Aunt Virginia's Tribute

In the 1980s I started a search through ALMA to find Mom’s biological family.  It turned out that she had an older brother her mother left before giving Mom up for adoption.  She also had a younger brother and three sisters, and two of her sisters had the names Mom was given by her adoptive parents:  Nadine Virginia.  This is a tribute from Virginia.

My first contact with the Martin family was a phone call from Tina regarding her mother Nadine.  My first feeling was disbelief.  No, I already had a sister named Nadine but born two years later.  More on that later when we publish the book, should be very interesting.  The two sisters were later referred to as Nadine of the north and Nadine of the south.

Seriously, Tina and Dana and maybe others I do not know of worked terribly hard on finding us.  Traveling from California, Chicago, to the rural town of McClure, Il., Norman, Ok., and of course Kansas City, Mo., where Nadine (n) was born in a maternity nursing home.  More dead ends.  It seems relatives  would  not divulge what they knew, only that Helen was beautiful. So we Nadine (n) came to beauty naturally.  Thick, straight, raven black hair, warm brown eyes, light olive skin, tall, long slim limbs and a kind and sweet personality.

My husband and I first met Nadine (n), Kathy and Tina outside our hotel in San Francisco.  It was quite thrilling and so much fun.  My heart really humped when I first saw her, she looked so much like our mother.

Sometimes later Nadine (n) and Tina were gracious enough to come to Huntington Beach, cold turkey, to meet the other siblings.  Not easy for Nadine (n).  It was the only time we were all together minus big brother Jasper, who passed away years earlier.  She was so cute when she found we weren’t Jewish or Native American, was so disappointed.  Once she was over her discomfort, I think she realized we cared very much and loved her.

One time Nadine (s) and I stayed at Nadine (n) and Kathy’s overnight.  It couldn’t have been nicer.  Such effort for working women.  Nadine (n) was so funny when she came into the bedroom where we were going to sleep, sat on the bed and wanted to make sure we had the right information on voting properly.  I didn’t tell her, but I’ve been a Republican since I was 15, the only one in the family.

Another time we met her and Tina, Nadine (s) and I stayed at a motel along the coast and later went to Carmel and had more fun.  Margaret was too ill to come by that time.  Tina offered to spend her vacation time and help take care of Margaret.  Not many people would do that.  Her mother taught her well.

Nadine (n) was an avid skater, and so was I.  I used to work at the rink selling drinks to pay for m admission and rent shoe skates.  If we had only known we were so close, we could have taken a street car and met at the Hollywood Roller rink and skated the evening away.  We had many similar interests, like music, reading, cooking and sewing.

The biggest loss was she did not get to meet her mother.  Maybe she could have found out what happened.  We never knew what Mother was hiding all those years.  Must have broken her heart.

I’m proud to have had a sister like her.  She was a very accomplished person in all things she touched.  What an example to her family and friends.  I know she had her share of pain and fear, but she is knowing joy and happiness and more love now.

Love her always,

Sister Virginia