Edward Searcy - My Stay at the Lark Ellen Home for Boys - 1944 - 1950

My name is Edward Searcy. I lived at Lark Ellen between the years 1944 and 1950. I was 8 when I entered there. Whether Lark Ellen helped me would be open to debate.

I've always believed it expanded my life space. I went there from Taft, California, a small town. I once was taken out for Thanksgiving diner by a man who took me to the home of Hoagy Carmichal. On one occasion I was assigned to greet people at the front door on Board Meeting night. I was to greet everyone with a "Good evening, welcome to Lark Ellen." An older woman, accompanied by a very large man, who I later learned was Ed "Strangler" Lewis, entered and said to me, "Good evening young man, you must be about 8 or 9 years old." I told her I was 9 and she went into the 'living room. Later I learned she was Helen Keller. How she knew anything about me stumps me to this day, since she was both deaf and blind.

Contact: Edward Searcy at: marywoody38@netzero.net