Hello,
I have always wanted to find my real family and met a dead end. Recently I found a name and was able to connect with my great uncle Harold Lane. This has been especially important recently. My dad Johnny Layne(LANE) had 3 daughters with my mom, Mary Nagy. My sister Bonnie who was a year older than me, passed away in 2004 at 42 years old from breast cancer. My sister Kimberly, who is a year younger than me, had thyroid cancer at 11 years old and then again at 21 years old. In March 2007 she had a double mastectomy for breast cancer. In July 2007 I myself had a double mastectomy for breast cancer, I just had my 9th surgery related to the breast cancer in the beginning of July, 2009. Kim went to the University of Michigan for genetic testing. I was found to have a mutated BRCA-2 breast cancer gene, by my doctor, Dr. John Slaim, who saved my life by having the test done on me. It has to be passed down from a mom or dad, although they can have it and it can be dormant, them not know it, but still pass it down to their children. It affects men and women and can also cause cancer of the colon, pancreas and a few others. My sister Kim was found to have COWDEN disease, a rare genetic disorder that causes damage in the PTEN tumour suppresor gene, so the body will continue to make cancer/tumors, it is only gotten from a mom or dad. The doctor who is head of the U of M Genetics Clinic told us that Cowden is rare, but to have one child of the same parents with Cowden and one child with a mutated BRCA is extremely rare, there are only a handful of know families with both worldwide. Everyone has a BRCA and PTEN gene, it keeps the body from making tumors. My mom was tested and was negative. So, both genetic diseases have to come from the Layne (LANE) side. Our doctors wanted us to notify relatives, so I started my search anew. It has worked that sometimes finding relatives who passed away, I have found the living relatives! Any help would be so appreciated!

My grandma Bonnie Bray's mom was Florance Bray. Bonnie married my grandpa Samuel McMurray Layne (Lane), (If you find him, I would LOVE a picture too!) I was told he is in Thorn Grove maybe? Sammy and Bonnie Layne had my father Johnny McWayne Layne. Any other pictures of Bray's or Lane's would be so Very much appreciated (names at bottom of email). I live in Michigan and just found my family. Below is what I wrote to Joe and Ida Lane's grave picture/info. person. Thanks so very much to any who can help and that take the time to get pictures, I feel like a half of me that has been missing is whole for the first time in my life.

I was adopted by my stepfather when I was 3 and didn't know my family on my dad's side. His name is Johnny McWayne Layne. His father was Samuel McMurray Layne. Sammy's mom and dad are Joe and Ida Lane. If you notice the name spelled different, it's what prevented me from finding my extended family! Sammy's older brother Ray went to work the coal mines in Kentucky in the 1930's. They spelled his name wrong as Layne, instead of Lane, he didn't notice until payday, and then just left it at that. A little time later Sammy went to work with his brother in Kentucky, the company knew it was Ray's brother and spelled his name as Layne too. So out of the 15 kids that Joe and Ida Lane had, (9 boys and 6 girls), only the 2 older boys have their last name as Layne, (story told to me by Sammy's brother, my great uncle Harold Lane). It was on my original birth certificate, so when I went looking for my family I couldn't find them for years. I hope this may help someone else someday, I guess it was not uncommon to have last names misspelled. I am tickled pink to find I have so much family! I thank you for the pictures, I love that I can at least see their graves!

The Lane's and Bray's lived and some still live, in Thorn Grove, Strawberry Plains or Kodak.

The Lane kids Of Joe and Ida Lane were...Ray (Layne), Samuel Layne (LANE), John Henry, Willis, Bobby, Tiford(?), Herbert, Welkie(? died as child/infant), Betty Lee, Joanne, Christine and Magdalene. The ones alive are Harold Lane, Agnes (Lane) Howard and Mary Helen Smith.

Joe Lane's mom and dad were Jack and Elizabeth (Brooks) Lane. Joe's wife Ida (Glenn) Lane her parents were Matthew and Debra (?) Glenn.

Bonnie (Bray) Layne her mother was Florance Bray, not sure of her mom's maiden name or her father's name. Bonnie did have a sister named Betty Bray and Vie(?) Bray.

I would also love to hear from any and all relatives too! Thank you so very much! Mary Hoyer

Hello,
I have always wanted to find my real family and met a dead end. Recently I found a name and was able to connect with my great uncle Harold Lane. This has been especially important recently. My dad Johnny Layne(LANE) had 3 daughters with my mom, Mary Nagy. My sister Bonnie who was a year older than me, passed away in 2004 at 42 years old from breast cancer. My sister Kimberly, who is a year younger than me, had thyroid cancer at 11 years old and then again at 21 years old. In March 2007 she had a double mastectomy for breast cancer. In July 2007 I myself had a double mastectomy for breast cancer, I just had my 9th surgery related to the breast cancer in the beginning of July, 2009. Kim went to the University of Michigan for genetic testing. I was found to have a mutated BRCA-2 breast cancer gene, by my doctor, Dr. John Slaim, who saved my life by having the test done on me. It has to be passed down from a mom or dad, although they can have it and it can be dormant, them not know it, but still pass it down to their children. It affects men and women and can also cause cancer of the colon, pancreas and a few others. My sister Kim was found to have COWDEN disease, a rare genetic disorder that causes damage in the PTEN tumour suppresor gene, so the body will continue to make cancer/tumors, it is only gotten from a mom or dad. The doctor who is head of the U of M Genetics Clinic told us that Cowden is rare, but to have one child of the same parents with Cowden and one child with a mutated BRCA is extremely rare, there are only a handful of know families with both worldwide. Everyone has a BRCA and PTEN gene, it keeps the body from making tumors. My mom was tested and was negative. So, both genetic diseases have to come from the Layne (LANE) side. Our doctors wanted us to notify relatives, so I started my search anew. It has worked that sometimes finding relatives who passed away, I have found the living relatives! Any help would be so appreciated!

My grandma Bonnie Bray's mom was Florance Bray. Bonnie married my grandpa Samuel McMurray Layne (Lane), (If you find him, I would LOVE a picture too!) I was told he is in Thorn Grove maybe? Sammy and Bonnie Layne had my father Johnny McWayne Layne. Any other pictures of Bray's or Lane's would be so Very much appreciated (names at bottom of email). I live in Michigan and just found my family. Below is what I wrote to Joe and Ida Lane's grave picture/info. person. Thanks so very much to any who can help and that take the time to get pictures, I feel like a half of me that has been missing is whole for the first time in my life.

I was adopted by my stepfather when I was 3 and didn't know my family on my dad's side. His name is Johnny McWayne Layne. His father was Samuel McMurray Layne. Sammy's mom and dad are Joe and Ida Lane. If you notice the name spelled different, it's what prevented me from finding my extended family! Sammy's older brother Ray went to work the coal mines in Kentucky in the 1930's. They spelled his name wrong as Layne, instead of Lane, he didn't notice until payday, and then just left it at that. A little time later Sammy went to work with his brother in Kentucky, the company knew it was Ray's brother and spelled his name as Layne too. So out of the 15 kids that Joe and Ida Lane had, (9 boys and 6 girls), only the 2 older boys have their last name as Layne, (story told to me by Sammy's brother, my great uncle Harold Lane). It was on my original birth certificate, so when I went looking for my family I couldn't find them for years. I hope this may help someone else someday, I guess it was not uncommon to have last names misspelled. I am tickled pink to find I have so much family! I thank you for the pictures, I love that I can at least see their graves!

The Lane's and Bray's lived and some still live, in Thorn Grove, Strawberry Plains or Kodak.

The Lane kids Of Joe and Ida Lane were...Ray (Layne), Samuel Layne (LANE), John Henry, Willis, Bobby, Tiford(?), Herbert, Welkie(? died as child/infant), Betty Lee, Joanne, Christine and Magdalene. The ones alive are Harold Lane, Agnes (Lane) Howard and Mary Helen Smith.

Joe Lane's mom and dad were Jack and Elizabeth (Brooks) Lane. Joe's wife Ida (Glenn) Lane her parents were Matthew and Debra (?) Glenn.

Bonnie (Bray) Layne her mother was Florance Bray, not sure of her mom's maiden name or her father's name. Bonnie did have a sister named Betty Bray and Vie(?) Bray.

I would also love to hear from any and all relatives too! Thank you so very much! Mary Hoyer