Thank you William Joseph King…

About eighteen months ago, in my never ending search for your identity I uploaded my DNA results to a different matching site in hopes that there was someone out there who shared enough King DNA and had a tree and information for me so I could put this obsession to find you behind me. Nearly 30 years is a long time to search for someone. 

When I reviewed my results I was shocked, delighted, and confused. I have a first cousin. For a girl who had two parents with no siblings that were related to them genetically that had kids, it was astounding. 

As is evidenced by this result, my uncle, Hayes Lenoir Mast, who I never met and who died decades before I was born had a son.  I have a cousin!  My cousin is many, many years older than me.  I was the last twinkle in my daddy’s eye. He was in his sixties when I was born. 

It didn’t take me much time to decide to hand over the few things I had of Hayes’ to his family.  The little photo album of pretty girls was especially intriguing now.  According to my father, Hayes played baseball.  I didn’t understand what that meant until I saw Field of Dreams years later. I imagine Hayes had a girl in every town, but I don’t know. From the pictures I have, he looks as though he was fun, he was gregarious and he was charming. He was also handsome.  It’s not surprising girls would like him.

When I sent my what I had to him, his first question was “who was my mother?” It’s a basic need, in my opinion, to know where you came from.  I was heartbroken to not know and not be able to tell him.

I started to manage his DNA data. I knew half of the story (as it turns out a quarter of the story) I wanted more than everything to give him that answer.  There were mysterious names.  Pinnell, Bedford, and a few others that kept popping up.  I just didn’t know how to piece them together. 

His daughter tried one last time to get his adoption records from the orphanage in Boise and there she was, his mother and her parents. The data matches the DNA. 

I was able to find him a nephew. He has a biological, honest to goodness family out there. 

So, thank you Joseph King. I went looking for you but helped someone else in the process and made what will be lifelong friends who happen to be my cousins.