5, 1996
PAGE-9
[Tom
17. Sis-
lame was
and
Terry),
by the
ire-
Shirley
nna) were
when
adopted
her Tam-
by
two when
ram-
Roy was
ily at
early
fear as
to a case-
Opened,
0
toptive
was
the Okla-
Where after
es of the
and
udy, Gene,
e finally
Leona
naines
the
the
matched
other
such
last
family in
asking if
the split-up in 1951. Jim, the eldest, is located in the center.
they knew the family in ques-
tion. For every piece of informa-
tion gathered, there were nu-
merous phone calls placed to
unrelated people. Mrs. Smith
said it helped that four of the
children were placed in only two
homes. She would search for the
boy, as when she could find him
she knew she could find the sis-
ter. She also spent many hours
poring over microfilms from area
newspapers and hospital
records.
Jim and Sam came close to
finding "Beulah Mac" (Gene
Uphus) first several years ago
when they began their search
with the help of a friend of Jim's
from Whitaker. Ironically, Gene
was the last to be found, located
in October of this year. Leona
had written a latter to Gene,
thinking she had found the hus-
band of Beulah Mae. Gene's hus-
band, Tom, cautioned her to not
get her hopes up, that it could
be a seam. But when Gene called
Leona, who verified information
about her and her family that
couldn't have been known other-
wise, the last piece of the puzzle
was in place. Gene was also
startled, but somehow relieved,
to learn that she had been born
one of twins, but that her twin
brother had died at birth. She
related that during each o.f her
pregnancies she found herself
hoping for twins, and that occa-
sionally she would feel an ache
inside like a piece of her was
missing.
Terry said his adoptive mother
was reluctant for him to contact
his siblings, and he, too, was ini-
tially skeptical. But his wife,
Betty, said now it's as if "some-
thing that was missing in him
has been filled.
When asked why she was will-
ing to spend so many hours of
her time to help locate they fam-
ily, Leona replied, "The system
can just split up families; the
children don't have any choice.
I'd like to see the system
changed. As for me, I feel like I
was put on earth to do God's
work...Before we began this
search we asked for God's Will
to be done. They're all here to-
day. I think that says it all."
The reunion on Saturday found
not only eight brothers and sis-
ters coming together and enlarg-
ing the Anderson family circle,
but each of the children except
Joanna, who resides now in
Moore, haye families of their
own: Jim rind Sam have three
children and six grandchildren;
Gene and Tom, living in Kilgore,
Texas, have two children and two
grandchildren; Chester Roy lives
in Gary, Oklahoma, with his
wife, Susie, and have four
daughters and six grandsons;
Jack and wife, Carol, makes
their home in Breckenridge,
Texas, with their three boys;
Judy and husband, Lynn, have
one girl and live in V'mita; Terry,
also of Tulsa, and his wife, Betty,
have four children and four
grandchildren; and Vivian, wid-
owed, has four children and six
grandchildren.
Perhaps Jack said it best for all
of the family: "You hear a lot to-
day about family values... Some
of us were fortunate to have good
adoptive families. You also hear
about degenerating families." As
he looked around at his broth-
ers and sisters and their fami-
lies he said, "There's nothing de-
generating about this family!"
By Mo Wassell
The emotion-filled reunion this
past weekend of the Anderson
family was just one of several
such reunions that Leona Smith
of Stillwater has had the privi-
lege of being a part of(see Ander-
son Family Reunion story). She
has assisted three other families
reunite in the past five or six
years.
The first search began with a
close girlfriend of Smith's, who
wanted to locate her daughter.
According to the girlfriend, at
age 14 she had given birth to a
girl and was told by her own
mother the baby needed foot sur-
gery in Oklahoma City. Once the
baby was taken away from her
she never saw her again. She
was later told that the baby had
been put up for adoption.
Smith said this first search was
the easiest in that it only took
one week to find the information
and relay it to her friend. By the
time the daughter was found she
was 20 or 21 years ol.d, and had
been trying to find her biologi-
cal mother.
Two other searches Smith has
assmted in have been initiated
by parents searching for their
children. One couple were trying
to locate a son and daughter, and
one couple wanted to find their
son. They both were referred to
Leona through mutual friends
who had known of her earlier
success with reuniting her friend
and daughter. Since the Ander-
son reunion she said she has
been approached by others want-
ing her assistance.
Smith described the process of
locating adopted children as in-
volved and time-consuming. She
utilizes her computer in the ma-
jority of her efforts, both through
the Internet and specialized soft-
ware programs which compile
telephone listings social se-
curity numbers. But she also
spends many hours searching
through hospital records, court
records, old newspapers, and
even school records such as year-
books.
Occasionally those resources
dry up, and it then becomes nec-
essary to obtain an attorney's
services to order the courts to
open the adoption records and
reveal the adoptive families'
names. Then it becomes a mat-
ter of cross-matching dates of
birth with adoptive names and
making numerous telephone
calls to relatives and neighbors.
Smith said not all states are as
"ornery" to deal with as Okla-
homa, which is a "closed" state.
Illinois, for example, has an
"open" policy where all adoptions
are listed in the newspaper with
names and dates part of the
record: Oklahoma, on the other
hand, has still refused to forward
the birth certificates of the
Anderson children despite a
court order directing the records
be released.
When an adoptee is finally lo-
cated she relays the information
to the people searching so that
"they can have the pleasure. I
wouldn't want to take away that
pleasure."
In the searches she's assisted
with, all the parties involved
have been happy to be reunited
and have all stayed in close con-
tact since. They have all been
grown children whose adoptive
parents have either consented or
have died.
When asked what an individual
could do on their own to locate
biological relatives, Smith em-
phasized that the easiest option
is to "begin in their own home",
where adoptive parents are
given a six-page court order with
all the pertinent information.
However, for various reasons,
adoptive parents are sometimes
reluctant to divulge that infor-
mation, or have possibly de-
stroyed the papers. If outside
information is needed she rect)m-
"mended joining one of several
organizations devoted t:o m atch-
ing adoptees with biological
families. A.L.M.A. oflbrs free
membership and is located in
most larger cities in the U.S.
(check local telephone directo-
ries). Two other organizations,
where there is a charge for mem-
bership - $45.00 and up, are:
*I.F.R.R. (International
Foundex Reunion Register), RO.
Box 2312, Carson City, Nevada
89702; and
*C.U.B. Communicator, Inc.,
2000 Walker, Des Moines, h,wa
50317.
Smith says "Just knowing it
makes them happy ... that they
can get satisfaction from life" is
what motivates her to help thei
search. "There's enough sadness
as there is. The Andersons didn't
have a thing to do with it. They
always wondered what hap-
pened to their sisters and broth-
ers. It helps seal the gap - there's
an opening and a closure."
Mrs. Leona Smith and husband, Tom, of Stillwater, who
helped reunite eight brothers and sisters, separated since
1951.
Highway Intersection-continued from page one.
December 5 meeting.
He added that he will be urging the Town Board of Perkins and
the Payne County Board of Commissioners to also endorse the plan.
Before the project can proceed however, ODOT must find an en-
tity to pay for the electricity and maintenance of the lights as well
as pay 20 percent of the cost of the signal lights.
Sire said that he originally thought the intersection was in the
town limits of perkins, but after finding out it was actually in the
county's jurisdiction, he would have to submit the plan to the county.
Payne County Commissioner Carl Moreland, who was contacted
by The Perkins Journal late Tuesday evening, said that he wouM
have to look at the proposal before he could make any kind of corn
mitment.
professional approach, and that
he welcomes the opportunity to
grow with the challenge and be
able to gdve back to the commu-
nity which has given him so
much.
Chief Curtis Burns reported
that Kathy Edwards. had been
hired as the new Animal Control
Officer (ACO) for the Town of
Perkins. Town residents are cau-
tioned that the "leash law" will
now be strictly enforced as
Edwards will be patrolling
neighborhoods and picking up
animals found in violation of the
ordinance. Chief Burns reiter-
ated the $20.00 fee charged, plus
$5.00 per day kennel fee for each
violation. Plans are underway to
contract with a local veterinar-
ian for the euthanasia of animals
not picked up within the five-day
holding period.
An appearance by a resident of
Perkins whose small dog had
been picked up and who was
unable financially to pay the fee
before the expiration of the five-
day period prompted discussion
of the Council's inability to make
exceptions to the ordinance. AS
.explained by Town Attorney
McMillian, the council can revise
the ordinance but cannot grant
exemptions. The Council may
consider revising the ordinance
to state "fees as determined by
the Council", rather than incor-
porating the set fee in the ordi-
Other items acted upon in-
cluded the appointment of Kim
Reitz tothe last vacant position
on the Perkins Park & Recre-
ation Board, renewal of the
agreement for "Lease of Park"
with the school district, approval
of an agreement with Payne
County for repair and/or main-
tenance of town streets and al-
leys, transfer of a 1985 utility
pickup to the animal control de-
partment, and a directive to
have OG&E install the lighting
at the intersection of Hwy. 177
south and Hwy. 33.
Approval was also unanimously
granted for the closing of City
Hall on Tuesday, December 24,
1996, in observance of Christ-
mas Eve, as well as a one-time
monthly wage increase to all
City employees of $50.00 as a
Christmas bonus. Approval was
also granted to declare certain
items of equipment as surplus
government property so they
may be sold, as well as Phyllis
Stevens being allowed to work 8
extra hours during Gayle Sager's
vacation in December.
Action was tabled until next
month's meeting on the renewal
of the concession agreement with
Perkins Youth Sports Organiza-
tion (PYSO). It was suggested
that the language of the agree-
ment be re-worded to specify a
percentage of profit be returned
to the Town of Perkins for main-
tenance and im
ballfields. The council will re-
view the agreement in more de-
tail and consider the suggestions
made during the discussion.
Resolution #7-1996 was unani-
mously adopted, which sets forth
the meeting schedule for the
Town of Perkins Board of Trust-
ees during calendar year 1997 as
follows:
-January 6; ,February 3;
*March 3; ,April 7; *May 5;
*June 2; ,July 7; .August 4;
*September 2; ,October 6; *No-
vember 3; and .December 1, all
to be held at 7:30 p.m. in City
Hall,
Chief Burns reported a fairly
busy month. The Perkins Police
Department responded to 113
calls, of which 4 wee family dis-
turbances, 14 citizen, assists, and
7 othdr agency assists. They
made 30 traffic stops, with 24
citations and 15 warnings being
issued. Three accidents were re-
sponded to, and two felony ar-
rests were made, as well as 1
misdemeanor and 1 domestic
disPute.
The meeting adjourned at 8:40
p.m., and, following unanimous
approval of the same meeting
schedule for 1997 provided in
Resolution #8-1996 for the
Perkins Public Works Authority
' Board of Trustees, as well as the
minutes and all claims, the
Perkins Public Works Authority
at 8:45 p.m.
contacted by The Perkins Journal.
Part of the traffic study conducted by ODOT also included a traL
tic count of vehicles entering the intersection. The count, tak(,n (m
Monday, November 4, 1996, indicates a large amount of traffic en-
tering the intersection over a 16 hour period.
For example, 8,649 vehicles entered the intersection from ti e eas(
(westbound 33); 8,023 vehicles were going north or south on US177
; 4,273 entered from the west (eastbound 33) and 762 used the in-
dustrial road.
Of the 8,023 vehicles on US177, 3,129 turned left on SI133
(eastbound); and 3,985 went northbound on US 177.
In other activity regarding the two major highways in the Perkins
area, the Perkins Town Board and OG&E are working to get street
lights erected at the SH33/US177 (Whistle Stop) intersection,
well as getting the already approved street light and warnin sig.
nals near the gym in operation. "
The Perkins Town Board approved requesting that O G&E install
four lights around the "Y" intersection near Whistle Stop #2. The
Town of Perkins will pay the $75 monthly charge per pole.
OG&E Construction Superintendent Larry Potter also told The
Perkins Journal that a crew is scheduled to hook up the 45 mph
warning lights Monday, December 9, and a street light will ais( be
installed "as soon as a steel pole becomes available."
OG&E crews, as well as utility poles, have been hard to come by
in this area as a result of the ice and snow conditions experienced
in of the state last week.
PLi
ces
111 ,rkins 547-2477
Open ,8-6, Saturday 8-5:30
........ F ................................ " .................. !
:ed from
Ichool in
lighted
as
to the
and en-
the chal-
Position.
mg the
that his
As
his per-
little
his
Intro-
as the
by the
ecreation
of Park
items for
and
of a new
Director.
Clerk
Direc-
~ri Trea-
Chief of
Attorney
AJso
Mayor
Hall,
Longan,
on
, 1996, at
members
; of
He said that he was aware that a traffic study of the intersecti()n
c.
Director and Animal Control Officer Highlight Town Meeting was being done by ODOT, but was not aware of their findings until
