They tried for years to adopt, but with no success.  Violet was incapable of having children, so in the interim they adopted many wee cats and dogs to fill their void.

One day a call came from Violet’s sister who worked in the Merced County Hospital.  Violet! A woman just came in and gave birth to a little girl on the reception floor!  She is so tiny and is in isolation now.  She is so beautiful with a full head of hair only weighing 4 pounds and 5 ounces.  Call Ray!

Raymond Everett worked for one of the most well-known influential men of his time, Howard Hughes, whom was also a close personal friend of Rays (which Howard did not have many of due to his eccentricities).  Violet Enid was a homemaker of sorts, but was very creative and was a seamstress to the stars.  She made many beautiful dresses for Lana Turner, Loretta Young, and Rita Hayworth for a period of time.

The call went to Ray and in short order they were on their way to the hospital.  They both viewed this little girl, but feared there would not be much hope of adoption due to past disappointments.  Story has it Howard helped out with his influence.

Three days later the little girl whom they dubbed Carol was in their possession in their home in Downey, California.  The couple couldn’t be happier, and lavished this wee baby with more stuffed animals and other odds and ends an infant of course couldn’t use.

At Carol’s 3 months of age, Ray had another heart attack!  Welfare came in and threatened to take her away, claiming he was not physically fit to be a father.  There was immediate panic!  He turned to Howard for help.  In the meantime, he decided all assets would be liquidated and they would move to Brazil for he did not want to lose this little angel they had so long waited for. 

Howard came through, and Ray went on through rest to become strong and healthy once again.  Fears abated and they no longer feared they would lose Carol.  Ray continued working as Head of Engineering for Hughes Aircraft in Culver City, Violet became a full-time mother to Carol. 

She was a delightful little girl always happy and cooing, relatives were always over just to hold this little green eyed dark haired child with eyes full of mischief as a toddler.  Ray always rushed home after work so he could hold Carol and sing to her.  Carol couldn’t have asked for a more loving father.

Carol grew, although a small little girl initially, to a happy bubbling little girl.  The pride of Ray’s eyes and he loved her immensely.  Carol didn’t even learn to walk until later on because Ray carried her everywhere.  The poor girl didn’t even know she had legs as Daddy clung to her closely, I suppose fear of losing her.  The only one soul he would release her to was Enid Eleanor, Carol’s Irish Grandmother who delighted in singing to Carol and read to her constantly (even though Carol was a baby).

All was well until the year and month of January 1959, Carol’s world came crashing down as she knew it. Ray suffered a major heart attack in the wee hours of the morning.  He was in the bathroom shaving and felt the tightness start in his chest.  Without success he tried to put the nitroglycerin tab under his tongue and he fell to the floor in agony.  Violet hearing the commotion ran in.  She tried feverishly to unlock his clenched jaw to insert the tab and failed.  He was gone.

Carol, who was just barely 4 years of age at the time, heard her mother crying and crawled out of bed.  Carol walked down the long marble hallway and glancing to her left, saw her lifeless father lying on the bathroom floor. Confused as most children that age would be, she entered the bathroom and saw white foam dripping from his mouth. To the right of her lifeless father she saw, her father standing next to his own body.  Not realizing at the time what it meant, she looked up into his large brown eyes and he smiled and winked at her. But when Carol tried to put her little arms around his legs he disappeared.

Carol then followed the weeping sound of her mother who sat in a chair, her head in her hands crying uncontrollably.  When Violet saw Carol standing there, she swept her up in her arms and whisked her off to the neighbor Mrs. Noto.  Carol had no understanding what was going on.

Each day Carol stood at the picture window in their living room looking for her father to come home, and each day he never appeared.  This was always the ritual for Father would say, “Watch for me at the window angel because you will see me coming home to you.”  And each day he did, but no longer. 

Because Carol was so young, her mother thought it best to tell her Daddy went on a long trip and was never coming back.  This had a very adverse effect on Carol because each time someone she loved came to visit she would cry hysterically when they left.

One day her loving Irish grandmother, Enid Eleanor, took her aside and they sat on the front porch swing. It broke Enid’s heart to see Carol in such pain and confusion wondering why someone who loved her so much would leave her and not come back.

Enid started talking about the trees, the animals, the beautiful blue sky, and all the white clouds that were presently there.  Then she told Carol a word she was not too familiar with “Heaven.”  She told Carol, “Heaven is where the angels live and that is where your Daddy is.  She told Carol, “It was time for him to go there.”  And Carol said, “You mean my Daddy is up on one of those big clouds? Enid remarked, yes… your Daddy is there watching over you and will always be with you.”

Carol leaned back into Grandma’s chest and smiled, something that will always be remembered and never forgotten.