Gwendolyn Rogers (Gwendolyn Womack)

Henley High School

Class of 1974

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Gwendolyn Womack - Class of 1974 - Henley High School

First Name	Gwendolyn
Last Name	Rogers
Maiden Name	Womack
Graduation Year	Class of 1974
Gender	Female
Current Location	Seaview, Wa
Hometown	Klamath Falls
Relationship Status	Widowed
About Me	I will begin by saying every one of us has been down a very different path. No excuses just a explanation of the past 49 years. After graduation I started at OIT. Went to San Diego to visit Michael Thomas ( he was in the Navy) the end of August he received orders to go to Vietnam. He asked me to marry him "So I will have someone at home" So I said yes. We had been GREAT friends in Junior and Senior High school. We were married September 1, 1974. Our only kiss ever was at the wedding. He went to Vietnam, I went back to college. I went down to San Diego when his ship came back. He told me he wanted to stay in the Navy. I wanted to become RN. So we agreed to get divorce in April 1976. After college graduation I moved to Lakevew, Or. On January 1 1977 I married Kim Knoke. We had daughter Jennifer in October. Son Robert was born in 1979. Then we moved several different places over 9 years with his jobs. We were back in Lakeview 1990s. I got a divorce when Kim was trying to manage 2 girlfriends while I was opening a Home Health and Hospice Agency. The divorce was final in 1995. I started making plans to become a traveling nurse when Robert graduated from High school in 1997. In January a mutual friend introduced me to Douglas Rogers. He was fond of saying that when I first met him I told him I wasn't interested in a husband, lover or boyfriend. I just wanted a friend. He agreed. Robert graduated in June. 3 days after graduation I moved to Memphis TN. I worked in the ER where Elvis died. I lived 2 blocks from Beale street. Then in September I moved to Lincoln. Nebraska. I had been there when Robert's called. Robert had cancer that had metastasis to both lungs and involved all abdominal organs. Douglas flew to Nebraska and we drove straight back to Portland. Very scary and difficult times. Numerous surgeries, chemotherapy. In March for his 19th birthday his cancer was in remission. Douglas asked me to marry him. On 7-11-1998 we got married in the chapel at the Ponderosa Ranch from Bonanza Honeymoon in Australia. Then back to Lakevew. Once again I traveled with Douglas as he pursued his career in the USFS. In 2002 we buried our first grandson. In 2006 our second granddaughter was born in Montana. Douglas had numerous cardiac events and had to retire early. So in 2007 we moved to Montana. Life was crazy I got very ill with necratizing pancreas. Told I was going to die. Placed on Hospice. Got better for 2 years the had an allergic reaction to Vancomyicin and was again placed on Hospice. I still didn't die. My son and his wife had twins in 2008. MY daughter and husband had a baby boy in 2012. In 2014 Douglas' son Paul died. In 2017 I took an early retirement. Douglas and I then proceeded to go to and fish in ALL 50 states. During the next few Douglas told me that we needed to find my first husband Michael Lafferty Thomas. Having been in Vietnam for 6 years he told me I had no idea it was for the military personnel. So started trying to find Michael. So we went on people finder never answer to any of my questions. 1. Did you graduate from Hanley High School in Klamath Falls OR in 1974 ? 2. Was your mother Virginia? 3. Was yoyr dad Bill? 4. Was your older brother Steven? 5. Were you in the Navy in Vietnam? We would do this for a week then go to the next Michael Thomas . There were 100000s. Michael was the most common name for a male in 1955 and Thomas was the 4th most common last name. Sept12, 2021 Our granddaughter and I had been exposed to COVID. So I went to the cottage we had leased for the wintet in Lincoln City Or. We had just purchased 2 thoroughbred horses for Douglas and our granddaughter on September 14, 2021 Douglas had just finished lunch he called me to tell he was going to check the corral " ALWAYS remember you are the best thing that ever happened to me. Love you" our son in law was eating lunch with him Andy said Douglas stood up took 2 steps on fell on his face his heart stopped for the last time. My heart was broken. Since then I have trying to get on with living but it has been more difficult that I could ever imagine. Twice in my dreams Douglas has visited me and given me a very specific task the first was to call Kim and thank him or being a jerk and an asshole so I got a divorce and then met Douglas. So I did it. Kim started to say something but I hung up. The second time he just said You still need to find Michael and apologize. So I tried 4-6 more times. Still no response on June 16. Another week with no answer. So I was going back on people finder when my phone started beeping. I looked and there were 7 messages that said " Yes is this Gwen Womack" So I called the number on people finder and finally I had found my Michael. I explained to him why I was trying to find him. We talked about our lives since 1976. He said a couple times he tried to find me but there were 100s of Gwendolyn's. I told him that when Douglas and started there were over 100000 Michael Thomas. He said there not need to apologize but I told Michael I had to Because Douglas was ALWAYS right. He then accepted my apology and I told him about the reunion in September 2024 . In July i started taking mermaid lessons. Now I am an official mermaid. So now I have been reaching out to classmates responses are from "great to here from you" and "looking forward to seeing you to"too little, " too late" it's been too long." So those few who were positive for the majority of you were more negative I'm SORRY I did...(read more)
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