Gary David Hinds is my husband. He grew up in a middle class neighborhood in Covina, California. His father worked, his mother stayed at home and raised the three boys. On the surface it looked normal but the story behind it is anything but normal.
In another state, Lydia Mary Gaulthair continued on her path of destruction. She had at least 13 children and abandoned them all. Gerald was 1-yr-old and Karolene 5-days-old when she left them with their grandparents and walked away. That was in 1942. We don't know where she went but in 1947, she had Patricia. When Patty was 15 months old, she left her with her sister-in-law and never looked back.
Frances was born in 1952 and Lydia carted her to New Mexico where she met Ramon Montoya and had Ricky in 1954. We don't know the father of Frances. In 1955, Lydia was pregnant again and writes to her cousin Pat to see if she wants the baby. I have the letters. Pat agrees because she and Bill have tried for 10 years to have a baby with no success.
Gary is that baby and on Christmas Day, 1955, she handed the baby to Pat and didn't look back. She still had Frances and Rick in tow but dumped them into foster care. Ramon hired a private detective to find his children but never found Gary. Lydia made sure Ramon couldn't find him. Ramon adopted Frances because he couldn't split the kids up.
In 1957, she was back in California and had David (don't know his father either). She put him in an orphanage and headed to Texas where she met Tom. Darla was born in 1960. Tom had Lydia go back and get David and Tom raised him as well. Tom has alzheimer's and doesn't remember Lydia.
I wrote a book about this for the kids (meaning grown adults who were so confused about their past) so they would understand their history and the relationships. Someone said it gave them a headache. It's a convoluted tale with all kinds of twists and lies.
God has been good and allowed theses children to find each other. The whole tale was built on lies and deceit and that angers me. There are still family members who will not share. There is no one left to protect but they cling to the lies.
I have a website where all of this is detailed, Missing Pieces: The Gaulthair Children. I put this out there every chance I get since we are still looking for the others. The mother's name is Lydia Mary Gaulthair born on September 30, 1925 in La Farge, Wisconsin. She changed it from Lida Mae. She lived in Wisconsin, California, New Mexico, and died in Texas in 2002. We think that she had children with someone named Garcia. The would be in their late 40's.
We have been blessed with the new family and just recently, Gerald's daughter contacted us wanting to know about her new aunts and uncles. The "new" family has enriched our lives in ways I couldn't even imagine and each day is a new adventure. BTW, Gary was shocked when he saw a picture of his grandmother. For the first time in his life, he looked like someone.
Meeting for the 1st time
Gary, Frances, and Rick
Niles (my grandson), Gary, Frances, Darla, Bill (Darla's husband), and Tom, who raised David and Darla
David and Frances
