Back on 9/29/2008, I posted the first blog containing a segment from Marjorie’s book, “A Legitimate Life: A Forbidden Journey of Self Discovery.” Since then each Monday and Friday  I’ve had the honor of posting another section of Marjorie's book for our readers’ enjoyment.

This may be the last segment of Marjorie's book but it is not the end of the relationship between Marjorie and Adoption Under One Roof. I have suggested to Marjorie that she continue to submit blogs to our website – she has much to contribute to the adoption world.

Over the last year and five months,  I’ve come to consider Marjorie a good friend, so this is rather an emotional day for me, and perhaps for her as well. Personally Marjorie has given me incredible insight into the heart and soul of an adoptee; for that I will be forever grateful.

Thank you Marjorie from all of us at Adoption Under One Roof.

Lisa S.

Chapter Twenty- Eight - The Final Chapter - “A Family Found” (continued from here)

It was the Bartel family that had the beer brewery in LaCrosse. The beautiful standing gray marble head stone with FRANKE engraved on it and other small headstones made of marble with various ancestors names on them surrounded by pots and urns filled with red geraniums and ivy at the St. James the Less Catholic Church were all paid for by the Bartel beer money. My father’s wife didn’t have any money but she inherited it from Jim when he died. She talks very slowly with a bit of a British affectation. Jim and Bob my uncle were very frugal and invested in the beer company stock and it split and split which is how they made the family fortune. My father had an obsession with hunting, trapping and fishing that bordered on insanity but everyone loved him and his big smile. However it seems he was always dragging in dirt and mud from all his outdoor ventures and his wife just gave him his own room and shut the door and never cleaned it. He became involved in commercial fishing at one point laying the big fishing nets.

Uncle Bob was a recluse who adored his wife. He owned some of the houses on Charles St and rented them out. One girl who lived in the house next to his had an old car that backfired all the time. He offered to buy her a new car or have her car fixed. She said no and told him to stay out of her business so he bought the house and evicted her.

Mark is a private investor and is very quiet. He has custody of his daughter whose mother is in a mental hospital.

Our Guestblogger today is Marjorie Shaw an adoptee in a closed domestic adoption. This is the autobiography of her search for her lost self as an adoptee in a closed adoption. We are delighted that she has given us the opportunity to post her manuscript on our website in segments on Mondays and Fridays. © 2006 All rights reserved

Chapter Twenty- Eight - The Final Chapter - “A Family Found” (continued from here)

It was Wednesday September 16th when I Googled my Uncle Bob for the heck of it and found an article about him in the WinonaDailyNews.com.

Bob Franke once ran the CB&Q Hudson 4000 steam locomotive engine in 1941 after a short stint as a substitute teacher. “I loved running an engine,” the 91-year-old said,” “I’d do it again, I’m sure, if I was a younger man.”

As if by magic I went back in time and was that little girl who upon hearing the train whistle dropped everything she was doing to sprint out to the front porch of her grandfather’s house in South Pasadena to greet and wave at the smiling conductors who always waved back at her as the train passed by.

It was now Saturday September 19, 2009 and was finally finishing the story of my journey home. I woke up at 4am with the old depression tugging at me and the tears began to flow. Why was I so sad? Was it more grief from my reunion? I found myself as before needing to be alone in my car to drive through the country as I did to the beach in California to cry and scream like I used to do when these sad feelings and raw emotions became overwhelming. Was I sad that my story was over and I knew I would never meet my Uncle Bob. Think of the good not the bad kept running through my mind. Be thankful for what you have and don’t obsess over the love of the people you don’t have I kept telling myself.

Our Guestblogger today is Marjorie Shaw an adoptee in a closed domestic adoption. This is the autobiography of her search for her lost self as an adoptee in a closed adoption. We are delighted that she has given us the opportunity to post her manuscript on our website in segments on Mondays and Fridays. © 2006 All rights reserved

Chapter Twenty- Eight - The Final Chapter - “A Family Found” (continued from here)

“Gary was abused as well as a kid. He was never good enough and never as good as Dan. He stuttered and was humiliated by my dad for it. My mom left Gary behind when she left and took all of us. So he lived with my dad for a few months after. I guess it got really bad and my dad held a gun to his head, among other things... etc. He finally got in his car at age 23 or so and drove to CA. Been trying to prove his worth ever since. He has been thru hell and back. He is very successful, but not so happy. Strange stuff when I think back about it all, unbelievable that we survived it and lived to be somewhat functional people,” and I agreed.

How astounding for me to hear all of the family dysfunction in a matter of two days in between all the family happy reunion festivities. I was happy they were telling me about what they endured because it mirrored my life in many ways but I held in my feelings as best I could trying to take it all in realizing they were like me and all of us had been traumatized as children too. My bags were packed, the girls and their husbands loaded up the cars with the food for the brunch and we were off once again with kids in tow to Joan’s farm for more Franke festivities.

“We are building a big horse barn to board people’s horses and the girl who is renting the little house down our driveway is going to teach lessons, train horses and take care of the stables. You can come back anytime and ride if you want to,” she said while taking an oil painting off the wall to show me.

Our Guestblogger today is Marjorie Shaw an adoptee in a closed domestic adoption. This is the autobiography of her search for her lost self as an adoptee in a closed adoption. We are delighted that she has given us the opportunity to post her manuscript on our website in segments on Mondays and Fridays. © 2006 All rights reserved

Chapter Twenty- Eight - The Final Chapter - “A Family Found” (continued from here)

So I went over to Carolyn who was about 6’ tall to ask her to take off her shoe to see her feet. I put mine next to hers and mine looked so much smaller but we both had the longer second toe that looked like a baby’s finger. The girls had bigger feet I must say and were bigger boned and much stronger than I but there was no mistaking that we were related.

“You resemble us you know. Your looks, your eyes, you’re tall and lanky and I think you walk like the family with the long legs, long steps and your facial expressions when you laugh are similar to ours. You look like Carolyn as far as facial structure, and mannerisms in the way you use your hands and arms when you talk. You look a lot like Emmy Lou Harris,” Mary informed me.

The florist delivered the flower arrangements, the bar was set up with wine from a local winery, the tables were set with small purple and pink Adirondack chair centerpieces with a small vase of pink, blue and purple daisies sitting on the seat of the chair with a beautiful blue ribbon tied around the vase and the stage was set for an elegant wedding. By 4:30 in the afternoon the quests began to arrive. I placed a box of my best handmade art cards on the wedding gift table for Sue and Steve. Once the priest arrived the music began. Sue, the bride, a mezzo soprano first alto had some of her students sing accompanied by a flutist and electric keyboard player play as she walked down the grass path toward Steve, the handsome blonde haired blue eyed groom. It was just beautiful. Mary their mother was a very good musician as well who played the organ and accordion I overheard someone sitting behind me say.