A mother’s love…the good…. the bad….. and the ugly --- Moms’ childhood history

My mom was born in Middlesboro KY July 29, 1943. She was the only child of Stanly Bieniek and Emma Brimm Bieniek. My grandmother Emma Bieniek died 3 months after giving birth to my mom. My grandfather Stanley Bieniek came from a large extended family though his immediate family was limited to just his mom by the time my mom was born. My grandfather’s mom, Nellie Stopinski Bieniek was one of 9 children, her mother and father came from Poland and settle in Middlesboro in the early 1900’s. My great grandmother played the role of mom to my mother when her own mother passed. I relatively nothing about my mom’s early years with her “mom”, she always called her grandmother mom because she knew no different.

When mom was age 11 Stanley was shot in an accidental shooting which took place by lake. The shooter was my grandfathers girlfriend and it was ruled an apparent accident. It is my belief that this accident is what laid the foundation for my mother to become the person she became.
I had heard my mom tell the story several times, the girlfriend and her dad were having a fight she reached for the gun which was in my grandfathers glove box a struggle occurred and he was left dead. My mom shared with me that she harbored incredible angry towards the women as she felt her father’s death was not the result of an accident but rather intentional. She shared with me the dreams she had of one day killing this woman herself. She never acted upon it but she harbored an incredible about of anger.

My great-grandmother Nellie continued to raise my mom, as she now was her sole guardian. At some point in the early on after the shooting my mother was placed in an orphanage, the reasoning was never made clear to me but I vaguely recall hearing it was because Nellie didn’t feel she could handle my mother. Mom later returned to live with her grandmother but was soon sent to a catholic girl’s boarding school in OH for several years.

My mom spoke both positive and negatively about the boarding school experience. I must admit it had to have been overall positive as my mother made 2 trips back to the school after I was born and kept in touch with the Mother superior there up until the time of her death.

Mom returned to Middlesboro for her high school years. Those were rebellious times for her and in looking through her yearbooks she appeared to be a very popular gal with the guys. She was in the band and was a majorette. She claimed to have even dated Harvey Lee Yancey. Who is he you ask well he went on to become the 6 million dollar man.

Moms’ reputation with the boys was clearly one she wanted to get away from, not many months after she graduated she headed to OH. My guess is OH seemed safe to her after her years in boarding school. However her years in OH were anything but safe.