Janice Wiggin Taake

Her parents separated after her sister Kathy was born. The two girls lived with their dad and their Uncle Max. Paul and Max worked different shifts so that one of them was always there to care for the girls. Their mother would at times call them and tell them she was coming to see them and would bring them a doll. but she never showed up--such a disappointment to these little girls!

When Janice was nearly four and Kathy was nine months old, their dad went to prison for armed robbery. The city of San Francisco took custody of the girls. They ran an article with pictures of the girls in the paper asking who they were, because no one was able to locate either parent. A man, Ralph Wash and his wife Betty, he was black and she white who cared for foster children responded to the article and asked for care of the girls if no one claimed them. The girls lived with them for about 3 ½ years and called him Uncle Ralph--to this day they remain in contact with him. Later Ralph and Betty divorced. Betty was very abusive to the girls when Ralph was out of the house. She would stick wash clothes in their mouths and bend them over the couch and beat them--the clothes kept the neighbors from hearing their cries.

Somehow her mother came in contact with the girls and would visit them, but never took them. Ralph was so good to the girls. Every Sunday he took them to church . The only time Janice remembered get a spanking was when Kathy spit in her food and Janice was spanked for tattling--said it nearly broke her heart. After Betty left Janice and Kathy had to go back to live with their mother. Johnny sent Kathy back to Missouri to her Grandma Griffin. There her Grandmother Lela found her and wanted custody, but Johnny came and took her away, but soon sent her back to Missouri to live with Johnny's mother. Lela had bought all new clothes for Kathy. When Kathy was sent back, her other Grandmother took all these new clothes away from her and gave them to the other children. When Janice was about 10, her mother Johnnie brought Kathy back to California, and her mother was so mean to her. Janice tried to protect her because she was so homesick for her grandmother. Janice devised a plan and packed their clothes to runaway. The clothes she packed was a party dress and high heeled shoes, thinking she would look like a 13 year old and people wouldn't stop them on the street, wondering why they were out late at night. Just as they were ready to sneak out, her mother got up to let the cat out so the girls didn't leave and planned to the next night. But on the next night, Janice couldn't wake up Kathy, so they never did leave.

Janice at the age of eight, and Kathy live with their mother and stepfather until Janice was 14. Her stepfather was named Ray Hardick. Johnnie had several more husbands and several more children and Janice was the elected babysitter. For about 7 years this was the only family Janice and Kathy knew, were not aware they had another father and another family. She thought Ray had adopted her only to learn later he had not.

When Janice was ten, her mother and Ray had an argument and she threatened to send Janice to her father. That was the first time she realized she had another father. When she was 13 her dad came to her school, they took her out of her classroom and was introduced to her father. He had Sonia, about 5 years old, Janice's half-sister with him. She was allowed the following year to visit with her dad a few times. Later she learned that her mother had charged her dad to get her, that he had to pay her so much money then Janice could visit with him.

The following year Paul went to prison and Janice went in a foster home because at that time she chose to leave home. Kathy was also placed in a foster home. Janice shared in later years that she was almost afraid to search out her birth father's family, afraid they would be like him. Also one remark she heard her mother make was "did she want to get fat like all the Wiggins?" (All of the Wiggin children are slender). Her memories of her father were not very good--he was an alcoholic and one time in a drunken stupor came onto Janice, but she was strong enough to ward him off! This never happened again! One time her mother, an alcoholic, threatened to get the gun out and shoot Janice.

Placed in the foster home of Johnnie and Jan Johnson Ukiah, the girls stayed there two years, until Janice was 16. They were placed in a foster home environment. Here they practically cared for themselves, no family structure, no nurturing, only dictatorial type of discipline. When Janice ran away, she claims this was the first wrong thing she did, because up to this time in her life she always tried to be the very best and be perfect so no one would see anything wrong or be able to criticize her. Janice and another foster girl ran away after the two years there. The girls ran as far away as Lovelock NE, they were with Shirley's boyfriend John. There they lied about their ages and got jobs.

Janice worked as a waitress in a truck stop. While there for nearly four months she met Mike Taylor. They were married six months after they met, in 1969. He was an alcoholic at age 18 and had been since 16 and still is today. They have four children: Mike, Sabrina, and twin boys, Chris and Gerry Taylor. Gerry andChris were born in Lovelock, NEV. Janice and Mike divorced after 10 years of marriage. Janice moved her family to Caldwell, Idaho and lived there three years while she took Respiratory Therapy courses and interned at Caldwell Memorial Hospital. Her first job was at St. Lukes Hospital at Boise, ID.

While living in Idaho, Janice met and married Robert Cummins, also an alcoholic. They struggled to make their marriage work, but it failed. During this marriage they moved several times, and ended up in California where he had family. They soon separated, and during this time Janice accepted Christ as her Savior.

Janice moved in with her dad because Bob left her with nothing. She had the twins living with her at that time. Her other children were living with their dad. They had gone to see their dad and refused to come back to Janice. Mike was 10 when he went to live with his dad, and was 16 before she saw him again. She had no money to fight for her children, she confessed that it was a dreadful time in her life. Bob would come visit her and sweet talked her into coming back to him. Janice and her twin sons moved back to San Jose with him. Her father had been living in Oklahoma, but moved back to San Jose where they once again after 5 years came together. Later Janice and Bob went back to Twainharts, CA, near Sonora. They once again made a special effort to make their marriage work by going to the Gospel Outreach in Shelton, WA, through their church's program. They moved back to California, but soon separated, and after two more years they finally divorced in 1988.

Janice had a house built near Sonora and went to work at the Sonora Community Hospital as a respiratory therapist. She and the twins moved into their new home, where she remained a single mom for nearly 9 years. There she claims that she began to grow in the Lord. The boys were placed in a Christian school.

Janice met and married Tom Taake in July 1995, also a respiratory therapist. Tom was born in Feb 1956, in Cleveland, OH. Together they are walking with the Lord!

SABRINA LYNNETTE TAYLOR was born 8 Jun 1970 in Lovelock, NE.

MICHAEL SHANE TAYLOR was born 11 July 1971 in Fallon, NEV.

GERALD "Jerry" RAY TAYLOR was born in 4 Dec 1975 in Lovelock, NEV. (Twin) He was selected to attend the Presidential inauguration in 1994. Only a few students in America were selected for his event. He attended the University of Honolulu. He completed his first year of college in Hawaii. Currently (1996)is working as a checker in Safeways in Livermore, CA.

CHRISTOPHER "Chris" DAVID TAYLOR was born in 4 Dec 1975 in Lovelock, NEV. (Twin). Chris, at the age 5, was diagnosis as having a brain tumor. He had major surgery and totally recovered after radiation treatments. When the boys were seven the family started going to church and Chris was saved, realized that it was Jesus who healed him. Currently, in 1996 is working as a bagger in Safeways in Livermore, CA. He claims to be supporting his new car.

[Paul Wiggin]

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