PREAMBLE: Jos, a child of a single girl, was adopted by a couple in Vancouver Vancouver. Over the years, Joe had moments of discouragement especially in his youth. He was always very quiet, closed, but always yearned to know his biological mother whom he had never seen, yet loved.
One day, a priest wanting to help him had said, “I’m going to the hospital where you were born and find out all the information possible to help you find her.” Jos was a warm person and the priest felt drawn to help him. “In the meantime” advised the priest, “find some work; find a partner and you’ll see that all will turn out well. Because you are a good man; try to pray to God. I’ll also pray for you. If you need help, call me.”
Note Bene: This was the first of 5 findings to which I was able to participate in and the most interesting. I never met neither Jos, nor Rose, his partner, nor Louise, his mother. All communications were strictly by phone and all names are fictitious.
On November 22, 1988, towards 11:00 am, I received a phone call from Laurent Lamoureux, a former school mate, then secretary of the town of McLennan. He told me that on a previous noon, he’d received a phone call from a woman from Vancouver who was looking for the mother of her fiancé. The mother’s name was Louise (Jos’ mother). He added that the mother of this girl lived in a small railroad town in Alberta and that the father worked in a company…that did not exist any more (1988). I asked Laurent if he had any other information and if it was very important to get this information about the mother. “Rose told me” said Laurent, “that it was very important; that she wanted to find Jos’ mother to invite her to their wedding next June. She said it was her wedding gift to Jos. She said, ‘I’m determined to find her, even if means calling all small towns in Alberta.’” In 1988, one had to pay for all long distance calls…she must have spent many hundreds of dollars but she added, “That is nothing; if I can find Jos’ mother.”
At the Genealogical Society in Donnelly where we had begun to index all Franco-phone names of Alberta, I found a person with the identical name, and this intrigued me.
A person born the same year as me; the third of a family as I am; her parents had married during the same year as mine had; just like me, she had four children, one boy and three girls. Also we had both lost a child tragically in the summer of 1986..
It was noon and too late to phone Laurent Lamoureux who had asked me to call him as soon as I found anything. That afternoon I should have been off work, but for such a thing, I decided to return to the office. Around 1:30 I called and told him, “I’ve found a person of the right name, perhaps the right age; but the parents live in Edmonton, therefore not on a farm, nor in a small railroad village.” Laurent asked me if I would abandon my research and I said that I guess I would since I didn’t have sufficient information.
Laurent called Rose and told her that a person was found in Alberta with the right name and approximately the right age; he said that this person lived in the city and had no connection to any railroad village. Rose replied that the Donnelly woman (me) had the right person and asked for her phone number (mine).
Around 4:00 o’clock, I received a phone call from Rose, ”Marie” she said, “ We must continue. I feel that you are on the right track. Jos is 33 years old; his mother is 55; that’s 22 years of difference; today is the twenty-second day of the eleventh month of 1988. All these numbers are doubles; that must mean something!” I was not convinced of this, but Rose was so pleasant, so I listened to her. While talking to her, I realized that Louise was married and her husband’s name was a very rare one; that might help, I thought.
The telephone at the Society had a very long extension cord so I stretched out my arm to grasp the Edmonton phone book and found that there were only four names similar to the one mentioned as Louise’s husband. This made things easier, so I told Rose “I’m going to leave you and see what I can do,”
On the first call, a man answered and he said that Louise was his sister-in-law, and he gave me her number because she lived with her mother. Rose called me back only a few minutes later and I gave her the new information which I had just found.
‘I’ll call Louise and I’ll get back to you in fifteen minutes.” She said
She called “Hello, are you Louise?”
Rose went ahead and asked if the date August 15, 1955 meant anything to her. She hesitated and replied “No”. Rose pushed ahead “That’s too bad; I’m looking for my fiancé’s mother; he’s a very good-looking man. He’s 6 feet tall, in fact, he isn’t only good-looking, but also a good person who wants so much to meet his mother. A priest who wanted to help him went to the St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver to ask a nun to give him all the information possible.” Louise couldn’t stand it anymore and said,
“That mother is me.” but did not add much more. It was obvious that she was in a state of shock and thus ended the conversation.
Rose called me back and said, “It’s her!!” I could barely believe it; then Rose added “Do you think she’ll call me back.” ”Yes” I said, I’m sure she will.”
The next morning around 9:30, Rose called and told me everything. Yesterday when Jos came home from his work, I met him at the door and told him “I’ve found your mother!” and like his mother, he did not say much. I made him a nice supper then we talked about many things. At 7:00 the phone rang and I answered it.”
---“Hello.”
---“Is this Rose?”
---“Yes” I replied.
---“Is he there?”
---“Yes.”
---“Do you have two telephones?”
---“Yes.”
---“Here we have two telephones. My mother is on the other one. Ask him to pick up a telephone.
---“O.K.,” I added “Joseph. It’s your mother.”
The conversation began slowly, but after a few minutes, things developed into longer sentences. His mother asked about his job, his future marriage plans, etc.”
Neither the mother nor Joseph showed any signs of emotion (according to Rose). The mother explained how her parents were good people. My father said, “We’ll sell the farm, move to the city where I’ll find work. Our daughter will not be the subject of everyone’s conversations.” Then my father told my mother “Take care of Louise.
We’ll go to Vancouver where you know a nun at St. Paul’s Hospital. We’ll rent a motel for as long as needed.” Rose said to me “We all understood.”
We’ll go to Vancouver where you know a nun at St. Paul’s Hospital. We’ll rent a motel for as long as needed.” Rose said to me “We all understood.”
After this long conversation, Rose suggested to Jos that they go to a small restaurant for a soothing cup of tea. Also the walk would do them both good. Then Rose said to me, “What do you think of this?” I replied, “It’s nerves; there are so many emotions…” then I added that the mother had probably had the same reaction and for as long a time.
Rose added “We went shopping that morning for Christmas, for a gift for his mother, his grandmother; then we wrapped them and mailed them.”
Three days later Rose called me to say that Louise had called the previous evening to say that Louise told each of her children the whole story.
One of her daughters lives in England and she said she’d be here for Christmas; she invited Jos and I and promised a warm family dinner with the children and their spouses only. She added that since she lived alone with her mother who was widowed; they’d be 10 people. Rose is a person who is not afraid to show emotions. She said, “I was not eager for Christmas; I lost my father in August….”
Jos and Rose got on VIA rail for Edmonton on December 23. It was the first time that Rose and Jos had taken this train. When they arrived in Jasper, beautiful snow flakes like one rarely sees in Vancouver were falling. In Jasper, she turned to Jos and told him she’d give him a lovely 3-inch diameter silver medallion, engraved on the back were the words, “Today I’ve found my Mother”, December 24, 1988.” After a few tears Jos pinned on his medallion. Rose had seen to it that Joseph was wearing a stylish sweater to go with the medallion.
During this time in Donnelly, we had visitors and I was sitting facing the clock and I was quite nervous!!
The train arrived in Edmonton at 3:00 and immediately as it entered the station, Jos and Rose were called over the intercom and then they all met…There were tears of joy, many tears of joy, and hugs and arms all over the place. Louise, the mother, met her son who was also a 6-footer and the two brothers looked so much alike! Louise was small and wore a fashionable fur coat she’d purchased where she worked. Every now and then, each looked at each other and tears of joy started to flow again.
“Jos’ brother took me in his arms and hugged me; he was also six-feet tall.”
Finding one’s child is quite a unique experience, but when it’s Christmas Eve, it must be something special…
“Once we arrived at the house, we met Jos’ grandmother and we ate a welcoming meal. Then we talked until 10:00 then got ready to go to Midnight Mass.”
The mother, her two sons and Rose, all went to Midnight mass together …a mass which Louise had paid for in gratitude; she had not given the priest the reason for the mass. In church, the mother was seated between her two sons. Rose added that sometimes when they stood during the service, she’d back a little and she’d notice that Jos and Louise were holding hands.
The next morning was the gift-exchange. In the afternoon, a wonderful dinner was eaten where all went well. Rose told me “We spent a very nice Christmas, and I had expected a sad time because my father had recently passed away.”
‘We discussed wedding plans and Jos asked his brother if he’d accept to be his best man. His brother replied ‘Of course; I’ve always wanted a brother, and since last night, I’ve received my wish.’ Everyone agreed to be at the wedding, even the grandmother who said she’d go back to Vancouver with Louise ‘but this time, for a wedding,’”
Being the pleasant, courteous person that she was, Rose called me in July 1989 to tell me all about the wedding and who was present.
The research had been rather easy to do, and for me when Louise ‘s brother-in-law answered the phone and gave me without hesitation Louise’s phone …to a real stranger, I believed that prayers had helped Joseph to find his mother.
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