Needle in a Haystack? FOUND!

About a year and a half ago, I posted about my quest to help my father-in-law (FIL) find his birth family.  Originally told that he came over on a ship that landed in Ellis Island sometime around September 9, 1945 and with NO original birth certificate, information on his country of origin or even his exact birthday, the quest seemed like an exercise in futility.  I made a trip to Washington, DC to search the National Archives for ship manifests on 10 days of either side of the given date....to no avail. 

My FIL had the wise assumption that perhaps, given the secrecy of adoptions in the early stages of adoptions, perhaps his adoptive parents were given misleading information to protect his birth family. However, I knew the adoption process for his state would have included a court hearing to finalize the adoption regardless of his country of origin. 

And then I happened to have dinner with a friend of my sister in December 2012.  She told me the state had passed legislature allowing for adoptees of a certain age to be able to get an original copy of their birth certificate.  My sister's friend had done so and turned it over to a group of "locators" who found her birth mom within 8 hours. 

I told my FIL the information and, after much prayer, he decided to take the plunge.  He contacted the state and was eventually told that his birth certificate was one of 300 or so that were lost/destroyed.  BUT the man on the phone did let my FIL know that the address on his adoption certificate was the former "Crittenden" home. 

After Googling "Crittenden", I found out there were a series of 65 Florence Crittenden Homes for Unwed Mothers.  Ahhh.....now the plot thickens.  The adoption records for the Crittenden home had been turned over to another agency in P town and the woman to whom my FIL spoke indicated that she knew my FIL's birth mom was still alive! 

My FIL sent a letter through the agency to his birth mother and no sooner had she rec'd it than she called him.  He did not come over on a ship that landed in Ellis Island.  His birthday really was accurate.  And he was born to a very scared little 15-year-old girl who came to the Crittenden home 2 months before she delivered.  She eventually married a year later and was not able to have any additional children.  She ran a restaurant with her husband for many years in a town not an hour away from my FIL.  She told my FIL she had cared for him for 6 weeks after delivery, she had named him, and that ever since he was born, she had prayed for him every morning and night.  For 68 years.  His birth father was 45 when my FIL was born and had passed away some years back.  Through Internet searches, I was able to locate his military and death records and trace his family tree back three generations (and forward 2 as well).  We also know that the birth mother has two sisters still living who had no knowledge that my FIL's birth mom ever had a child. 

I head back to the area in July and hope to meet my FIL's birth mother.  I think about all that had to fall into place for this to happen and how utterly impossible situations become possible with God.  If I had not adopted children, I maybe would not have had the knowledge of where my FIL could turn for answers.  If the state had not passed the legislation.  If the Crittenden home had never turned over information.  If his birth mother had been older when she gave birth and possibly had passed away before now. 

What ifs aside...my FIL has all the pieces now and a chance to know more about where he came from.  It was the best possible scenario for an adoptive reunion and I pray that with all the pieces comes a deeper sense of peace. 

Ugly Formal Wear Christmas Contest

Once again, I have taken a long hiatus from blogging, which is mainly due to Spanish language school, which has shrunk my brain to a quivering mass, not unlike Husband's heart when he is in a-fib. 

However, I did want to post the video and pics from our latest Christmas thrift contest.  The theme this year?  Ugly Formal Wear



Thanks to a church-wide garage sale benefiting Isaiah 55 Deaf Ministries, my husband was able to score a shocking fuschia satin and black velvet dress.  You heard me right...a dress.  He looked like a very scary drag queen (with his Hannah Montana wig) and I had to wash my eyeballs several times to recover. 

 

Not to be outdone, I also had a lovely mint-green lace-covered satin number with an enviable amount of satin bows attached. 

 

The women contestants

 The male contingent

The hotel continues to wonder about this strange clan that descends every year between Christmas and New Year's.  As evidenced by the photo above, apparently the mental illnesses suffered by me and my sisters can transfer to in-laws and all offspring.  We will stay heavily medicated for your safety.