I was born Labor Day, September 4, 1947 in Dayton, Ohio to Laura Mae (Conley) and Lee Griffith … both from Kentucky. I was the fifth of their ten children. However, none of the first four children survived longer than twenty-fours after their birth.
Dad died of cancer July 4, 1953 before their last child was born (in August 1953).
Born, as was my dad and, later, my son, with congenital nerve deafness (which went undetected until I was nine and in the third grade), I was the first handicapped child to integrate the public schools in Ohio.
Following high school graduation, I attended college, majoring in education, via scholarships.
My first marriage, June 1, 1968, was to Danny Turner of Middlesboro, Kentucky. We had two children—Gregory Douglas, August 8, 1969, and Sherry Elizabeth, November 28, 1971. We divorced November 10, 1987.
I’ve been employed in sales, as a cashier, teacher, bookkeeper, seamstress, an office clerk, a bank teller, a make-up artist, a clown, in advertising and in housekeeping. I also designed costumes, wrote skits, did stage prep, learned doll crafting, directed and performed in my own productions, owned my own clown/character/costume rental business, and have traveled to other countries as an entertainer.
October 1, 1988 I married Al Corona (who already had four children and numerous grandchildren) adding a host of relatives. Our first great-grandchild was born June 2002!
We’ve been surrogate parents and legal guardians to my grandson, Christian Douglas Turner (born April 22, 1994) since April 11, 1997. Doogie was born with cerebral palsy and ROP.
The child within each of us may age but a reminder now and then often rejuvenates our ‘inner child’. What I write and draw produces images that are, at times, hilarious. I’ve no formal art, photography or composition training but work straight from the heart.