Mom's birth name was, Delores Irene Addison. She was the only child born between Thomas Addison aka Tom and Betsy Elaine McDonald. Her mother Bessie was considered by family to be just a child herself, when she became pregnant by Thomas. Thomas had already finished raising his 3 daughters by his deceased wife Viola and did not want to start raising another child. So when she was born the family decided it was in her best interest if Woodrow and Ida Mae McDonald took her in. They obtained legal custody after her mom kidnapped her and run off to Louisiana. Their was a accident in which Mom fell into the lake from the houseboat she was being kept on and the end result was the man turned her over to the police. It was then learned that her mother's brother and his wife had legal custody of her and they were requested to come after her. Aunt Ida had just given birth and it was entrusted to be handled by their sister Melbar, who agreed to be the one to pick her up. Mom was then picked up and taken by their sister Melbar into hiding. She decided she wanted the baby with her. It wasn't until she was taken by her aunt Melbar, that her name changed to Bernice. Her date and year of birth is still not known through legal birth records (that I can find) or if it were changed by her too, as they were in hiding for a very long time with her. It was Ida who chosed not to fight Melbar over custody rights as she her self had just given birth to her first daughter and was pregnant with her second. Melbar had no children of her own and was newly married and able to provide for her needs. So she did not want to cause trouble herself Nor did she want to cause more trouble for her husband Woodrow. I believe she was given the name of her half sister Bernice even though she never met them. Her aunt Melbar did as Thomas and her father Bryant were best friends. She has always carried the family name of Addison. Mom has one adopted brother who was legally adopted by Melbar McDonald and Alger A. Bergeron. His name was changed to Bryant Lee Bergeron. Mom never search for her birth mother Bessie due to the fact that Melbar told her at the age of 10, that she had died. At the age of 15 she was placed in a all girls catholic school. She met and had a serious crush for a solider. She eventually ran away from the school to meet up with him in Texas where she married him and began her life. She loved her step-father Alger as much as anyone would love a father, so much so she named her second son after him. But she lived in fear of her husband over the lost of her first baby and left him when she found out she was pregnant with her second baby. She returned to the area where Woodrow and Ida were living just to stop by and say Hello but after learning she left her husband, Ida asked her to stay with them for awhile. It was said by my cousin that Uncle Woodrow and Ida continued to call her Delores and she couldn't understand why. So they had to tell her the story of her past. My cousin told me it must have really hurt her as her attitude towards them afterwards was uncontrollable and they had to ask her and her son to leave. I suppose she went back to Houma to see her parents as that is where she met and started her relationship with my father. For me all of this was a lot to have to learn about my mother as even though she told me a lot she did not tell me about the beginning of her life. It's a real shame to as with all the research I have done with and on her family to learn her step-mother lied to her about her birth mom and the fact that she didn't really die until 1960. When she and her Mom could have gotten or had a chance to know one another. Today I understand my mother's bitterness and why she did not know how to show her own the love they deserved. Mom did married twice, Once to James Lee Retherford on Oct 9, 1954 and her second marriage was to Darwin Otto Schumacher, who eventually remarried again after their slit up, claiming he was a widower. They were never legally divorced. She shared a common law marriage thru out 38 years with my father Louis Joseph Crochet Sr., aka "L.J.", starting in 1958. Though they separated a few times, here and there, and her marriage to Darwin in between, She always came back to him. They had a never ending love for each other that only they understood. They raised all their children as one big family through the years. Mom passed away and was cremated, Her urn was to be returned to her son in Indiana so he could bury her with Dad and somehow she was lost in the travels of our mailing system. Her urn of ashes to date has not been recovered by anyone in her family.

Updated 2020
Due to the 1940 census, I now know for sure my mom was with her Aunt Melbar somewhere at the age of 4. As Ida Mae Badon McDonald and my g uncle Woodrow McDonald's wife were separated at the time. She was residing with her mother in the 1940 census... Moms step-father was at age 26 and was single and living in the home of his father as well. So to date I still have not found mom as a 4 year old in the census records of 1940..

In The Texas, Select County Marriage Records, 1837-2015
James Lee Retherford and Miss Bernice Irene Addison married on Oct 9, 1954 signed by Rev. Woodrow W. Smith Baptist Minster Address 521 Julianne Houston,Texas
Number 193940 Book 176 Page 388 Certificates filed Oct 9, 1954 with Harris County,Texas

U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index

Name Bernice Irene Addison
Gender Female
Race White
Birth Date 29 Oct 1936
Birth Place Natalbany, Louisiana
Death Date 1 Apr 2003
Father Thomas B Addison
Mother Bessie E McDonald
SSN (Removed by me)
Notes
Apr 1955: Name listed as BERNICE IRENE ADDISON
Sep 1968: Name listed as BERNICE IRENE CROCHET
Sep 1970: Name listed as BERNICE IRENE SCHUMACHER
02 Feb 1988: Name listed as BERNICE A SCHUMACHER