IMMIGRANT DAUGHTER #22

As I write this story with the Lords’ help I hope to convey that we are nothing without depending on Him.

"Without love, we are nothing." 1 Cor. 13

I want to tell you a story about a man who grew up thinking he wasn’t loved. Perhaps when you hear his story you too may think he wasn’t. This story takes place in the early 1920’s when two people conceived a child out of wedlock. Now your probably thinking so what that happens all the time and nobody cares. But at that time good names were not to be tarnished. I will explain more about is as the story progresses.

The two young people came from opposite sides of the tracks socially. One family was rich and one, poor dirt farmers’ who worked the land to provide for education past public schools. How the two met is anybody’s’ guess. It was a very small community. The farmers knew the importance of furthering their education in life that many of their offspring went on to become teachers and professionals in other fields.

Now the daughter of one of the farm families had ideas and dreams of her own and was determined she was not going to be stuck down on the farm for the rest of her life. She wanted some of the finer things that life offered, servants, car, clothes and all things money can buy. Now you probably figured out the boy was from the wealthy family, and your right. Now here iswhere the story begins.

I will now give the two young people names, Elsta and Henry. At this time their last names are not necessary. It isn’t known whether the families knew the Lord or even raised their children in a Christian environment, but obviously they strayed. The one thing in their favor is that they did not want to abort the child.

When Henry informed his family of the situation I believe they loved each other and wanted to marry, but his family was ruled by the matriarch who was in control of the money. Now she gave Henry a choice he could marry now and be cut off from receiving any money or wait until the child is disposed. I don’t think she cared either way as to how they should get rid of the child.

Now Elsta has seen how people with money live and she did not want to give that up so they decided to go ahead and have the baby and decide what to do with it after delivery. In fact they married one month after the boy was born. Now she new the importance of getting an education and knew how hard her family had to work to make schooling available for her to finish. I’m sure they had many fun times together and making plans as to what to do with the baby and to get married to keep in the good graces of the great grand mother. They move to have the baby elsewhere and hoped the grandmother would change her mind. She did not and this is how they gave him up at birth .

There was a formal adoption by the Millers that had a little girl from Michigan. The baby was a week old when the Millers adopted the boy and had him four years then Mrs. M. got sick and couldn’t care for him. He was taken to the Children’s Aid Society. This began a long list of different foster homes. You can better understand why he felt no one loved him because he never became part of a family having someone celebrate his birthday with cake and ice-cream or even getting a present. The hardest to endure was growing up without hugs or anyone caring about him.

To be continued, until then, I am Immigrant Daughter