BRANDY STE.ANN LIGDA

BRANDY STE.ANN LIGDAFemale View treeBorn: 1993-09-08
Father: PAUL CHARLES LIGDAMother: ANNE LIGDA
Children: none
Siblings: JAY ATKIN LIGDA

Brandy is the adopted daughter of Paul and Anne Ligda.  Her natural parents were David Cooney and Shelby McDonald.  At the time of her birth, her parents were not living together.  Her father was homeless; her mother was a drug abuser.   Brandy’s mother, who had custody, often left Brandy with others for extended periods.  In December of 1993, Brandy was left with Anne’s daughter, Liz.  At the time, Liz was a single parent caring for her own two sons: Raymond who was 7 and Duke who was not yet one.  She was unable to assume responsibility for a third child.  To relieve Liz, Anne brought Brandy home in January of 1994.

The Ligda’s initially planned to provide Brandy a home until one of her parents could provide for her.  In the meantime, Anne became her formal guardian. 1  Brandy’s mother, Shelby, took an active interest in her daughter.  Over several months, while she entered and completed a drug rehabilitation program, Shelby visited Brandy and took her for regular Saturday visitations.  During the same period, however, there was a natural bonding between Brandy and the Ligdas who took her on frequent vacations and made plans for her future.  By 1996, it was clear Brandy felt the Ligdas were her parents.  With the consent of both her natural parents, the Ligdas petitioned to adopt her.  That petition was approved on October 31, 1996. 2

Brandy grew up in Vallejo, graduating from Cooper Elementary School in 2003, from M.I.T. Middle School in 2006, and from St Patrick St. Vincent High School in 2011.  She did not like the Catholic environment of SPSV and gravitated to the school friends she knew from earlier years rather than making new high school friends.  Among those friends was Erin Ring who had been a team mate of hers on the M.I.T. Colorguard Team that won the Winter Championships in 2006 and 2007.

Notes:

  1. Letters of Guardianship were issued June 22, 1994 by the Solano County Superior Court.  The file number is P34235.
  2. The Decree of Adoption was issued by Judge Harrison of the Solano County Superior Court.  The file number is A05329.