PERSON OF INTEREST | An ongoing series
— from Kathy Aney, East Oregonian —
Anita “Cele” Westlake is happily climbing her family tree for the first time.
Westlake fantasized about her biological family for most of her 66 years. Adopted by a Washington couple, Westlake grew up in a happy home, but always wondered about her roots.
She’s wondering no more.
The Orcas Island woman recently traveled to Pilot Rock to meet two biological siblings and dozens of cousins, aunts, uncles and other family members who she hadn’t known existed until a few months ago.
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Late last year, Westlake read an article about a woman who found her birth parents.
“The article gave instructions about how to obtain an original birth certificate,” she said.
In February, she applied and received a birth certificate that gave her parents’ names as Verna Etta Russell Fry and Robert Clair Fry. The space for the baby’s name was blank.
Armed with her parents’ names, Westlake searched Ancestry.com for connections and found postings from Donna DeGraw, of Pendleton, who listed Verna and Robert on her family tree. Westlake and DeGraw exchanged a flurry of messages and finally DeGraw wrote, “We are cousins.” The news sent Westlake spinning.
“It was ‘Oh, my God, oh my God, oh my God,’” she said.
Westlake learned that her parents, Verna and Robert, birthed at least eight children, but gave them all up, several of them all at once to an Ohio orphanage. Two were taken away by the court in 1956 because the couple had no known residence. DeGraw said the family has kept rough track of five of the kids, but didn’t know the fate of the others. She told Westlake that Robert died in 1975 and Verna’s whereabouts are unknown.
As an aside, Westlake decided to go through DNA testing offered by Ancestry.com to uncover her ethnic mix, and that’s when she got another surprise. Unbeknownst to her, another of Verna and Robert’s offspring was on his own quest to find his roots and had already undergone DNA testing. Ed Johns, of Mountain Home, Idaho, got his results a week before Westlake in early May. When the two appeared as matches, Westlake messaged Johns. Soon, they connected by phone.
“Are your feet touching the ground?” Johns asked Westlake.
“I’d been looking for years,” Johns said, “and all of a sudden the door opens. My DNA matched perfectly with hers.”
SOURCE, and to read more: https://www.eastoregonian.com/eo/local-news/20160617/siblings-meet-for-first-time-in-their-sixties
ORIGINAL STORY in Orcas Issues: https://theorcasonian.com/cele-westlake/
Thanks for reprinting this. I think it is an amazing story and I am more than happy for it to be shared. It was so exhilarating to have carload after carload of people emerge from vehicles at the picnic on Saturday. The resemblances to me made me feel like I belonged, even before meeting the people. They all welcomed me with open arms and hearts. There were lots of tears and lots of hugs and, for those that know me, my saying lots of hugs means something. Wonderful adventure that has just begun!
wow,
great article to remind us that positive things happen every day in our lives,one never knows what’s around the corner, and there happy endings as well. what else can be said?
scott gianola
(known as “the grumpy barista “)
Cele. Another fantastic story of finding loved ones. This is the third one that I have read. I know that it is surreal and sometimes overwhelming with a flood of emotions as we both know. Looking forward to seeing you again here in Idaho.
Love ya
Your new brother Ed
Cele:
Perseverance wins!! Congratulations on finding your family!
A truly joyful tale!
love all round,
winnie
Love these three so much. It is so easy to love them. They are just like me. The shoes adult there but I love them as if I was the tallest. But I’m not, but I could wish I was. But to these three they still loved me back. We here in Oregon, New Mexico and Washington people are better for meeting them.
So thankful for all of them, even the 4 I still want to meet. Now you can see the good in getting your real birth certificate. I’m so glad that Washington and Oregon has open theirs up so the kids can find their family. For some it is good and for some it is painful like our daughter. It was painful for her. So glad this one was so good for all or at least for the ones that believes in getting your birth certificate.
Hi Cele.. You may or may not be aware that you have two more sisters. Both of them live in the state of Arkansas. If you are interested I will try and give you more information.
Take care,
Donna(sis) Henderson
So happy to have found birth brothers and sisters. Everyone is now present and accounted for – have contacted brother Chuck Fry (Charles) in Ohio, and sisters Bobbie Coulter (Roberta Clair Fry) and Almina Fry (Amy Moore) in Arkansas. These in addition to Ed (Ed Donald Johns) and Ron (Ronald Robert Fry) in Mountain Home, Idaho and Donna Henderson (Donna Z Fry) in Prescott Valley, Arizona. Barbara (Barbara Russell Powell Chavarria) passed in 2006. Absolutely wonderful to have made these connections with my previously unknown past.