Articles Book III - Pg 1-117 (Adoptees) - triadoption

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: Decades-old letter is adoptee's
only. link to his Birth nlothcr
1 '
,By Jeanie Blake
nanlc tclorc 11e was n~lopled was lully sarrcndcrcd all my parcnlal wnrry that he mlghl havc inherill'
Ilcrl~rl. w~tntlcrs why. rights lo him." gcnclic prohlcms lhal wlll h
"What ilrlcnlllicallonl dl11 I ISC nelly has a gat lccling 111:tt \Ylrk passed on lo 111s rhlldrcn.
he lcllcr. dated Junc 20, prior to (hat lime lor such lhings as holt's niolhcr was told lllal lirr son Ilc whcn hk lirsl child iva
1944, 11 hls only llnk lo thc schoal,clc.?" hc asks. had dlcd. "Thal has happcncd horn, he loakcd al her with nwc.
t:
moihcr be ncvcr knew. Wlrkboll dncx know Illat he was bclorc." allc says. "For lhc lirsl IImc. I saw somc ,*
It Wac wrltl~n whcn hnpllzed al hlalcr Dolorota Church "Wc havc a lrlcnd, who also war one who had my hlmd," he rays.
Y',&(li~~k~_Il,~k_aa l!pert was In Nca Orlcan~. - adrq~ted la New Orlcans. Shr! discov- "Dclorc my lirsl child was hnrn
1 morbJw?noycars old, anddls a Ills l~apllsrnal crrtillcalr, whlch crcd that her hlrlh molhcr, who had wouldaclaally lay awakc at nl~hl
I
kad,~ldura~?ous rlory ol n yollnR 113s hls surname misspcllcd as lemporarlly placed her in a home, tear that my chlld would hc hor
rd&$~g gave Wrlh lo an illcgill Habcrl, cnrrics handwritlcn not. was told lhat sh~
had dlcd. If II Lop dciormcd Or not hcdllhy hcc~lllc
mntc.vqh'ind, bmu3e ol lhal, was (Inn: "@aptlz& In dan~cr 01 dcalh." pcncd oncc. 11 could hnvc happenEd had no lden ol my ~cnclle hack
ostraclredlrom hcr lomlly. Ills parenls arc lisled os again." ground.
Wickbolt we3 no! qufle two ycars "unknnvn." F.e and ilobcrt Wlckholl. Wick "This lrar is probaby incomprr
old when hls muthcr arolc 111111 IIIC ~icklr~ell, likc 11lt1;i "dopic&,' 116ll.s n1111plsd pnrcnls, r~cupy ll~c henslhlc lo inc propic 1vltl1 lamil
lellcr, and yet shc nnhurdcned 11rr- always hod a curloslly ahoul his thlrd sldc 01 the "ndnptlnn lrlnnglc" lrccs, but I had new seen nnsnn
sell to hlm as I1 he wrre hcr only past. Ih 1070, hc wrolc a soclal and arc Ihc oncs lhal gnvc their lhnl was rclnled lo me by hlocrl. a
conlldnnl and lrlc~d. And perhaits, worker In New Orlcans sceklng adoplcdmn thc leller. least no1 lhal I muld renrcmb!r."
a1 lhe Ilmc. hc was: Inlormlllon, b111 reached a dead Whllc many parrnls In their psi- Like olhcr odoptcl who arc try
From her lellcr, Wlckholt aar- end. lion mlght feel thrcnlcned. thc lng lo lnvcsllgalr lhelr hcredil)
mlrcd Lhal his molhtr was cducalcd Then. In 1916, whcn he was 34, Wlckholls arc secure In lhclr Wlckbolt Is eonllnually told -
and came lror~ban upper- or mld Wlcliholl's adopled parents Rave ndnplcdson'slovc. "We knnw hc has usually by slrangers - lhal h
dle-clau New Orlca~s family. him his niuthcr's leltcr. which had lhls unrest lnsldc 01 him and wc should drop 111s search. lhat hc ha
From a social worker, he lcarned kcn glvcn lo them by the xrllarc hop (hat hc linds lhc information no rl~hl
lo learn aboul his iinc~sc
lhal hls molhcr was 17 YcRn 0111 dqarlmcnl at ihe llmc nl l,ir adop he wants:' nobcrl's adopted molhcr lhat he should let lhe PUS1 sla.
when he was horn and that his lion. From lhal llmc on, hls curlm says. hurled.
a lalhcr was an Air Corps olllccr. Ily became an obrcsion. "We wlll always he a part of his But he thlnks about his mnlhcr'
But so much about Wickbolt's Wlckboll entered the Navy life - and he a part 01 ours - no letter and llnds new strength, net
pail makes no scnsc.l1is history Is a stralghl lrom high school, married, matter what he dlscovcrs. It not cnmuragcmcnl.
rnysler that Wickboll my3 hc mUBl had lhrcc daughlrrs. grndualcd Just curloslly, hut a nalural longlng It was rclallvcly easy lor \Vicl
unravcrll he Is lo 11114 pcacc. lrom collcgc, worked loward his lo know who onc'a hlrlh parcnls boll lo llnd out the lull idcnllly c
And the blggcst plme to the pur- maslcr's dcgrcc In psychology, and wmc." hk taU~er, In thc Imiler, hls moth1
rlc la that six-page litndwrlllcn let- was dlvorccd in 1912. "We lccl his concern, and arc ldenlllled him as "Col, Rcvcre.
ter pnncd alnlost 31 ycars ago lo Dcscllc his rough hcglnnings, totally supporllvc:' adds Rohcrt's whowasslallonrd at Eglln Flcld.
hlq by hla molhcr. Wlckbult Is an eaygolng guy, who ndoptcd lalhcr. Wickbull learned lhal his lalhct
It Is clear lrom thc lone ol her enjoys thc outdoors and lalklng wlll~ Whllc Wlckholt'n saga is unique In Col. lloberl Ezra llcvcrc who an
in Net
htr son on July 6, 1344, when she scuhn diving shop In I'asndcna. arc common tears 01 adopted Orlcans,haddled.
,101 paid, but shr never did. Tcxas. adults. llcavy on hls mlnd Is t11e Ilcvcrc. Wirkboll dlscovc rd, ha
: 111s mother lrnd gone lhroogh the Ilul his nhadowy past cnnUnucs lo -.
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emberrasrmcnl and hnrdship of haunt 11lnl. Wlckbolt rccnlls. with
havln~ - and kcepin~ - her illcpfi. sonic blllcrncss. that he has always married tw$Ils fitsf had hcr WIC~ WIS III ha. on her
.lmnle child. Why Ihcn didn't she worked. Nobody evcr gave hlm a dlcd, but his and lhclr son.
come? thing, hc says. two daughlem wcrc still living. Uul perhaps she had nn idea. PCP
: The lalhcr 01 her child, wllrrm shc Whllc man). adoplccs, who arc wlCkbolt Mrs. Revere a hnpsshc was wriling tor the tulurC
lellcr that she lully Iclcndcd (0 gl!l people. Ilc and his second wllc run il . parts, much of what troubln him -~&~G~CSSG~~~XI&~
Rr
'Idcntllled In her lcllcr as "Cd. looklng lor their roots, ex rcss lcltcr and then wen( lo .,isil hcr in lor rlghlnow.
ncvcre," was a married man. Atld Inlcrcst only In lhclr history. Ick. ~ ~ l vo., l ~ ~ t she ~ now ~ llvcs. ,
Ccr(Jinly shc reallrcd that an
whilerhecomlnricd hcnell vlllhl11s boll candidly admlls lhal 11 any M~, R~~~~~ told wlr.kboll lhnt infant mu]dn't comprehend all lhal
drunken proleulons 01 love, it Was lnhcrllancc is due him, he wanls it. $he remcmbcrcri hcr has was revcallng. ~Vhy thcn did she
~lnlully clear lo her lhccl Cut. Ilc says the inherilnnce would be band spcak(ng of a yoarlg woman ~II lnlo such dclall abnul hlr hlrlh?
cvcrc was not going lo get a lor hls daughtcra and son, hut an a hut lhat was 11,
dlvorcc.
"I think sl~c had a slrnng lCCling
aura scll'pl'y lor 'he
. She acccptcd lhal sad lucl and
Mrs. nctcrc's 21-ycartlld dough.
lhal hc lost surrounds hi3 claim.
that somelhlng was going to happen
.sccmcd mnrc dctcrn~lncd 1h1.n cvcr
AdrlPn she wi al first
Ruesscs lvickboll,
Wlckholl's swond wife, kl(Y, has
shmked [a
:lomlehllsh a norn~al life lor hcrscll
find orit nbau! Wickbolt,
hccori~c n skilled investigator In
"She was hoping lhnt aomchow.
hul hcllcvcs
,and her bahy son. hcllllng hcr husband. Hrr groat sornc way. I wnuld gel Illis lellcr
1lkC my lathcr;
Whal happened lo her? II11 sllc cnipall~y for his situaliun slrnls
and undcrslnnd the clrcumslances
;die? Imm hcr psilion on Ihc olhrr *id?
shc?Iald
,.I lhlnk
ina(clcp,lonc llltl,rvlcw,. of my birth.
(wickbolt) has a [lghl
Dut death doesn't onlwcr Wick- 01 lhr! adopllon lcncc.
to know who hlr molhct 19," she "She wrolc In her lcttcr 'don't lel
: Ml's qunllona. Dclly crlcd when shc lint read
I anytl~ing hdppen lu you' SO she was
11 hls nrulhcr had died whcn he
the lellcr. Dut her salty droplrls "ii;ll Wlckboll Is sl a, a loss con. worried ahout somcthlng.
.was o lnddlcr. Wlckbolt lnnlnlains wcrc no1 lor hcr husband: Thcy
; hc would l~ave been lnlmedlalcly acre lor herself and ~ l ~ k b ~
rcr~~lng
l l . ~
111s molhcr. ills knowledge "The tact thal 1 was lllrgllimate
' put up for adopllon 0s oolh hls blrllr mother. of hcr Is limllctl lo hcr ICftCr. rould have hurl nly lalhcr's mill.
: molhcr'r lamlly and Ills lall~cr sflc idcntllicd her because
And whilf lhc lC(ter. which hc tury career and his lanilly was
. clerrl didn't wan1 him. llcaltl~y. they all.rrcd slmllar cxperlrnrc: keeps protcclcd hctwfen Instic lnvnlvcd In la~~isiana p!l:!ct. She
: rhlle~oy hahics wcrc thcn, as nuw, A
When she was a nlcrc ,,I 14,
3hccts, continuc~ to haunt im, 11 was undcr a la1 of pressure."
, very mucli in dcniand.
does erase onc lcar lhni la com-
Uctty hecamc pregnant. Thc rnonlh
As talc would havc il, ii is now
DUl hC war 1101 placed lor ad011- a((cr sl1c turned 15, she had a bnhy
monl~ shared hY person': Wlcklnll's turn to worry about hls
' tlon. Instcad, he ~ I C C O a ~ war11 ~ 01 out 01 wcdlock and rcluclantly sar.
knows was loved
'
: the slrlo, drllllng lrorri loslrr il~llc rrnrlcrcd hitn.
motllcr, and (o an adoptcc lhal Is no
r""lhrr and what has lo
I~cr.
' lo loslcr homc, llvlng In I11c Frcnch
DcttY and. !oliC.li H'lckbu-U Sn~~v","!/~,"~~~~/~hlnks
abol
Quarlcr as a slrel urchin.
lronicall ilc ulqhcs he
Occupy two scparaic sldn nI what
~ h ycam w wtrc tough mnlc la lo hC callc IS n~otl~cr's lct~cr. he gels turlni~s. wris hcr a 61cr. ' '
adoptl,ln
hlm slrcctwlae, Wlckllnlt rcmllu.
"I lccl a lot of angrr bward ihc
Irlanfilc," which is corr~poscd 01 111c
I'crhaps Wlrkb~)ll wlll never
1113 carIIm1 ntcmwlcs arc 01 ronrtl- ~ ~ parcnls, l ~ odnpled l ~ ~ poplc who wfrc lnvolvrd with llcr know any tnorc ahrrul hlr mother
Ing ihc slrcclr 01 the French Qllar. ant1 ll~c ndol~lrc.
at lhat llnic because of lhclr of~vl. than uhat sllc rcvcalcd lo hlm in lhc
Icr, shlnln~ sl~oc~ In hnrv llc lrc. O Y dollsl ~ ~ lorgel ~ ,.hlld,., nus lack 01 conccrn ol*lul hcr." Ilc ~crirr.
qucnlly slcpl hchilld llllsllcs plonu Dcl~y snyr in a QICI voirc. "AI
H*~;pkholt ,lc nalllrally, 31181 thsl Il!llcr. wrltlcn rhrn all
the slrcetr. I:llrlslmns. cvcry hlrthday, yllu crlmc
romnnllclrc his nlotller and
prtn uscd ln~~ntain ink, stands as a
Flnally, when bc was II ycnrs nlu~aysrcn~crtibcr.
woulrl c,lnlncl
hrr lctlcr cor~)~rrcs t~p on lnlagc a lcslamctll lo 11cr wcnknes6 as a
old. ha was ndup'cd by hlne ;IIIII
llnbcrl Wlckl~oll, wllh W~IOIII iic III~IIII~II 81 I~~I~rrnctllary. when ltc
**qcry)x.a~~~lful
worrinn wiih ragjicd wunlan a""dhr ro*ragc
':Jlvcd lor six years. xc1.c III hc 18." shc says.
clolbes gnln~ around oakin# lor odd '""lh".
It look thrcc ycon lo? his ndo[~lcd wlt I w,rtlldn~i an).lhing when jolfi I mdcr to itlakc sufns* ml~rlcy It is
Wirkhol' "
prr0ttgh lo keep him searching until
garcnls to rccclvc his "dalnyr~l" PC wns yollnfi becn~~sc
lrlh cerllllratc lr8tti ihc wellarc he 10 111s ndoplcd lhal parents wouldn't and
Oelllllllil
clruld ovrr
hi nlollrr ills narr~rlcsr, Iacrlew, nlyrlcllou~
dqtarlmcnl. Wickbolt, ul~l~c sure
kl,,an c~lcCl hlrlh moti~rr 1s given an idcnlily.
wei~l~l be inn rsnluslng to hlrii. I
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