I was born in 1991 but my story begins in 1933. January 18th to be exact. On that day Frances Waters was born. Frances Waters spent a majority of her life living in Dargan, a small countryland outside of Sharpsburg. Around the same year, my grandfather George Houser was born.
I have little information regarding the young life of either. However, from what I know, Frances only made it to the 8th grade before dropping out of school for reason which I believe may have been pregnancy with her first daughter, Darlene. George Houser fought in the Korean War enlisting around late-51-early 52. It was around 1954 or 1955 that Houser and Waters met.
In 1956, Waters and Houser gave birth to a daughter named Katherine. They had another daughter born in 1958 named Peggy followed by George Jr. in '63 and my mother in 1965. Overall it was a house of 6 children. In the early-70's though depression was striking George Houser. On March 21, 1973 it hit its peak and George Houser was dead of a self-inflicted gunshot to the chest. From there things went downhill for the family as they struggled to afford to live.
As the '70's went on, only George Jr., Gail, and Frances would live in the house. In 1983, Gail graduated from Boonsboro High School but continued to live with her mother. This is the story of my mother's side of my family. Lets stop there and head to my father's side.
My father's side of the family begins in 1952 with the birth of my grandmother, Gloria Reynolds. Reynolds was born in the Dargan area also and was a Mennonite. She grew up with little to no money and attended Boonsboro High School. Gloria first got pregnant in 1966 with twins but suffered a miscarriage. Gloria would stay in High School until the 11th grade where she was forced to drop out due to another pregnancy. On August 17, 1969, she gave birth to Joseph Basford, Jr, my father.
Joseph's early years of life would be one of a burden. Living in different homes in Hagerstown with his mother while his father, Joe Sr. would be out doing things of the unknown to my knowledge. In 1971, Glorida and Joe Sr. would have another child, Benjamin. However, the four together would not last long. In 1975, Joe Sr. left the house and vanished from the lives of the children.
For 3 years, Gloria was a single parent living with 2 children going apartment to apartment in Hagerstown. In 1978, Gloria, Joseph, and Benjamin moved in with a man by the name of David Payne in Sandy Hook, Maryland. Life wasn't any happier for the family as tensions would rise between Payne and the Basford children. Eventually, Joe would move out of the house and into a home behind it.
In 1986, my parents would finally meet each other despite living only 5 miles apart for 8 years. They got together and would give birth to a daughter, Hope on May 15, 1987. A month later, my father graduated and the two would break up. For the rest of my sister's life they would fight constantly over who should have the daughter. On April 23, 1989, Hope Basford died at 1 year and 11 months, 3 weeks shy of her 2nd birthday.
Hope's death was so devastating that it brought my parents back together and they would wed on September 23, 1989. In July of 1990 my mother would become pregnant and on April 22, 1991, I was born.
