Since her mom was so mysterious about this and many other aspects of her life in the past, a daughter chose to do some of her own digging. She ended up discovering everything, put it all into place, and was in total shock because of it. What could this woman have been hiding?!
Gail Kukasik’s Past
Alvera Rita was loved by many and was an intriguing woman. Her daughter, Gail, thought the world of her. Alvera was beautiful and married Harold during WWII. While they were together all the time, no one knew her deep, dark secret!
Gail Kukasik’s Past
Great Love
The love between Harold and Alvera was wonderful. He was quite funny and made her laugh a lot. They met while Harold was stationed in the Pacific and knew it was love at first sight. However, he was oblivious to her secret!
Great Love
After the War
Even though they were now in love, they had to wait until the war ended to get married. After that, they moved to Ohio in 1944 and bought a small home. Two years later, they had a child and named her Gail.
After The War
Normal Childhood
When she thinks about it, Gail remembers having a normal childhood like her friends. Nothing was out of the ordinary, and she knew her parents loved her a lot.
Normal Childhood
A Bit Odd
They enjoyed doing various activities, but Gail remembered her mom acting strangely periodically. When she learned about her mother’s secret, the memories finally made sense to her!
A Bit Odd
Odd Habits from Her Mom
Though everything seemed normal, Gail remembered her mom having odd habits. She was mysterious and did certain things that no one understood. Gail tried talking to her mom about it but never got a real answer.
Odd Habits From Her Mom
Wearing Makeup All the Time
Each day, Alvera spent tons of time putting on her makeup and even wore light foundation to bed. Gail thought it was strange and asked about it. Her mom said she never knew when she might get sick and needed an ambulance.
Wearing Makeup All The Time
Afraid of the Sun
Alvera was also afraid of the sun and wore protection or a hat. However, her face wasn’t the only thing she covered. Even in summer, gloves were worn to protect her hands to avoid the sun at all costs.
Afraid Of The Sun
The Parents
Gail never got to meet her grandparents. She asked all the time to see Azemar Frederic, her grandfather. However, Alvera always ignored the request and couldn’t give an explanation of why Gail couldn’t meet him.
The Parents
Burning Question
If anything, this made Gail want to learn more, and she became increasingly curious. Every so often, she started the conversation to ask questions, but her mom gave short and strange answers.
Burning Question
Azemar Frederic
Because Gail didn’t meet her grandfather, she asked questions because she was curious. Her mom didn’t take the questions seriously and refused to give clear answers. She always claimed she didn’t remember.
Azemar Frederic
Confused and Doubtful
Though she couldn’t meet her grandfather, she was suspicious to find that there were no photographs of him. Gail was confused and sad and decided to search on her own. That meant discovering his identity to learn who he was!
Confused And Doubtful
The Search Begins
At 48 years old, Gail chose to find out about her grandfather. It started in 1995 with some old microfilm. Though she wanted to give up, she finally noticed something, and it forever changed her life!
The Search Begins
Some Results
It wasn’t easy to look that far into the past, and Gail had a long road ahead of her. Overall, her search led to the census records for Louisiana in 1900, and she was eagerly looking for Azemar Frederic.
Some Results
Finally Got It
After a while, she found what she wanted. There were various Frederics in this column, so she had to examine information related to their names. Something then caught her eye!
Finally Got It
List of Names
Gail was happy to find this discovery. She knew something huge was about to happen. Overall, she found that each of the people named Azemar Frederick had a “B” by their names. Then, she realized that there was a row with that letter, and her heart beat wildly.
List Of Names
Person’s Race
Though she didn’t initially understand what it meant, she analyzed the information for a while. She finally realized that the “B” by her grandfather’s name indicated race. Was this person her true grandfather?
Person’s Race
More Information
The news came as a shock, but she knew the letter meant that the person was black. She wanted to confront her mom but decided to wait. She reached out to Louisiana to get her mom’s birth certificate to get as much info as she could first.
More Information
Approval for Documentation
Gail knew it wasn’t likely to be easy to get her mom’s birth certificate. For one thing, her mom was still alive, so she had to request it. However, she then came up with a great idea.
Approval For Documentation
The Idea
She pretended that she was her mom to file an official request to get a birth certificate copy because she “lost hers.” Soon, she got the document in the mail and was shocked by what she saw!
The Idea
Strange Info
Gail looked at the document at last but was only left with questions. There was one section that was strange. It had “COL,” and she didn’t know what this meant. Therefore, she wrote to the office to demand her explanation.
Strange Info
Clarification of the Letters
Gail was confused but thought the letters might have a significant meaning. She asked the State of Louisiana and got an official answer. She was speechless when she read the first paragraph of the letter.
Clarification Of The Letters
Content of the Letter
This letter wasn’t long but had crucial information Gail desperately wanted. It said that “COL” was short for “colored.” Gail wondered if it was a mistake and then remembered that her mom kept most of her past a secret!
Content Of The Letter
Two Long Years Waiting
It was a long journey for Gail to learn the secret. She was likely overwhelmed by her discovery and waited two very long years before acting upon it. There were so many questions to be answered.
Two Long Years Waiting
Questions Galore
Among the questions she wanted to ask her mom was why she said nothing if she knew what her birth certificate said. Was she trying to hide it? Finally, Gail confronted her mom to get answers.
Questions Galore
The Confrontation
Finally, Gail confronted her mom. She visited one day and asked the questions on her mind. Gail started with the “COL” letters on the birth certificate and never imagined her mom’s response.
The Confrontation
The Response
Gail told her mom that she’d found her birth certificate, and it claimed she was colored. Alvera became nervous and claimed that it was the wrong one, and hers said she was white. Gail didn’t believe her and decided to ask a different question.
The Response
Digging for Truth
Gail explained that she’d been looking for the truth for a while and had found many other documents, such as the census records listing her grandfather as black. Then, she pointed out the official document explaining the letters “COL.”
Digging For Truth
Never Forget the Words
Overall, Gail listened intently as her mom explained, and she noticed a huge sadness in her mother’s eyes. Then, Alvera made her daughter promise not to tell anyone else until she passed away.
Never Forget The Words
Head Held High
Alvera wondered how she could hold her head high with her friends if they had found out. Gail was shocked to hear the request but wasn’t prepared for what happened next as her mom shared her mysterious and heartbreaking past.
Head Held High
Sad Truth
As her mom revealed stories, everything made sense to Gail. The fear of the sun, strange makeup habits, and requirement of hat and gloves were because Alvera pretended to be white. Why did her mom want to hide her origins, though?
Sad Truth
Secret Revealed
Gail remembered photos of her mom where she appeared white. However, the birth certificate said black. Alvera continued the story to say that she started passing as a white woman when she met Gail’s dad.
Secret Revealed
The Beginning
Gail remembers that her father was white, but he didn’t know his wife was black. They were in love and chose to get married and move to Ohio. Then, Alvera decided to pass as white. Were there other secrets her mom kept from her?
The Beginning
Truth about Grandparents
Alvera continued to provide the information Gail wanted for so long, but she wasn’t prepared for it all. Apparently, her grandfather was an African-American, confirming the “B” Gail saw on the documents.
Truth About Grandparents
Mixed Race
The shocker here was that her grandma was of a mixed-race, too. Alvera claimed that she had to cut ties with her parents if she wanted a new life with the love of her life.
Mixed Race
More about Dad
Alvera explained about Gail’s father, saying he was white, but he argued with her about what he said. While watching television, he used racial slurs, and she knew he couldn’t be with her if she were black, so she changed.
More About Dad
Request to Keep the Secret
Alvera asked Gail to keep her secret until she died. Though the daughter was sad, she kept her mother’s secret for 17 years and never spoke to anyone about it. She asked for more information, but her mom never shared anything more.
Request To Keep The Secret
The True Reason
She realized that her mom wanted a better life and decided to pass as white to get it. She had more opportunities but had to turn her back on her family, which was a huge sacrifice. Alvera never had a chance to be her authentic self.
The True Reason
Gail’s Book
Gail kept her promise and didn’t speak about the secret while her mom lived. When her mom passed away in 2004, Gail chose to write a book and publish the story.
Gail’s Book
Sharing Information
Gail shared the information about her mom’s struggles and the decision to keep her life a secret. The rest of her family was shocked to uncover the truth, too. Can you judge a person’s actions when they’re made for love?
Sharing Information