THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 13, 1994 TAG: 9411110264
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Mr. Roberts' Neighborhood
SOURCE: Frank Roberts
DATELINE: SMITHFIELD LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
Where is Brenda? Possibly, somewhere in Portsmouth.
Her two sisters, who only recently caught up with each other, now hope to catch up with Brenda.
The three were separated when very young after their father took one sister, Phyllis Harris Brooks, and left the rest of the family, including his wife.
The two sisters who recently found each other are Brooks, who lives in San Angelo, Texas, and Jean Clarke, who was born in Norfolk and raised in Smithfield, where she lives on East Street.
Clarke lives with 68-year-old Sadie Clarke, her biological mother's first cousin. Mrs. Clarke adopted her when she was 8 months old.
The biological mother of Brooks and Clarke is Irene Lankford Harris. After divorcing Ralph Harris, she married William Blowe. They divorced and she married Joe Greene.
Now living in Dayton, Ohio, she visited Smithfield July 4 ``and gave us some information,'' Clarke said. ``She said our sister's name was Brenda Velessie Lankford.
``She said the last she knew Brenda lived in Portsmouth but she didn't know where. She couldn't remember the street,'' Clarke said. ``She thinks Brenda was raised by a family named Freeman.
``The last time I saw Brenda, she was 16. That was in Dayton 20 years ago. I was visiting my sister,'' said Dorothy Lankford of Zuni - a Lankford who married a Lankford.
She is the sisters' aunt and a prime mover in the quest to find sister No. 3, who was born at home in Norfolk in 1949.
``I saw her picture - taken when she was about 15,'' Jean Clarke said. ``It showed her kneeling on the floor, wearing a slacks suit. She was smiling. Her hair was long - styled like Diana Ross.''
That is probably not too helpful, but if determination means anything there could be a three-sister reunion.
The recent two-sister reunion, at Ken's Barbecue, was cause for rejoicing since Jean and Phyllis had not seen one another since infancy. Both are 42.
Getting that far was quite an endeavor, at one time involving the hiring of a private detective.
Brooks, who lived in Germany for seven years - her husband, Darryl, is in the Air Force - drove through the area on her way to Texas, stopping in Franklin to do some research.
Relying on the ``Lankford'' name, she picked one out of the phone book. For a change, luck was on her side.
She called Ethel Lankford, whose mother-in-law, Dorothy, is her and Clarke's aunt, the sister of their biological mom.
After that, it was just a matter of a few more calls, then the meeting.
Reunion No. 2 might be the result of heavy prayer.
``I pray each day for us to get together,'' said Clarke, a member of the Victory Life World Outreach Christian Church in Hampton.
The prayers, and the quest, continue. MEMO: If anyone has information regarding the whereabouts of the third sister,
Brenda, please call Dorothy Lankford at 562-3727. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Jean Clarke, left, is looking for her sister, Brenda Velessie
Lankford, who she thinks lives in Portsmouth. Dorothy Lankford,
right, is the sisters' aunt. by CNB