REFLECTIONS

In some writings, we have learned that Dorothy and her little dog ToTo were swept away from their Kansas roots by a tornado, which placed them on the Yellow Brick Road in the World of Oz.

A modern day fairy tale involves a Dorothy, too. She is my wife’s late aunt Dorothy Irene. It also focuses on Dorothy’s child, Phyllis Irene.

A clouded mystery has been cleared up with Dorothy’s grandchildren discovering that their grandmother did exist. They found the evidence with the help of their cousins on Judy’s side of the family.

As the true story goes, Dorothy had a child when she was 18 and in high school in northern Iowa. Nobody on Judy’s side of the family knew this until her mother revealed this secret over 25 years ago.

Such a revelation was not discussed openly years ago. To have a child out of wedlock was not accepted those days.

I will unravel this mystery further by reporting that the grandchildren of Dorothy and Dorothy’s nieces and nephews got together for a loving reunion just last weekend in Corwith, Iowa.

How did Dorothy’s grandchildren that she never knew, find out her identity and the identity of their grandfather? I will provide more details but must emphasize that I am only using first names of the people involved.

None of Dorothy’s grandchildren ever met her, but Dorothy’s nieces and nephews did know her well. She was a beautician who had a shop in northern Iowa. Dorothy was a friendly person but one who also could tell you what was on her mind at any moment.

Dorothy had a gravel-type voice who was loose to her siblings. That’s why it is so shocking that not many people knew about her secret.

It was Pam, a granddaughter who, with a close friend, began digging into genealogy of Dorothy’s family. As she was growing up, Pam asked her mother often about her biological mother. Pam said she asked her mother, Phyllis Irene, if she had any desire to find out who her mother was. She said she did not because “she gave me up and didn’t want me.”

The child, Phyllis Irene, was adopted out in Fort Dodge, Iowa. The adopted parents were searching for a boy but adopted this girl when she was made available.

When searching for more information, Pam and her friend discovered a birth certificate that led to the answering of more questions.

Pam found a name that led her to one of Dorothy’s nephews, Curt, through his job coaching website. She called him one Friday night and asked Curt if he had a late aunt Dorothy. When he replied yes. The mystery began to unravel further.

Pam informed Curt that Dorothy had a child, Phyllis Irene, born on Dec. 18, 1932 in Humboldt County.

According to a birth certificate, Lawrence of Fort Dodge was named as the father of Phyllis Irene.

In searching for more background on her birth mother, Pam learned the names of Dorothy’s siblings: Marjorie, Clarence, Marion, Iva Mae, Ronald, Geraldine and Kenneth (he died as an infant).

Pam recalls her mother, Phyllis Irene, having dark hair and big, brown eyes. Dorothy likewise had big brown eyes and auburn hair. Phyllis  smoked heavily as did many of Dorothy’s siblings. Pam’s father died when she was one year old.

Pam’s mother had six children: Mark, Pam, Lisa, Nick, Daniel and Cindy, the last three deceased.

Phyllis died at age 71 on Sept. 14, 2004.

More pieces to the puzzle began to fall into place as cousins began to connect by cell phone and by sharing photos. A couple of photos exist of Dorothy Irene and Phyllis Irene, showing them as looking nearly like twins.

The puzzle pieces began to fall together at the reunion in Corwith, Iowa when the lost cousins finally met. “I just wish I would have done this 20 years ago,” Pam said.

Cousin Curt recalls Dorothy addressing his mother as a loving sibling: “Good Gosh, Geraldine!”

 A non-relative who was a close neighbor of Dorothy has entered the picture to deliver lots of personal information about Dorothy Irene. Darrick said he will never forget Dorothy’s infectious smile. Darrick was Dorothy’s paper boy.

More chapters are being written on this family revelations. Stay tuned!