On Oct. 8 my uncle G. died. He was a JW, a prior Ministerial Servant and Elder. Quick rundown on family history to
make sense of coming story and subsequent question: Greatgranddad Mike (my mother's father, father) was JW with
wife Sophie since 1914. Both part of the 144,000. She became "Evil Slave", he stayed married. They had one son, my
mother's father, Chester. Chester never was JW. He was, however, an acknowledged child molester. Chester meets
Helen, (Helen is my mother's mother), marries and has 4 daughters. Helen listens to Mike over the years and decides
she wants to be a JW. Chester does not, neither do 4 daughters. Chester and Helen fight, often. Helen leaves
Chester in approximately 1951. She is convinced she is also one of the 144,000 and must preach. Helen takes to
the streets of Chicago, preaching. Her four daughters, oldest age 12, are left with Chester. Chester and Helen are
divorced. Helen has no contact with children.
Cut to 1955. Oldest daughter, my mother, begs Helen's mother, to let her come live with her, because Chester is
peeking in on her in the bath. Mother's grandma petitions court and wins custody of my mother when my mother
was 16. Other siblings are left to "Chester the Molester". My mother still has not become a JW. She sisters leave
home at various stages over the next 5 years. They all married vrey young to escape Chester.
Cut to 1958. My mother meets my father, she gets pregnant and they wed. My sister is born. I come to be a few
years later. In 1967, JW's come to door. My mother lets them in. Starts studying. Becomes JW. My father is still
not there, however, he lets her do it. Dad decides to become JW in about 1969. In meantime, all mother's sisters
and their husbands are studying. Mike, the old "Annointed" one, is still in the picture. He is thrilled that some of
his family are involved. During family get togethers, Great-Grandmother Sophie is shunned. She is an Evil Slave
and we are not allowed to speak to her. She sits alone, in corner, during any family gathering. She never speaks.
Cut to 1970. My mother's youngest sister is the girlfriend of a married, wealthy man. He is supporting her, her two
children. He rents them a very nice apartment. (Aunt #4 husband decided JW not for him, he walked out; she was
never baptised.) My mother, being a good JW, tells her sister she is a fornicating whore and she will not speak to
her until she dumps her "sugar daddy" and gives her life to Jehovah. My aunt tells her to get fucked. She is 20
years old, with 2 kids, no education and he is a lifeline. My mother cuts my aunt off. She is now shunned. She is
not a JW, not baptised, however, after my mother speaks to the elders at the congregation, she is told that if she
associates with her sister, she is approving of her fornication. My mother does not speak to her sister for approximately
5 years.
Cut to 1973. My father, being frustrated by my mother's declining sexuality (she refused to do anything but the
missionary position after becoming a JW, in a strange twist of fate!) starts to sleep around. Mother, with children
in tow, catches him a few times with other women. Finally throws him out. Literally. Takes all clothing and throws
in driveway for him to find when he comes home. (daughters are asked to help)
In 1975, Crazy Helen, (as she is known now) suddenly calls her first daughter (my mother) and acts like she saw her
yesterday. It has been about 25 years. She is now remarried (she had decided that Chester the Molester) must have
committed adultery so she is free to remarry. Helen weighs about 300 pounds; so does her husband. They are both
on welfare and disability. She states she has never worked-she found a way for the evil government to pay her bills
so she can preach. However, due to her large girth, she cannot get out preaching much. Helen starts quoting bible
scriptures. Helen askes if she can come visit. It turns out she is visiting her mother and staying with her. My mother
arranges to have all the sisters come over and meet Helen. All family shows up and Helen rants about
Armageddon. She quotes scriptures. She never askes how the women and their families are doing. She never
apologizes for leaving them with a molester. She says the end is near, so she must see them one last time! I am angry
at Helen for disrupting our life. She is frightening. She has shocking red hair, and large, round eyes. I yell at her and
tell her she is an Evil Slave, not an Annointed one. Helen starts chasing me (as best she could); I run and get outside.
I go to a neighbors house. This neighbor has not shunned us for being JW. They are just nice. No questions. Cookies,
milk and a hug. I do not go home, until I see the cars leave. Helen never visits Chicago again. She had moved to
California and does not even return for her mother's funeral. I never saw her again, though she did phone about 3 times
over the next 15 years.
1974, parents divorce. Father re-marries within 2 years, starts new family. Mother starts to date. She will only date
men with no children and money. Not very likely in the JW organization. Unless they are the age of 85 and bachelors.
Mother starts to date "Worldly" men. Her sisters, in meantime, have been in touch with the fornicating youngest
sister. The two middle sisters, #'s 2 and 3, whose husbands have been elders and ministerial servants, realize that
shunning and cutting off sister # 4 serves no purpose except for control, by sister # 1, my mother. They decide that if
my mother won't talk to sister #4, they won't talk to her. She is now shunned by sisters # 2, 3, and 4. Until their
mother comes back to town. The pull of seeing someone they have not seen since they were children is too strong.
Mohter and her sisters are back in touch.
Cut to 1976. Armageddon did not happen. Many in congregation are still shell shocked, wondering how they are
going to pay bills-many sold businesses and quit jobs to go on vacations, before "the end of things as we know it."
My sister, who is now 17, is wondering how she is going to find a boyfriend to "take care of her." My mother has not
promoted education-who needs it? Not only will you have a husband to do everything, you will be in Paradise!! Sister
meets worldly at a JW wedding. He is the younger cousin of mother's good friend. Sister and mother fight over sister
dating worldly. (it's ok for mom, not for sis). Sis runs away and lives with him. She drops out of high school and is
pregnant within months. She is then Disfellowshipped (DF'd) for fornication. She never spoke with the elders. My
mother did. She gave them all the details.
While she was at it, Mom decided she might as well tell them that my father had started smoking. (father had dropped
off radar of elders) Elders immediately DF'd him for smoking. Mother is still dating worldlies.
Mom, apparently in a fit of hormones, breaks down and sleeps with her worldly boyfriend of two years. She then comes
home and in a fit of guilt, confesses all to her 15 year old daughter-Me. I advise Mom to keep mum. She is sorry,
just don't do it again-or get married. I like her boyfriend. He is very nice and divorced, so is his family. He has two young boys; I
always wanted brothers.
Mother cannot help herself. She decides to confess to the elders what she did. They promply DF her!!! She puts on
letter writing campaign and begs CO for second chance. Somehow, they overturn her DF'ing! While all this is happening
on the home front, my mother's sisters and husbands have waning interest in the JW's. They stop going in service and
going to meetings. One of these uncle's is the one who passed away this past week.
In the ensuing years, my aunt's # 2 and 3, get back involved with the JW's. Uncle G was married to aunt #2. He went
in service and to the meetings once in a while. His younger daughter comes out of closet. She has never been baptised.
Uncle is the nicest, sweetest man. He always had a smile and a joke, even when his wife and my mother were fighting
about something stupid. It is very sad to see him pass. He was afraid to have surgery, because of the blood issue. He
died of a massive heart attack.
Cut to his wake. There are many family and extended family members. My DF'd sister and father show up. No one in
the family shuns them. (old grandma Sophie/Evil Slave, dies in approximately 1985, no JW's come to her funeral-only
family. Old man Mike the "Annointed" one, has a funeral that would make the Queen Mother proud). Anyway, at the
wake, a brother from my uncle's congregation, gives a "fire and brimstone" speech. He brings up Armegaddon so many
times, I lose count. He sounds like he is trying to recruite the non-believers who show up. Half of the people at the
wake are co-workers of uncle G. He worked at the same company for over 40 years. The eulogy was very disappointing.
After the wake, a group of us, including an elder and his wife, and her good friend, went to a coffee shop across the
street from the funeral home. As we were having coffee, the elder starts telling stories about the new system. I am
biting my tounge. The friend of the wife, Angie, tells him to pray for her. He askes why. She says there are now
so many "blacks" in the Chicago congreations, that when she gets a piece of paradise, she wants it to be vanilla,
not chocolate!! She smiles and says "they are taking over the congregations". It is getting too rowdy. Good Christian.
I am sure God has a place for people like her. I do not think it is paradise or heaven for that matter.
Questions: Many witnesses were there; they knew my father and sister were DF'd, however, they spoke to them-is this
normal?
Is a eulogy about the last days the new norm?
Any good responses to the relatives who want to get me back into the JW's, without hurting their feelings? (I have
disassociated my self. Never formally, however, I made it clear to them at the funeral , I do not agree with the teachings.
I did bring up the UN issue. No one in my family was aware the the JW's were apart of the UN.)
Any info on the racial issues? I do recall many black members, however, they were just like everyone else-ardent!
Thanks for taking the time to read this. It felt good to write it and put the history down on paper, so to speak.
Any thoughts and/or opinions would be welcomed.