Well, just found this from the AJC - his mother didn't die. His parents separated in 1969 (he was 5) and divorced in 1973 (he was 9).
I just copied this part, but haven't read the whole story yet, because I haven't gotten to where brother Nathaniel entered the picture, 7 years younger than JMK.
Excerpt:
" ... His own childhood began in metro Atlanta.
His father, Wexford Karr, married Patricia Elaine Adcock on Aug. 21, 1958. He was 37 and she was 18, according to court documents.
Their union produced two sons, Michael and John, who was born Dec. 12, 1964.
The couple separated 11 years after they married, and Wexford Karr filed for divorce in 1973 in Clayton County, saying the marriage was "irretrievably broken" and that the boys were in his custody. His wife received a $5,000 mobile home and $125 a month in alimony, according to court papers.
Soon after, Wexford Karr, then 52, married a woman 23 years his junior, Susan Simpson. But his union with the 29-year-old burned out in divorce six months later. ..."
"Sins of the father????????"
$125 a month in alimony in 1973 and a $5000 trailer would have been a lot of money....especially down south.
The union produced two sons...Michael and John...but only one date is given. Were they twins??