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04-05-2008, 05:18
OCALA - The Ocala woman who purported to be the mother-in-law of a soldier killed in Iraq apparently isn't who she claimed to be.
The Star-Banner published an article March 28 in which Kathryn Crowell-Grate identified herself as the mother-in-law of Army Sgt. Jevon Jordan. In an interview with the newspaper on March 27, Crowell-Grate identified Michelle Jordan by name as her daughter.
Those statements, and others made by Crowell-Grate in the article, are now in dispute.
"She is not my mother," Michelle Baker Jordan, Jordan's widow, said when reached by telephone Friday. "That part was a lie. I've spoken to her. She just did that to get off work. She told me that."
Crowell-Grate could not be reached for comment Friday.
What's not in dispute is that Army Sgt. Jordan was wounded by an improvised explosive device in Iraq on March 23, and flown to a U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, where he died March 29. Funeral services for Jordan were held Friday in Norfolk, Va., his hometown.
The program from his funeral at Graves Funeral Home lists his mother-in-law and father-in-law as Carmay and Lee Baker. Crowell-Grate is not mentioned.
Crowell-Grate said in the March 27 interview that Jevon Jordan came to her home at a young age and said he was going to marry her daughter, and that he later did so. A (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot story published Friday said Jevon Jordan met his wife when she was a college student working at a supermarket bakery and he was a customer.
Crowell-Grate said she and Jevon Jordan were close, and that she had spoken with him by telephone the day before he was wounded. Michelle Jordan said her husband did not keep in touch with Crowell-Grate.
"My husband could not stand her," Jordan said.
Michelle Jordan and her paternal aunt, Karen Baker Ellis, both said Jevon Jordan and a daughter of Crowell-Grate's had a son before Jordan met Michelle Baker. The Star-Banner was unable to confirm that relationship Friday.
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The Star-Banner published an article March 28 in which Kathryn Crowell-Grate identified herself as the mother-in-law of Army Sgt. Jevon Jordan. In an interview with the newspaper on March 27, Crowell-Grate identified Michelle Jordan by name as her daughter.
Those statements, and others made by Crowell-Grate in the article, are now in dispute.
"She is not my mother," Michelle Baker Jordan, Jordan's widow, said when reached by telephone Friday. "That part was a lie. I've spoken to her. She just did that to get off work. She told me that."
Crowell-Grate could not be reached for comment Friday.
What's not in dispute is that Army Sgt. Jordan was wounded by an improvised explosive device in Iraq on March 23, and flown to a U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, where he died March 29. Funeral services for Jordan were held Friday in Norfolk, Va., his hometown.
The program from his funeral at Graves Funeral Home lists his mother-in-law and father-in-law as Carmay and Lee Baker. Crowell-Grate is not mentioned.
Crowell-Grate said in the March 27 interview that Jevon Jordan came to her home at a young age and said he was going to marry her daughter, and that he later did so. A (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot story published Friday said Jevon Jordan met his wife when she was a college student working at a supermarket bakery and he was a customer.
Crowell-Grate said she and Jevon Jordan were close, and that she had spoken with him by telephone the day before he was wounded. Michelle Jordan said her husband did not keep in touch with Crowell-Grate.
"My husband could not stand her," Jordan said.
Michelle Jordan and her paternal aunt, Karen Baker Ellis, both said Jevon Jordan and a daughter of Crowell-Grate's had a son before Jordan met Michelle Baker. The Star-Banner was unable to confirm that relationship Friday.
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