My time line:

April 2000- encouraged by Meron, my best friend, to get to looking -I’m not getting any younger- neither is my family.

May 2000- registered with DHS Adoption registry

June 2000- No match found. Have quizzed all relatives still living about this and can find no leads. Told to get my records open in Alfalfa Co- but how?

July 2000- contact a lawyer in Alfalfa Co. - called back 3 weeks later.  Told to call the Court Clerk Office and she has a form to fill out.  Called and 15 min. later I had the names I had been searching for for years and told I couldn’t get.

July 24- got the paperwork.  Started searching the Net - found nothing that made sense. Dad’s name Spradlin. Put out 6 inquiry's on the Spradlin message boards on genealogy forums.  3 responses- Don’t know the Spradlin I’m looking for. Later that day I get another reply to Check Ancestry.com- may have found him. When I found this person it made sense.  I contacted a paper in Tyler, Tx for an Obit- was all fitting into the puzzle.  My Dad served in the Army- he had a child older that I, he had come from Oklahoma- all those pieces fit. He was born at Yale so I concentrated my search in Payne and Creek Counties. I also found out that I had 4 brothers although later to find 2 were deceased.  By a shear stroke of luck a good friend (Thanks Sue) found my Mom’s marriage license. This was Aug. 10, 2000. I desperately tried to find something that weekend but no luck and I was leaving on vacation the 13. When I got back a week later I found my Mom's obit and got a death certificate. I found out there I had another brother and a sister. Wow I had a sister.  I felt like a sister might know something so tried to find her.  No luck.  Was searching for my brother on Mom’s side when I stumbled into another lead.  I found a brother of my Dad’s and he led me to an Aunt who helped.  She actually knew my Mother and told me a sister to my step dad who might help me locate them. On Sept. 18 I finally got this step Aunt’s phone no. I had to track her from N. Mexico where she had previously lived back to Ok. where she had moved a couple months before.  She gave me my sister's phone no.  I was so scared to call her I put it off 2 days.  On Sept. 20 I made a call and asking for genealogy information including health information I talked to my sister for over 2 hours.  Finally I couldn’t think of anything else to ask her and  told her who I was. She was shocked but excited to have a sister.  She later told me things that she had heard through the years and things that Mom said on her death bed that now made sense although Mom had denied ever having me, we believe because her husband did not ever know about me either. She immediately contacted my brother and filled him in.  I called him the next day and we conversed often by e-mail.  He told me lots of stuff about Mom and him and his sister growing up. On Oct. 28, 2000 I flew to Ca. to meet him and on Nov. 2 his wife drove us to Or. to meet my sister.  On Nov. 5 I met a brother on Dad’s side and Nov. 18 I met my other brother. 

I have been attending all kinds of family reunions, hosting some myself. On July 28, 2001, I had 72 mostly cousins on Mom’s side and on Aug. 4 I went to a reunion on my Dad's side.  The only one who hasn’t wanted to meet me is my Dad’s wife.  But I can understand. They were married when I was conceived so I’m sure it hurts her to think about her husband being unfaithful. Besides she is in her 80’s so no need to worry her.   I’d like to meet her but won’t push the subject. She is the closest to my parents of anyone living.   I have 4  really neat Aunts- 3 are my Dad’s younger sisters, one is Mom’s sister in law and also  a step Aunt. I have 1 uncle and some uncle in laws.  I have some really neat cousins- one who is actually trying to make contact with a boy she placed for adoption but he won’t respond to us. Everyone has been so nice to me and tried to help me find everything I was looking for and have accepted me right into the family.  I feel so at home with them like I’ve know them always. I have been so blessed and I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to get the information about their roots even if no connection is made or any reunion works after that. I’m still meeting nieces and nephews and cousins.  To have been an only child I now have a huge family and it’s fun but taxing on my brain.  Trying to remember which family every one comes from and how they fit and their kids etc. has been almost overwhelming.

My thanks to my friend Meron who gave me the kick in the butt to get started looking seriously, to DHS lady, to the bunch at the Alfalfa Co Court Clerk’s office who were so nice and helpful, Cindy for that Internet Tip that got the ball rolling, to Aunt Norma Jeanne who made the connection, to Sue who found Mom’s marriage license even though I had her looking in the wrong co.(I thought), to all my friends and family who expressed interest in my search and gave me encouragement and support, and to all those who have ask about this after reading the newspaper account. Also to all of you who have ask how to do this and sought help on getting started.  To those of you who have actually found someone, I hope your reunion can be as happy and as much fun as mine.  This is an amazing roller coaster of emotions that you go through.   Just keep in mind that if it doesn’t work you at least have a little information to go on. My main hunt was for health purposes which I think you should be entitled to even if no reunion ever takes place.  Good luck if you are searching.

Contact me if I can be of any help.