Know2SkamaniaNeighbors.com

A website of emotional abuse to my children and not uncommon. One of too many stories and Why Co-Parenting in divorce needs oversight from schools, church, state and federal authorities.

By Howard Lawrence, DNA Father to Amanda & Ryan

Amanda & Ryan

I am confident most everyone with children and grandchildren enjoyed the time, love and emotional comfort received during this COVID-19 lifestyle.

My children, Amanda and Ryan Lawrence ages 44 and 43 are hoping I die from the virus as this would be their cover-up for the lies Dewey and Joanne Menter told to neighbors and friends in Skamania County.  In addition, it would bury the lies Amanda, White Salmon, WA told Dana, her live-in and father to their children. It would bury the lies Amanda has planned to tell her children about me, their grandfather.

I developed this website because I love my children. In finding the words for the above paragraph, it confirmed the magnitude of the Dewey and Joanne Menter behavioral indoctrination to sever the loving bonds the children and I experienced.

It started when Duane Menter had an affair with my wife, Joanne Sheehy Lawrence. Dewey was a 5th grade divorced math teacher, Joanne taught kindergarten and our children Ryan and Amanda were enrolled in the 1st and 2nd grade. This all took place under one roof, Prairie Elementary School, Buffalo Grove, IL  60089, School District 96.

Their affair became intense and Joanne started divorce proceedings in 1985 and married Dewey three weeks after the divorce was final. Joanne’s recklessness never provided for “one word” with me regarding the needs of our children in this transition. Joanne became subservient to Dewey and our children were ignored and traumatized in this radical change.  Dewey worked ambitiously for many years to have a family without me, the father to the children of his second wife, Joanne Lawrence Menter. He finally succeeded in 2007 when my parents died within ten days of each other. I was a caregiver to my parents for seven years and did not realize that the children’s bond to me was based on the meaningful emotional security to their grandparents. With their passing and no longer having the nurturing relationship to their grandparents, I was the only person remaining and apparently all the sewage fed to the children by Joanne and Dewey filled their mindset and both children lost their connection to me. The cumulative affect from the deliberate abuse they experienced for many years became the separation point the Menter’s had planned in their prenup.  The stepfather insistence to persistently end our loving connection finally filled the children’s soul and our heartfelt relationships ended. As the Menter marriage unfolded, Amanda, the older child, assumed a leadership role over Ryan from the beginning as their emotional insecurities rapidly grew from their otherwise nurturing life in their parent’s home. In their fear of the unknown, they became dependent on each other and for the wrong reasons share a unique brother & sister bond. They flourished in the vibrant and loving marital home in which they were raised. The decree provided for joint custody and the children now had a second parental residence by moving into an apartment with their mother and her new husband, a man they did not know. Dewey’s manner was an emotional shock for them and an overwhelming concern for me.  This website is my reply to Mr. and Mrs. Duane Menter.

Beginning in 1985, ‘Narcissistic Manipulator’ Duane Menter, began a process that imposed emotional trauma and abuse to my children. Joanne joined in his behavior as an obedient and yielding wife, ignoring the love and well-being for her children maintained throughout our marriage. I hope you will find that in the way you know these people, this website will encourage the community to somehow intervene and help to provide the opportunity for a renewal of my relationship with each child and to meet my grandchildren for the first time. In addition, I will be working with state and religious officials in Washington and Illinois. 

Ryan, an Iraq veteran of three tours may suffer from PTSD. However, in demonstrating a father’s concern, the Army would not permit me to be involved for an evaluation.  In a “plea” to have Joanne join me at Fort Hood as our son was leaving for his third tour of Iraq, I mailed a letter to Joanne asking her to join me so we could spend two or three days prior to Ryan’s departure to a war zone (knowing Dewey’s behavior, the letter was reviewed and approved by a psychologist and a psychiatrist). The outcome is best described by letting you know that Joanne called Ryan and said, I received a letter from your father, would not open it and simply threw it over to Dewey to read.  Joanne said, Dewey told me I could not go to Ft. Hood for your deployment. Duane Menter decided that Joanne, Ryan’s mother could not provide a morale boost in his deployment by the Army to Iraq, a war zone. What would military men reading this paragraph say about Dewey’s control over our children and Joanne’s compliant behavior to avoid the best interest of her son?  I visited myself.

In January 2019 I visited Social Services in Goldendale, Washington. I learned that the state does not have grandparent laws. With my residence in Florida, I think of your Governor as having great concern for the environment. Grandparents are part of the environment and I will forward this website address in a cover letter to various government agencies in Olympia. I will forward to Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Parish, Cedar Lake, IN.