Family Skeletons

I have a little known family secret. My mother was adopted. Now I know that's not very unusual. I know many people who are adopted or have adopted. Adoption isn't a novelty.

However, the circumstances surrounding my mother's adoption are anything but normal. I'd like to share my mother's story...to the best of her memory. I know it's long but I've been told by those who hear it that it is intriguing so it may be worth a read.

Mary Jane Ferriols was born in upstate New York. At the age of four, she was the second born of six kids. You do the math. She recollects that there was at least one set of twins. The children had various last names. Again, you do the "math"...multiple fathers. One day her father found out that her mother was having an affair. So my grandfather murdered my grandmother then killed himself. Keep in mind this was not the year 2009. This was 70 years ago. Unheard of.

Their family lived on a farm where they butchered cows. When the officials arrived, they corralled the 6 children into a side room. She could tell by their faces something bad had happened. While in this room my mother could hear the noon news on the TV coming from the next room. She heard her parents' names and the word "butchered." The only image this 4 year old farm girl could formulate in her mind was that her parents were being cut up and packaged like beef.

MaryJane and one of her half brothers were adopted by an incredible childless couple, Charles and Marion Bolton. More farmers. If it weren't for them, I probably wouldn't know Jesus today. And, therefore, I wouldn't know most of you. In the state of NY, it was law at that time that siblings not be adopted by families within the same county (unless they were going to the same home). They thought it was best for the children to have no chance of running into each other. However, not long after their adoption, my mother's new family was attending the County Fair. Amidst the crowds and chaos, mom heard a child call her name. She turned around to see one of her siblings with his/her (she doesn't remember which) new adoptive family. Now I'm not sure what adoptive parents would do if that happened today. But because of that law of separation, both sets of adoptive parents quickly whisked their children away from each other. A chance of connecting with another sibling was lost.

My mother loved her adoptive parents and out of respect for them she never wanted to locate her biological siblings. She always told us that she would never initiate a search while her parents were living. This is a pretty common view for her generation. Her adoptive parents are now with Jesus, whole, complete and waiting for us in heaven.

So about a year ago I asked my mom if she would be interested in finding her bio-family. She said, "no." She felt there were too many skeletons in the closet and was afraid of being disappointed with the discovery of "sins of the past."

But something changed her mind and on this past Mother's Day she told me that she'd be interested in looking for her family. I was shocked! But excited! But, of course, this slacking daughter of hers has done absolutely nothing about it for these past 8 months! So a few weeks ago I decided to look into it.

I had no idea where to start. All I have is her birth certificate and her memory as a four yr old. I was just about to start asking for help via my blog and facebook when a fb friend posted an amazing status. She said that her husband located her biological mother and brother as her Christmas gift. Woohoo! Someone who's just been through the process! I immediately contacted them and they offered to help me!

There's no telling where this will lead. Maybe total dead ends. Maybe new family. All of that's in God's hands. I would appreciate your prayers as I search for the siblings of this little girl...