I Looked for Four,
and Found Ten!

Whenever someone asked me about my family, I told them I was married and had two children. If they asked about the rest of my family, I told them my parents were killed in a car accident and that my brother and two sisters and I were put in different foster homes and lost contact. Even when my wife pressed me for details about my family, I always told her my past was unhappy and I could not remember anything.

The truth of the matter was my brother, two sisters and I were taken away from my biological mother, adopted, and then taken from the adoptive home eight years later, and placed in separate foster homes. I had no family- except for my wife and children.

About two years ago, I found some search sites on the web and figured I had nothing to lose by registering with them. I put down what little information I knew, and waited. NOTHING!!!!

In February of 1998, my wife told me she needed to discuss something with me. She proceeded to tell me that one of the people she works with had given her a site on the web for Wisconsin Adoptions and she had registered me. Within 24-hours we had our first e-mail from Mary!

Our registration with ICARE included the names of my brother Eddie, sisters Judy and Estelle and an older brother Tony, who I remembered from my biological home. The first news we had was that Tony, my oldest brother, had died in 1979. Mary found his obituary and asked that I call her. Much to my surprise, my whole family was listed- Eddie, Judy, Estelle, Ron (me) AND Annette, Clara, Barbara and Anthony. I had three sisters and one brother I did not know even existed!!!

By the first weekend in May of 1998, my family and I were in Wisconsin visiting all FIVE sisters! While there, Mary found an address for my brother Eddie—contact with him would come three weeks later. We also learned about another half- brother, bringing our family total to ten!

Christmas of 1998, five of the brothers and sisters got together for the first time in fourty-five years. It was a day of laughing, crying and remembering. Each time we’re together, more of the years melt away!

Now, if you ask me about my family, I’m married, two children, five sisters, four brothers, several nieces and nephews (with spouses and children). My family has grown to over fifty people!

This would never have been possible without Mary, our "angel with a heart". The countless e-mails between us, coping with our frustrations (and sometimes hers) the humorous details of a search day (mutilated yearbooks, forgetting her license, three flights of stairs) phone calls to say she found another one. Mary’s determination kept us going day by day!

My search is over. But thanks to ICARE and Mary, I have my family!

  ~  UPDATE      ONE YEAR LATER     UPDATE  ~