Hi Betty: This is an interesting story and a shame you might never find out the truth. When my Dad had his DNA done for the Shetland DNA Project, one gentlement who had the lesser test had a match for 13 (if recall is correct). He had been adopted and after many years did find his Mother who was in her 90's but she refused to recognize him nor would she tell him who the father was. Another sad story. Perceived sins of the past will be brick walls for many for eons. Lauraine > > From: "Betty" <bbffrrpp@comcast.net> > Date: 2009/08/07 Fri AM 07:32:31 CDT > To: <can-usa-migration@rootsweb.com> > Subject: [CAN-USA-MIG] Hearing vs. Listening and Eavesdropping (my > grandmother) > > Hello, > > My hubby has mentioned several times that many people do not have a hearing > problem -- they have a listening-problem. > > And, I've told my maternal grandmother's story before. A brief version of > her story is: > > She was born Feb. 1889, and at 3 mos. became a Ward of the State. At some > point she went to live with John and Mary DEXTER. They were life-long > residents of Killingly, CT, but had moved to MA ~1885. While in their > late 50's, they adopted a little girl who had just turned 3. They changed > her name to Mary Anna Clark DEXTER - after Mrs. DEXTER's maiden name. > > Mrs. Dexter died in Apr. 1899, and my grandmother was 10. She was taken to > an orphanage in Boston. She would spend until she was ~20 in "homes." > (Mr. Dexter died in 1905 at a State Hospital.) During her 8-10 years > with the Dexter couple, different things happened. When she was young and > important people came to call, she was hidden away in a back room of the > house. One day, she was upstairs and heard that a man has visited. She > decided to listen as he was talking just before he left. The man said, > "Some day that little girl "must" find out who her real father is !" > > She never did ! But, this tells me that the Dexter adoptive parents > "KNEW" who my grandmother's birth-parents were ! And, my grandmother > never found out who gave birth to her. Because of all the hints and > clues, my "educated guess" is that the Dexter's married daughter back in > Killingly, CT, had a pregnancy outside of her marriage in the "summer of > 1888." > > My grandmother tried to find out. My mother and her sisters tried to find > out, and I have tried to find out. My grandmother had known her Adoptive > parents' grandson. He had visited the home many times, and she remembered > him as being a teen-age boy when she was a child. After she was married > and had kids, she was able to get in touch with him. Earle YOUNG (only > grandchild) stated that his mother, Clara, went to her dying day -- > proclaiming that she didn't even know that her parents had adopted a little > girl. > > I just pulled the report on her story out of a box, and will send a copy to > a lady in CT. It is a long and complicated story. I wish I could find > a book author who would be willing to turn the story into an historical > novel. This lady in CT just received a surprise package in the mail, > a whole pile of "old photos." Two of the photos were of Mrs. Dexter, and > her mother, Mrs. Clark. She mailed me copies of the photos and I hope I > receive them today. I very much want to compare my grandmother's photo > to Mrs. Dexter's photo. The lady in CT and I have already compared her > grandmother's picture to my grandmother's picture, and there is a strong > family resemblance. If the new photos compare, then this lady in CT and > I are probably, hopefully both descended from Mrs. Clark - thus we are > "very distant cousins." > > The full name of Mrs. Clark in her older years was Mrs. Rhoda (MANCHESTER) > (LAVARE) CLARK (1800-1883?), always in Westport, MA (US). IF I ever > write up a better document on my grandmother, I will probably title it: > Rhoda and Molly and Clara and Daisy. (Gr-grandma, Grandma, Mother, > my grandmother, I hope.) (It would take a true miracle - to > find out who the birth-father was !) > > Have a pleasant August weekend ! > > Betty (near Lowell, MA, USA) > > List Administrator > > > > When you want to respond to a query or comment posted on this List, I find it MUCH easier to post a new message -- remembering to include the SUBJECT from the post you are responding to !! Please make sure there is a SURNAME or place-name in the Subject. > > To search the archives: > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/search?path=CAN-USA-MIGRATION > The information page is: > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Immigration/CAN-USA-MIGRATION.html > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to CAN-USA-MIGRATION-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >