this forum software is a bit new to me, anyways, i read through a bunch of stuff over the last very few days that i decided to add my piece of cake:

i was not a member of "The Family" even though i may have supported them spiritually or individual members financially at times.

there seem to be many siblings here looking for their relatives. here's my little story:
i knew the family in England: Ben & Joan (aka Little Joanie at Music with Meaning), Paul & Ruth (i think Ruth went with Sam afterwards to Hong Kong, Sam was originally from South Africa), Ian & Debbie. they used to live in Elmers End last time i saw these people.

i met Joan again after she separated from Ben. Joan had one son at the time: Samuel David. born probably early 1980.

later i met Abner & Libby, they stayed with someone else, Joan lived there until she went to Puerto Rico, from there she went to Brazil, then to Peru (where i think she met Tyrus), then back to Brazil, where she was apparently pregnant & we lost touch).

i recall Sam & Ruth (as mentioned above, who went to Hong Kong).

in South Africa i met Roland Banker & Janet. they separated i think, Roland went with the two older children John & Jamie (James) to Japan (as far as i was told). Janet remained in South Africa with Jesse & Joy, the two younger children.

In Durban lived Brian & can't remember the woman's name (they had several children).

in the Johannesburg area also lived Jeremy & Jerusha with two children, Jerusha was pregnant with the third i think when the went to India, or before, they were of indian decent. so and so & Rachel were also of indian decent and meant to go to Mauritius, but never got the boat, they got my friends' green combi which had been turned into a camping trailer sort of thing. they had several children.

there was David & Lynn, no, they got the green combi, they had two daughters: Saskia & Leah & they were vegetarian, i became a vegetarian around 1985.

the was a family in Johannesburg who had six children, the two youngest at the time were named Rebecca & Joshua. i think due to a lack of love they loved to spend time in my company at fellowship on sundays, sitting on my lap quietly. i felt sorry for them & hoped they'd have a better future ahead of them where more attention was paid to them.

i also felt sorry for John Banker, son of Roland: Roland & Janet lived in this caravan park near Johannesburg, & John wiggling around accidentally hit his mother's teeth with the back of his head. worrying about the resulting dentist account Roland pulled out a long spoon & gave John a thrashing on his bottoms ... i disconnected with the family shortly after that.

there were other names like Mark & Pam, i might have met them at a sunday fellowship, here was Donna & her husband, can't remember the name, they had a child named Rachel & were known for being in & out of the family.

overall, except for the Banker case i did not see any acts of violence or suppression among the family members.

in Liverpool i knew Joanna & Anna (or Anne), but i don't think they were too closely linked to the family.

it has deeply upset me to read what has happened to many members of the family. when i knew Joan & her friends/family in England my family gave me a book to read about sects, among the chapters was one about the COG & i didn't want to believe what i'd read there. i asked Joan about this & she in turn said to me "you've seen us, you've lived with us, do you believe these writings?", no, i couldn't believe it, and still can't to a certain extent, i don't think the whole family was like that, i'm sure there were exceptions.

i have always loved Joan very deeply & i know that she really loved me about the same way. she was really touched when i wrote to her that i wanted to marry her ... but those permanent habits of moving around without leaving solid addresses made the relationship turn apart eventually.

there are other friends who still live in South Africa & are no longer members of the family ... perhaps those who are desperate to reconnect to some of these people from the past, some others can help where i can't.

i do have a number of photographs of sunday fellowships that i took in Elmers End, England & at Rhodes Park in South Africa at some stage.

i don't know if they would be of any help. anyways, the person about whom i'd like to know what happened to her, most of all, would be Joan, the woman who's changed my life unintentionally. she awakened my interest in the music of Bob Dylan at the time & since she decided to go to South America i made my way to South Africa (the safer south as she called it then.)

my best wishes to all of you & i really hope you will find the people you are looking for, that meant more to you than the grown-ups felt, young people torn away by circumstances. thanks to the internet, perhaps one can try & heal the wounds. ... enough words from me for tonight ...