Deonia “Dee” P. Neveu

Although, I am currently married, I have had 3 previous divorces (Fred Owens, African American & Martin Olivo, Puerto Rican & Leon Lewis, African American), and I have children from each of my marriages. I have a total of 5 children, and their ages are far apart, the oldest, a female, Kim- age 30, is recently married to Greg (my Son-in-Law); and a male, Martin- age 21, and twins, a female, Lenae- age 13 & a male, Leon- age 13, and a female, Rileyann- age 4.

My Parents are: my mother Yvonne Jordan (maiden name Stancil), ethnicity Black, born in New York; and my father, Douglas Jackson, ethnicity multicultural, Cherokee Indian & Afro Cuban, born in New York, who is now deceased. My parents have a total of 3 children between them, and I am the first born to my parents. My parents separated early in my upbringing. When I was about 18 years old, my parents were permanently divorced, and my mother remarried to a man named Chester Jordan (Step-Father), a native born of Barbados, and they both currently reside in Barbados. I have three brothers, and one sister, Douglas, Paul, and (twins) Michael & Felicia.

My mother was a very hard working single parent raising the 3 of us for a long time, and because she worked so hard, we didn’t live poorly. My mother worked in the Banking business as a secretary for many years, and she also gained income as a Landlord from owned property. My father, in his early years was a musician. My father recorded songs by singing and playing the bongos along with his brother, Johnny Jackson, in a group of “Do Op” singers called the “Ladders”. Later, my father worked as a Security Guard in a public school.

My maternal Grandmother, Edith Stancil (maiden name Harris), ethnicity from a southern Black Mulatto family, and she was born and raised in Portsmouth, Virginia. My Great Grandparents, her father, Romie (Monk) Harris (Mulatto), and her mother, Pauline Brown (Black & Black Foot Indian), were both born and raised in Macon, North Carolina, but later moved to Portsmouth, Virginia, and my Great Grandparents had a total of 10 children between them.

My maternal Grandfather, Willie Stancil, ethnicity Black, and he was born and raised in Portsmouth, Virginia. My Great Grandparents, his father, Henry Stancil (Black), and his mother, Emma Barrow (Black), I believe, but not completely sure, were both born in Portsmouth, Virginia, and my Great Grandparents had a total of 2 children between them.

Both of my maternal Grandparents (Edith & Willie) were originally from Virginia, and they married and later migrated to New York City (Harlem) for reasons of opportunity, and my maternal Grandparents had a total of 7 children. My maternal Grandparents were poor, and despite the fact that my Grandfather later began to drink, and became an alcoholic, they were both very giving and supportive of family and friends in their community. Both of my maternal Grandparents are now deceased.

My paternal Grandmother, Evalina Jackson (maiden name Hall), ethnicity Black & Cuban, was born in Florida. My Great Grandparents, her mother, Maria Hernandez (Hispanic), was born in Havana Cuba, and her father, Arthur Hall (I am not sure of his birth place, nor his total ethnicity), and I don’t know how many children my paternal Great Grandparents had between them.

My paternal Grandfather, George Jackson, ethnicity Black Cherokee American Indian, was born on the Cherokee Reservation in North Carolina, but later ran away to New York City as an adult. My Great Grandparents, his mother, the accurate and complete name for her is unknown to me, but I do know that his mother was part Cherokee American Indian and Scotch Irish, and his father, George Jackson, Sr., whom I believe was Black. Both of my paternal Great Grandparents lived on the Cherokee American Indian Reservation.

Both of my paternal Grandparents (Evalina & George) married and had a total of about 12 or more children. I was very young when they passed away, but according to my father his mother spoke mostly Spanish, but definitely managed, and was a stay at home mom, and his father worked in construction, and believed highly in becoming totally American, and he wouldn’t allow his wife to teach the children to speak Spanish, and was very strict, and they were considered poor, but I assume did the best they could, especially considering all the children they had.