MY LIFE

Guy was 4 years old when he arrived in St. Louis with the fatherless family and for the next 19 years this would be home. At that age, you really don't realize you're poor. But you do see images. I can remember times in Seaside, Ca. I can see the house and city streets in New York. And I can remember things being different in St. Louis. We weren't broke,  we were poor. But mom did the best she could to raise us well surround us with love and CHURCH, 

Mrs. Torry found a Catholic church not too far from where we first lived in St. Louis. She didn't drive so everything had to be walking distance or on the bus line. She chose St. Marks Catholic Church. Not only was it a Roman Catholic Church with an elementary school attached. When the financial picture got a little better for the Torry's, 

even though making ends meet was tough, their mom would enroll them into the school even though their electricity was turned off. She  valued at the power of knowledge was more than power in the home. This foundation building turned out to be the best decision. A good foundation in CHRIST and education would be essential for the tools the Torry's would need to navigate through life.     

Part of our purpose in life is to be of service to GOD and to others. Guy would become an Alter Boy, (untouched by a Priest)  which the position  was later changed to "Server", from second grade to 8th. This turned out to be one  of the building blocks that Guy's life. Being that close to the church not only taught Guy how to serve, but  how important it was to have a s strong  prayer life. There were so many situations where prayer got Guy through some tough situations. Guy not only was a Server at Mass on Sundays, he  joined the choir and would not sing, GOD truly didn't. bless him with that gift, but HE did bless Guy with the gift of drumming. Guy and his brother Joe would play the conga's from time to time. Being a Server. would also be financially lucrative for him as well. 

The Torry family was even cut down to size a little more. The two older siblings, Christina and Roberta, leave and goo live with relatives in Monks Corner, South Carolina. There they would start high school there and left Ramon, Joe, Guy, Malaika and the Matriarch in St. Louis. This was a much more manageable group for Mrs. Torry to handle. The financial burden still was heavy on their mom but at. least there. were little more food on the table. She then began to put them in other activities like the Cub and Boy  Scouts to give them the "Father Figures" they would need. Then one day the original  Father figure returned. 

In 1979, Mr. Torry, returned back to the family. He had retired from the US Army  after  23 years, got  the help he needed for PTSD and moved to St. Louis. That would change our lives forever. Although Their mom was doing the best she could by herself, the Torry family REALLY needed that shot in the arm. It seemed like without their dad in the mix, their life was in Black and White, but once daddy came home, their lives were in full blown color again. He immediately in still even more discipline. Even though he retired and left the Army as a Drill Sergeant, he brought the "Drill" part with him. 

Mr. Torry, realized  that he had six Black children going up without a father in America and wanted to make sure he would finish the assignment, raising his family. He could have gone soon and lived his life, but that was not the man he was. He also wanted the entire family back together. He sent for Christina and Roberta, but only Roberta returned. Christina was already  in High School and wanted to finish there in South Carolina. He agreed and Roberta would come back with the family and The Torry's live's would never be the same.