Here Goes Nothin...

I've seen it many times on amazing stories found on line, on the news, or just through the grape vine... Children who were orphaned later making connection to their long lost family years and years later.  Well, I'm hoping this message might find the eye of my long lost family... maybe it's you!

I am the daughter or Keith L. Purdy.  My Dad is the Son of Florence G. Lucas and Richard Purdy of Philadelphia P.A.  There is very little Evidence of who my Grandfather is since according to my Nana he left when my father was very young.  the Story my Nana shared about Richard Purdy was a short one.  I'm going to shorten it a little more in order to keep your attention in hopes you might read this entry to it's ending.  :)

Florence was young 17 years old to be exact when she found out she was pregnant.  Richard Purdy who was (her boyfriend at the time) was the Father of this child.  Florence's parents were very insistent that they get married and so on the 17th of February 1950 they traveled from Philadelphia PA to Elkton MD were married.  Richard was not around much due to being in the Army and by the time my Father was Three Richard was gone.  According to Florance the last time she talked to Richard she asked him "What about your Son?" to which according to her he replied "If he wants to find me he will".  There was very little that Florence recalls about Richard.  One think she knew was that he was an orphan in Philadelphia as a child and didn't have any family.  The other thing she knew was that he was in the Army.  Below are both the Marriage Application and the the only picture we have of Richard Purdy. 

According to the Marriage Application Richard was 24 at the time he married my Nana in February 1950. She was not 100% truthfull on the application stating that she was already 18 at the time of the application. In fact she would not turn 18 until November 2nd of 1950 almost 2 months after she would give birth to their Son Keith Leroy Purdy.  Since it was easy for Nana to fudg her age on the application we are not 100% positive that Richard didn't do the same.  Was he 24? was he a little younger? or maybe older...We are not 100% sure but for now we will asume that he was 24 in 1950 which would have put his birth year at about 1925 or 1926 depending on what month of the year he was born.

Richard Purdy around 1950

 

 

So, none of this information sounds familiar to you at all...that's ok, Richard was very young and this part of his life might have been a part he was ready to move on from.  Starting his life over with a new wife and new family could have been very appealing and wanting to keep his life as simple as possible could have been his goal.  Consider the possibilities