By Kit Bradshaw
Saturday, June 27, 2009
John Christopher Woods is hoping his photos and additional information about his birth parents he has been able to extract from the Florida Department of Children and Families will trigger memories in someone on the Treasure Coast, maybe even his mother or siblings.
Woods, born Jan. 16, 1961 at Martin Memorial Hospital, said he feels he is creeping closer to identifying and perhaps meeting his birth mother, but her name and location are still elusive. His mother was 24 when she gave birth to him and then gave him up for adoption.
Former Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers columnist Geoff Oldfather wrote about Woods in March, but so far he hasn’t located his mother.
“I do have some medical issues and have been put on disability,” Woods said,” which is one of the reasons I want to find out exactly who was in the family. The biggest thing is to meet my birth mother and to meet any half-brothers or half-sisters I might have.”
In addition, Ruthie Woods, John’s adoptive mother, has the beginning of Alzheimer’s and he is trying to find out as much about his parents as possible before it becomes too difficult for her to remember. His adoptive father, Lawrence, died in 2000.
Josette P. Marquess, director of the Florida Adoption Reunion Registry, gave Woods some information about his mother, based on a statement made by his birth mother at the time she gave him up for adoption.
“If I want any more information, I have to spend $350 to open my case in Vero Beach, Indian River County, where the adoption was finalized,” said Woods. “I’m hoping my mother didn’t leave the area and go back to a northeastern state. One thing that was odd was that she was on $112 a month from Social Security at the time I was born, which could mean there was a disability, although she didn’t indicate she had any medical problems. That doesn’t make sense to me.”
Woods said he has nothing against his mother for what she did, since she only did what she thought was best.
But, there was a wistful tone to his voice, when he said, “I wish she would have kept me. No matter what the circumstances, I just really want to meet her.”
Do you recognize the description of John Woods’ birth parents?
John Woods’ mother:
Was born in a northeastern state in the winter of 1937, which would have made her 23 or 24 at his birth
Was of Italian descent
Was a Roman Catholic and wanted her child raised as a Catholic
Was of medium height, with a dark complexion and “coal black” shoulder-length hair
Was the youngest of seven children
Left school in the seventh grade to go to work
Was primarily employed in meat markets and grocery stores as a packer and meat cutter
Had never married as of 1961
Was unemployed at the time of Woods’ birth, and lived on $112 a month from Social Security
John Woods’ father
Met Woods’ mother at a grocery store
Worked for a linen company
Dated her for approximately two months
Talked to her of plans for marriage
Told her he was single
When he learned of the pregnancy, told her he was married and had four children
Lived in a ‘nearby town’
Have information?
Anyone who thinks they know who John Woods’ parents are can contact him at (386) 752-0604 or via e-mail at sunnycrochet@att.net.
© 2009 Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers
