Sharon Nesbitt:
CLASS OF 1969
Banning High SchoolClass of 1969
Banning, CA
Sharon's Story
I moved to Roseville shortly after high school and got married to my soul mate, Jim Vance in 1970. We moved to Oregon and while there we had our first child, a girl, Leilani. We moved back to Roseville in 1973 where I have continued to reside. In 1987, after 14 years of trying to get my brother Ronnie help for a severe mental illness (schizophrenia ¿ paranoid type) he killed a man and wounded another while in a psychotic state. We had not planned on more children since we had found out about the genetic possibility of schizophrenia running in the family(it was revealed that two aunts on my dad¿s side of the family both were schizophrenic and that there was suspicion my dad had taken medication for a mental illness). But in 1992, at the age of 41, I found out I was pregnant with our second child, a boy. We were quite happy for this wonderful blessing but did not realize at the time that this was a blessing that had been planned by God. My husband was ecstatic, showing the ¿boy¿ sonnagram pictures to everyone. Then six weeks before our son, James Arthur Vance, Jr. or JJ was to be born, my husband passed away. He had suffered from high blood pressure for years and even though he was on medication, it had never been completely controlled. He had a major stroke on one side of his brain and a hemorrhage on the other side. In 1997, our daughter, Leilani got married to a man, Joe Lacefield that she had went with in high school. He had married and divorced and shared custody of 4 children, three girls and a boy (the boy was not biologically his but he had been married to the mother since before the birth). It wasn¿t long before all of us were aware that these kids were being abused and so the father along with several other people turned in reports to CPS. In April of 1998, my oldest (¿step¿-I only say step for technical reasons, but she was my granddaughter in every sense of the word) granddaughter, Julie was murdered by Joe¿s ex-wife¿s live-in boyfriend. And so we lost 2 kids because the father of the boy suddenly decided he wanted to be a father. Joe and Leilani and my two remainin...Expand for more
g granddaughters moved in with me and JJ. In 2006 I was blessed with another granddaughter, Hope and they all continue to live with me and JJ, which can be trying at times, but I don¿t regret having them with me. My mom had to go on kidney dialysis in about 2003 and suffered from many more health problems the last two years of her life, finally passing away in 2007. We were very close and I was so grateful to have had the relationship with her and to have been able to help her during those years. My natural father also passed away that same year. The following year in July, I found out that I had a brain tumor and eventually had brain surgery in December of that year. I was cut from ear to ear and had 37 staples in my head for a very successful surgery. I have a little residual problem with processing as the area of the brain affected by the tumor was cognitive function. I will have to go back for MRI¿s to make sure that the tumor has not returned and that I am still free of any cancer. After almost 20 years of suffering from severe headaches (last 5 years about 2 each week that required heavy duty knock-out type meds), I am a normal person with normal headaches.
I more excited than ever about the rest of my life! I am currently working in the office and driving for a dental lab company. We are a semi-small company with about 16 employees and I really enjoy the work I do and all the people I meet and my co-workers. I have remained single since the death of my husband, but I keep busy and involved with family and friends. I like listening to all types of music except for opera and rap. I enjoy riding my motorcycle (when it¿s running¿ARGGH), taking photographs, doing things on the computer and when I get a chance (not much lately) I like camping, kayaking and going to the lake or ocean. Well, that¿s my story and I¿m sticking to it. ¿
Life shouldn't be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather, to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly shouting, 'Wow! What a ride! Thank you, Lord!'
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