Rachel Kiell:  

My Story By Rachél Forbes Kiell I was born in Joelton TN in 1962; let's just say it was a very abusive home. My natural father beat my mother as well as us kids. My Mother saved our lives by finally getting up the courage to leave in 1964. We went to CA were we lived until 1968. While out there, I did some modeling work to help support our family. My Mother was single and doing her best to raise three children without having graduated from high school. She did get her GED while we were in CA. Way to go Mom!!! I constantly had to look over my shoulder to see where my natural father could be laying in wait. He tried to kidnap me just upon our arrival to CA and he also broke into our home and took everything we had. Mom kept her head up and we survived. Mom got remarried to Ronald (Ano) Forbes and we came back to TN. We stayed with my Grandparents in Dickson for a year before moving to Fairview where my youngest sister, Judith was born. My Granddad became very sick and we moved back in with him and Granny. He died with cancer shortly there after. They had a large farm and we had lots to do. Back then there was no,I'm bored! Everyone pitched in and we survived yet again. My sister Gretchen and I went to Charlotte Jr. High for a couple of years while living in Vanleer and my brother Tony only had one more year to graduation in Fairview so he continued to go there. He stayed with family friends until he graduated and then joined the Navy. Mom and Ronald got divorced due to more abuse and we moved to Dickson. Judith was enrolled in the elementary school while Gretchen and I both went to Dickson Jr. High and then to DCHS where we graduated in 1979 and I in 1980. I was pretty shy back then, and Gretchen was much more outgoing. I really didn't have many friends but the ones I had were great! Now that I look back on it, I think I just didn't want to draw any attention to myself because I was still looking over my shoulder for my natural father. I didn't want to be a cheerleader because that was too public, so, I became the mascot. Hidden behind a suit, I could act as I wanted and no one knew. I had a lot of fun with that. I was teased and made in front of by several because I was very skinny and had long, long hair; nicknamed by Mr. Johnson as "Paintbrush". Go figure. I was not one of the elite of the class but I wasn't at the bottom either. I was just middle of the road, average if you will. I knew my mother could not afford to send me to college, not through any fault of her own, that's just the way it was. I worked in the summers cutting, raking, bailing and hauling hay to try to make money. I also did a lot of babysitting. I went to LPN Training until my money ran out and I could not get assistance because the government thought my mother made too much money at $15,000 a year with three kids still at home. What a joke. I would like to see anyone ...Expand for more