The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Crime off the Week Upsets often mark search for birth parents Editor's Note: The following is the third installment in the McHenry Plaindealer Herald's series on adoption. In this story, a local man's search for his birth parents is reported. By Angela Borden Plaindealer Herald New* Service When an ad< best to leave it is sometimes backgrounds unknown. But, in the case of Mike, a 35-year-old Cary businessman, his curiosity tofind his birth parents was so strong he was unable to ignore the challenge. Mike, whose quest was fulfilled and turned into a happy story, had many upsets and emotional misgivings along the way. In Mike's hunt to discover his birth parents, he used his lawyer friend Joe Gitlin for moral support and as a soun­ ding board. Just to make sure he was not legally "stepping out of bounds." The Woodstock lawyer was so impressed with the detective-like story, he invited Mike to tell it at a program on adoption that he recently chaired for the annual American Bar Association meeting in Chicago. Mike repeated his story for this series, with the stipulation that his full name not be published. Mike always had an "extremely good relationship" with his adoptive parents and realized the "sensitive situation" as his desire to know more about his birth parents became stronger. "I always knew I was adopted and much wanted by my caring adoptive parents. I experienced a very happy ADOPTION: Searching for love s « childhood being raised by loving parents and have not one regret," says Mike. By the time he was 30 years old, Mike's challenge to discover his background became irrisistable. "I needed to know my heritage. I had growing children of my own and couldn't tell them anything about their heritage," he says, ' adding that quite often he was asked by physicians about family illnesses and was unable to give an answer. Because of the close-knit relationship with his adoptive mother, Mike's adoptive father died some years ago, he was able to broach the subject of his birth parents with her and ^ °f my Starting out on his search, Mike assumed quite a lot about his background, which mostly proved to be false assump­ tions. i . "I did, however, promise myself that once I found the most important clues, I would wait a while to let my emotions cool," he said. About three years ago, he really, worked at finding his birth parents and discovered they attended a small college in Minnesota. "We have a summer cottage in Minnesota and as a child up there in the summers I felt a pull, a strong feeling of belonging, but I always thought it was a silly feeling and never told anyone," Mike said. When he and his wife were closing up the cottage last year for the season, Mike said "on the spur of the moment one day I decided on another genetic search for a branch of my family." He went to the college and with the "gracious aid" of an archivist, he was provided with a roster of students enrolled in the late 1940s and listed by their hometowns. "I had previously found out that my birth mother was of Irish descent and my birth father was Jewish," Mike ex­ plained. • • When he later found his birth mother's name on an alumni record at the college, Mike said he was elated. "I was tempted to rush over to see her. My emotions were almost uncontrollable. But, I was able to control myself and remembered my promise to let things cool down before taking action," Mike said. Now he was hot on the trail, Mike explained how difficult it was to slow himself down from the detective work on his birth parents. ... During the Christmas break, he admits that he managed to get invited toa friend's home in the small Minnesota town where he believed his birth mother resided and where his was sure contained my birth mother's . Christinas break, my friend showed me a yearbook with pictures of her children, my siblings, and suddenly there was no question. This was my family, my mother and brothers and sisters," exclaimed Mike. He said he drove by his mother's home, "hoping for a glimpse of her and the family...but I realized then that I had no right to disrupt their lives." UPSETS--Page 3 LompetitH^i like*y for mayor's seat Aid. Frank McClatchey, 3rd Ward, announced his candidacy for mayor of McHenry Monday morning. McClatchey, a first-term alderman in city politics, is the ninth person to take out a petition for the upcoming April elections. ,He will challenge Joseph Stanek, who has held the office since April, 1973. Stanek seeks his fourth term as mayor. The only other contest to date is in the Ward 4 where in­ cumbent Aid. Cecilia Serritella faces an election bid by Ernest Schooley. Schooley held the office prior to Serritella's election two years ago. Aid. Edward Datz, 2nd Ward, announced he will not seek re­ election. In that ward, Thomas Quamme has taken out ft petition. In other positions, Barbara Gilpin has taken out a petition for city clerk and Jon Meyer ia seeking to retain his seat as treasurer. Incumbent aldermen Elizabeth Nolan, 1st Ward, and Ray Smith, 3rd Ward, have both taken out petitions. Negotiations resume The McHenry High School Teachers Association, in a general membership meeting Tuesday, Nov. 20, voted against acceptance of a tentative contract agreement reached earlier with District 156 Board of Education. The Teachers Association directed their team to continue to bargain. FMCS Commissioner, Robert Calloway, will be contacted regarding the recent development. Hie vote was better than three to one against the tentative contract, ac­ cording to Teacher Negotiating Team Leader Gary Trembly. Valley View School issue Some concerns settled in mining pit expansion By Marion Olsen Pialadealer Herald Newa Service Bertilla Freund is Woman of Y ear Recognition refused for By Betty Smith PlalndMter HaraM aocUd adttsr A highlight of the Nov. 19 meeting of the McHenry Business and Professional Women was the presentation of a plaque bearing the inscription "Woman of the Year 1984" to Bertilla Freund. When asked later what her reaction was to the award she replied, "I was told to come to the dinner to honor my niece, Barb Gilpin, and I had no idea it was going to be for me. I couldn't sleep that night, and it took a day or two to get over it." Miss Freund was born and raised in McHenry. She earned her living doing domestic work and nursing care locally and Plaindealer Herald photo by Donna Santl Bertilla Freund receives applause from members of the McHenry Business and Professional Women upon being named 1984 Woman of the Year. around Lake Geneva, Evanston, Elmhurst, and other areas. When she was 24 years old, her brother Herb Freund lost his wife and left him with the for* midable task of raising four children, ages seven months to four and a half years. Giving no thought to her own life and future, Bertilla moved in and assumed the role of "mother" handling all of the ac­ companying duties for the next 12 years, with tender, loving care. She then resumed her career of nursing, cleaning, cooking, ironing and mending for families as a profession, all the while offering these services free of charge to many who were ill and poor; which she still does today. Bertilla regularly makes donations to FISH and Various food pantries. She collects boxes of coupons, clothing, soap, etc., to distribute locally and also send to missions overseas. For 29 years she visited Downey Veterans Hospital the first Wednesday of every month, to play cards with the vets and bring them homemade treats. Much to her regret, this practice had to be discontinued when it became more and more difficult to find drivers who didn't mind night driving. To this day, she can be seen frequently walking to visit sick people in the hospital, Royal Terrace, and shut-ins at home. Presently a grand regent, a position she has held many times in the past when no one else would, Bertilla is very active in the Catholic Daughters of America. Many of this remarkable lady's works of charity are known only to the recipients, but her accomplishments can be summed up as a woman who has dedicated her entire life to helping people and literally giving of herself. The McHenry BPW selected her as their Woman of the Year 1984, but she no doubt will be the Woman of the Year for many years to come, to many grateful people bu By Marion Plaiadealar Herald s.drivers trion Olsen m Herald Npwa Service The District 156 high school board of education last week joined District 15 elementary school board in denying voluntary recognition to the McHenry Schools Tran­ sportation Association. The group has asked both districts for recognition as collective bargaining unit for school bus drivers. Bus drivers are employed jointly by the two McHenry area school districts. 'A next step will be to hold an election conducted by the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board. A majority employee vote favoring the proposition would cause by law the schools boards to recognize the union. * In other business the board approved: -The addition of a job classification of lead mechanic for the transportation depart­ ment. The action will result in four mechanic positions in that department compared to a previous three. „ -Employment of Joe Klink as assistant boys basketball coach and Don Seaton as assistant girls basketball coach for the 1984-85 winter sports season. -Employment of Frank Hess, Laundry worker; George Mrachek, substitute custodian; Bernadette Jacobson, cook; Cynthia M. Veen, bus driver; Barbara Sue Williams, in­ structional aide; Kenneth Kujawa, custodian; Saundra H. Clark, substitute clerical aide and secretary; and Linda Schoen, substitute sectetary and clerical-instructional aide. -Employment of Sheldon W. Gillis as head of district maintenance (following an executive session). Board member Robert Ander­ son voiced his disappointment that the high school band didn't play for the final football game of the season. Adminis t ra t ion responded that a communications problem was par t ia l ly a t faul t . A report on a meeting with Allen Miller of McHenry Sand and Gravel Company answered a number of questions for concerned parents of Valley View elementary school students last week. The Building and Planning committee of the District 15 school board followed up on recommendations from parents at several previous board meetings to address problems resulting from the pit mining expansion toward the school. Hie pit and the school are both located on Route 120 west of McHenry. An effort to purchase acreage from the sand and gravel company to buffer the school met wi five feet high and topped with two strands of barbed wire. A two-by-three foot hole will be repaired. There are no plans by the company to replace it. Miller said in the report that it will be four or five years before the mining operation reaches the school property. William Landis, assistant superintendent, said hei had walked the boundary wheife the fence is located and found^the fence to be secure. "Some students could climb over it with effort," he said, "but it is not easily jumped over." He added that the fence is < students. off-limits for all Dr. Richard Farmer, district superintendent, noted, "It ia possible students could sneak off," but he did not feel ad-q npontivp rpennnop ""l uul lK ulu «Ol K*1 aO* The company will not self any property to the district. at this time. He Miller plans as spe folk needed suggested, however, that a high lied out buffering chain link fence be erected by ows: the district as a summer project before the mining operation gets close to the school. A ten-foot-high berm, 24 feet wide at the base, will be developed along the school side of the mining operation. Floribunda roses will be planted between the fence that separates the school property from the mining company's property and the berm. Evergreens already line the fence. It was estimated that this would create a 30-foot border between the pit and the fence. The fence is the property of the gravel company. It is about A parent who had attended other meetings on the sand and gravel issue expressed preciation for the response to their concerns, indicated that he waa concerned about the noise visual distraction and "Our primary concern whether the school and mining operations can live in harmony and we encoura monitor the pr< the board to closely.'* GOOD MORNING! INDLX HKHLKHI Vandals have caused heavy damage to the baseball fields at the VFW, putting the McHenry Jr. Youth League's future in jeopardy. For details, see Chris Juxwik's column, page 20. SHAW FREE PRESS MEDIA. INC Business. Sec 2, Page 11 Church Sec. 2, Page 4 Life Today Page 6 Neighbors. Sec. 2, Page 12 Volume 109. Number 28 Obituaries Page ]2 Schools... Sac. 2, Page 8 Sports . Pages 18.19,20 2 Sections. 34 pages