book will bring other chosen children closer to you, Lord, and let them be thankful that they were chosen and treat their parents with the love, respect, and honor that they deserve and have the peace of knowing that they are loved by very special parents. Amen.

Introduction

This book has been written to celebrate the gifts of roots. We have each grown up in different times and places. Some of our experiences have been similar—many have not—and much of what was experienced in our childhoods have been forgotten or perhaps put aside as unimportant. For some, early memories may be clouded with sadness or loss, but whatever the past has held for us, it is important to pause and remember and, more than that, to share our roots so that the future generations will know from whence they have come.

This book provides an opportunity for sharing. It is a place for you to put down on paper some of the recollections and experiences that stand out in your mind that contributed most to the person you have become and to the way you have lived your life. This needs to be an epic or masterpiece. Whatever you share will have great value to those reading it. While the questions included are broad, it is an effort to encompass a variety of lifestyles and experiences. There are a few pages for you to record additional thoughts and information that may have meaning for your family.

I must say this in the very beginning: a writer must be truthful and write his or her story truthful, or why bother to write? It is what it is! Jesus never lied to us, and I will not lie to my readers.

As I sit here this morning, drinking my coffee in the quiet time of the morning, so many things run through my mind. I wish these old walls can talk and I can hear my grandparents in this old home that was built in 1903. I can see Nonnie Kate and Mama in the kitchen just a cooking for the family. I can see my daddy sipping his coffee at the kitchen table, then putting on his shaving cream and looking in the bathroom mirror to shave, and I can still smell the Mennen's aftershave. He put on his smiling face every day.

To an adopted child,

Not flesh of my flesh,

Nor bone of my bone,

But still miraculously my own,

Never forget for a minute,

You didn't grow under my heart,

But in it.

You will notice my book is quite different. Please remember that it is my first book. The second one will be quite better.

Praying all my readers will enjoy the first. Now it is time for the second one.

The words are there!

That's all that matters!

Be strong, be a survivor!

Never ever let anyone discourage you!

Hold your head up high!

Never look back!

Stay on the right path of life,

And you will see an amazing and awesome

Beautiful you!

God gave your life,

So don't destroy it!

Don't abuse it!

Handle it with care!

The important thing an individual can do is to accept Jesus Christ as your savior!

Then you will be free of any demons.

Then you will fly high in the sky!

Then you will absolutely know without a shadow of a doubt,

You are a survivor!

This means physically, mentally, and eternity.

How do you know!

Look up to the father!

Only through Jesus Christ, our savior, will you survive!

Through life, I have survived the physical and the mental with the assurance of eternity!

The Family Ancestors of Roscoe Smith, My Daddy

Everyone, at one time or another, wants to know something about the country or countries from which their family ancestors emigrated, when was this, and where did they settle?

My daddy's father's ancestors came from England. They settled in the East Central part of the United States in Georgia and the Carolinas while his mother's ancestors, the Dedeauxes, were of French descent. I'm not sure as to the dates but maybe in the early 1800s and late 1700s or mid-1700s.

His father's name was William Sherrod Smith, and his mother's name was Mary Osula Smith. Daddy's father was born in 1883 in Pearl River County, Mississippi, while Daddy's mother was born in 1886 in Stone County, Mississippi.

Daddy remembered his mother during his childhood as a mother who gave her devotion to the home and her children, not leaving his dad out of her devotion. He saw her happy and remembered seeing her cry occasionally. Later, he realized that her crying or being emotional came about when she was pregnant with a younger brother or sister.

He could recall very vividly when he was eight or nine years old that his mother with eight of the children would walk through the longleaf pine forest to visit their grandfather and grandmother, the Dedeauxes. Interesting to note and remember that they were walking the distance of fifteen miles on dirt roads and taking near cuts on cow and sheep trails. He and his family did this on an average of twice a year. It was a lot of fun for them, going through the virgin timber area, crossing small streams, eating sack lunches, and climbing and bending sapling trees over. His father would come around the third day and get them with a horse and wagon. All the other children, except his oldest brother, were younger than him and his identical twin, Esco.

They were up to their neck in natural surroundings. When they got to their granddad's, they went to Wolf River on his property and hunted alligator eggs on the sandbars and fished.

His father was the athletic type of person, and he remembered how he would do broad jumping and high jumping and play basketball with them. They did some farming, and his dad worked on the railroad, the Timber Company Enterprise. He hired Daddy one summer as a water boy for his railroad crew. His mother was strictly a home mother. She never did or had any gainful employment. There was not any sort of work available for women outside of the home.

In the early '20s, a lumbering company came into their section and started harvesting the longleaf yellow pine and sawmilling. His dad was employed by this company (Edward Hines Lumber Company). Prior to that, he farmed and did odd jobs, construction of buildings, etc.

There was a close family tie, but Daddy was somewhat closer to his twin brother. They stayed close through high school, high school athletics, and junior college athletics. Each went their separate ways after junior college.

Daddy and his twin spent most of their time together. They would do chores together and spend their leisure time together. Dad enjoyed hunting. His twin did not care much about hunting. They double-dated. Dad said that their dates would get confused because they looked so identical.

When Daddy was growing up, vacations and trips were not planned on an annual basis—neither seasonal. Part of the family, taking turns, would go to the Mississippi Gulf Coast for a few days. Different members