Siblings Find Youngest Sister After 60-Year Search
Campbellsville (United States):
After nearly six decades away, Suzie Roberts has finally come home.
Born in Campbellsville as Lucille Gilpin nearly 60 years ago to Guy Gilpin and Mary Rachel Barnes, the sickly child was adopted when she was just 2 weeks old.
Her mother was suffering from measles while she was pregnant with Roberts, passing on a blood disease to her daughter. Shortly after giving birth, Barnes died.
"Our father always said, 'She'll come back to us,'" said Roberts' sister, Nellie Schmidt of the baby.Though he was right, Mr. Gilpin didn't live to see the reunion. He died in 1993 at the age of 90.Roberts grew up knowing that she was adopted, but when, at the age of 3, her adoptive family left Campbellsville for Colorado, she lost all contact with her birth family. She's spent most of her 59 years in Colorado, settling down in Edgewater for the last 27.However, not even nearly six decades apart can break a family's bond.
After searching for decades, the Gilpins finally found their lost sister."We were so happy that we had found her," Schmidt said. "We tracked her to Denver, Colo. in the 1950s but that was as close as we could get. We've been trying to find her for years."Since 1990, Schmidt's daughter, Brenda Rogue, has been searching for Roberts.
Rogue finally caught a break when, in June, she tracked down a woman who knew the adoptive family. After getting a phone number of Roberts' uncle, Rogue started calling."He had just passed away, but it just so happened that his daughter was there cleaning out his house when I called," Rogue said. "She gave me Suzie's cousin's phone number."However, her cousin wasn't as forthcoming with information."
I talked to him several times before I got her number," Rogue said.On June 14, Rogue called Roberts."I was home sick from work," Roberts said. "I perked right up. It was strange. I was jumping around and telling everybody."Rogue said talking to her long-lost aunt for the first time was "a strange feeling," but the feeling didn't last long."
I was afraid when I called that she wouldn't want to talk to us, but we just started talking like we've always known each other."
"I was flying before I ever got on that plane."Though she made this trip alone, Roberts hopes to return to Campbellsville with her two children and four grandchildren soon.After catching up with her 50-plus lost relatives on Sunday, Roberts explored
Sept 28, 2005
James Roberts, cknj.com
Campbellsville (United States):After nearly six decades away, Suzie Roberts has finally come home.
Born in Campbellsville as Lucille Gilpin nearly 60 years ago to Guy Gilpin and Mary Rachel Barnes, the sickly child was adopted when she was just 2 weeks old.
Her mother was suffering from measles while she was pregnant with Roberts, passing on a blood disease to her daughter. Shortly after giving birth, Barnes died.
"Our father always said, 'She'll come back to us,'" said Roberts' sister, Nellie Schmidt of the baby.Though he was right, Mr. Gilpin didn't live to see the reunion. He died in 1993 at the age of 90.Roberts grew up knowing that she was adopted, but when, at the age of 3, her adoptive family left Campbellsville for Colorado, she lost all contact with her birth family. She's spent most of her 59 years in Colorado, settling down in Edgewater for the last 27.However, not even nearly six decades apart can break a family's bond.
After searching for decades, the Gilpins finally found their lost sister."We were so happy that we had found her," Schmidt said. "We tracked her to Denver, Colo. in the 1950s but that was as close as we could get. We've been trying to find her for years."Since 1990, Schmidt's daughter, Brenda Rogue, has been searching for Roberts.
Rogue finally caught a break when, in June, she tracked down a woman who knew the adoptive family. After getting a phone number of Roberts' uncle, Rogue started calling."He had just passed away, but it just so happened that his daughter was there cleaning out his house when I called," Rogue said. "She gave me Suzie's cousin's phone number."However, her cousin wasn't as forthcoming with information."
I talked to him several times before I got her number," Rogue said.On June 14, Rogue called Roberts."I was home sick from work," Roberts said. "I perked right up. It was strange. I was jumping around and telling everybody."Rogue said talking to her long-lost aunt for the first time was "a strange feeling," but the feeling didn't last long."
I was afraid when I called that she wouldn't want to talk to us, but we just started talking like we've always known each other."
"I was flying before I ever got on that plane."Though she made this trip alone, Roberts hopes to return to Campbellsville with her two children and four grandchildren soon.After catching up with her 50-plus lost relatives on Sunday, Roberts explored
Sept 28, 2005
James Roberts, cknj.com
