The Teacher and the Marshall

Jerry Cline

"I exist on the whim of an 1869 Comanche raiding party in Central Texas".  Thus begins Hope Baby Jerry Cline's book Born and Raised:  An American Story of Adoption. 

Jerry was adopted from Hope Cottage in 1939 by King and Bertha Cline.  His parents never kept his adoption a secret from him.  As was the custom at the time, his adoption was closed meaning neither he nor his parents had any information about his birthparents, but Jerry says he always felt special because he was chosen by his parents out of all the little babies at Hope Cottage.  In 1985, Jerry started his quest to find out more about his birthparents.  His search started where his story all began - at Hope Cottage.  Because all adoption records were sealed at the time of his birth, the information that Hope Cottage could release at that time was brief  without any specific names or places that could identify his birthparents.  Most surprising of all is 1) he learned his birthfather was 72 when Jerry was born and 2) nurses at Hope Cottage originally named him Monte.  Jerry put the information aside for 16 years.

Jerry's Parents - 1946
 King (back row, right) and Bertha (front row, right)



Prompted by a friend, Jerry picked up again his search in 2000.  At this point both his parents had passed away .  He says "However sad, their passing removed a psychological barrier.  I think subconsciously that while they were alive, I had not wanted to do anything that they might interpret as undermining to their position as my real parents."  In April 2001, a Dallas judge opened Jerry's adoption records and the search was on. 



Without giving away too much of the story, Jerry learned that his birthmother was Pearl A. Tullis (1901-1992) and his birthfather was Daniel "Dee" Harkey (1866-1958). Harkey was a famous lawman in the Old West and had even written a book entitled Mean as Hell - The Life of New Mexico Lawman.  During his career as a Marshall,  Dee Harkey rubbed shoulders with  Billy the Kid,  the Dalton Gang and Pat Garrett.  What progressed in Jerry's search and the family history he discovered provides an absolutely fascinating glimpse into life on the Texas frontier post Civil War.  How did a lawman from Carlsbad, New Mexico meet up with a genteel Southern school teacher from Louisiana 35 years his junior?  You will just have to read the book!

Dee Harkey

Pearl Tullis

And where does the opening line in the book fit in?  In 1869, a Comanche raiding party found the Harkey ranch too great a temptation to resist - thirteen children, the oldest only 17, running the family spread after both parents died.  For whatever reason, after terrorizing the family for two days,  the Indians decided to only take the horses and spared the lives of the family, thus ensuring that Dee Harkey would grow to manhood and father Jerry Cline. 

Jerry Cline is a mathematician.  He earned his BA and MS degrees from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and a Ph.D. from Purdue University.  His research specialty is Celestial Mechanics.  In addition, Dr. Cline served on the adjunct mathematics faulty at Washington University in St. Louis from 1967-2004.  He lives in St. Louis with his wife Phyllis.  He has two sons, two daughters-in-law and three granddaughters. 

To order your copy of the book, visit one of these websites:  http://www.jerrykcline.com/,   http://www.xlibris.com/ and http://www.amazon.com/. 

The Cline Family
Christmas 2010

Hope Cottage is the oldest nonprofit, non sectarian adoption agency in Dallas. Since 1918 Hope Cottage has been building and nurturing strong families through counseling, education and adoption services.

If you have questions about adoption, please call Hope Cottage at 214.526.8721.

If you are a woman facing an unwanted pregnancy and would like to talk to someone about adoption, please call Hope Cottage at 1.800.944.4464 or 214.404.4546.



Picture Tuesday

Every Tuesday, Hope Cottage, Dallas' oldest nonprofit, nonsectarian adoption agency, shares pictures from its archives.  Enjoy "Keeping Cool  at Hope Cottage"!

Nothing beats a shady porch!

Hope Cottage is the oldest nonprofit, non sectarian adoption agency in Dallas. Since 1918 Hope Cottage has been building and nurturing strong families through counseling, education and adoption services.

If you have questions about adoption, please call Hope Cottage at 214.526.8721.

If you are a woman facing an unwanted pregnancy and would like to talk to someone about adoption, please call Hope Cottage at 1.800.944.4464 or 214.404.4546.

It's Our Birthday

Tomorrow, Hope Cottage, Dallas' oldest non profit, nonsectarian adoption agency turns 93!  Come join the party by watching our Birthday Video - and be sure to share it with a friend!

Hope Cottage is the oldest nonprofit, non sectarian adoption agency in Dallas. Since 1918 Hope Cottage has been building and nurturing strong families through counseling, education and adoption services.



If you have questions about adoption, please call Hope Cottage at 214.526.8721.

If you are a woman facing an unwanted pregnancy and would like to talk to someone about adoption, please call Hope Cottage at 1.800.944.4464 or 214.404.4546.

Picture Tuesday - You Did This!

Every Tuesday, Hope Cottage shares pictures from its archives.  On Thursday (June 23rd) Hope Cottage turns 93.  Let's take a walk down Memory Lane.

Hope Watson (later Rohr) was one of the first babies placed at Hope Cottage.  She came to us after we had only been open two weeks.  Both her mother and aunt died in the 1918 Influenza epidemic when she was only two weeks old.  Hope was named after Hope Cottage and for the hope that she would live.  Hope Watson Rohr passed away in October 2010.  One of the highlights of her life was returning to Hope Cottage in the late 80's for one of our reunion events.

The House the Community Built.  Site of the present day Scottish Rite Hospital playground, this was Hope Cottage from 1922 - 1978.  Ladies of Dallas visited Hope Cottage in our little home in The Cedars and were aghast at the lack of amenities (screens on the windows, not enough room).  As women will do, once they see a need, they set out to provide solutions.  They cajoled and probably badgered their husbands into raising $50,000 to build Hope Cottage a new house.   This was the result.  A fine Georgian home for our babies. 

Founder Emma Wylie Ballard used to drive around town in a car just like this one, except hers had a stork on the front.  She would pick up abandoned babies and solicit donations.  Everyone could hear her coming and knew exactly why she was there.  Hope Cottage didn't charge adoption fees until the 1950's, so we truly relied on the community and Community Chest to provide support.



Thousands of  children have come and gone through the front doors of Hope Cottage.  When all the beds were full, we would hang up a sign that said "No More Babies Taken".  Once a little tot was adopted, and a bed freed up, down would come the sign. 

We no longer live on Welborn Street and we no longer house babies in our offices (how would we ever get anything done because you know Hope Babies are the brightest, the cutest, the smartest babies on the face of the earth), but our commitment to providing the best homes for these wonderful children has never wavered.  We could not have stayed "in business" for 93 years without Dallas and her caring, loving citizens.  From all our Hope Babies, near and far - thank you for helping us celebrate our birthday.  Being 93 never felt so good!



Hope Babies from 1927-2011



Hope Cottage is the oldest nonprofit, non sectarian adoption agency in Dallas. Since 1918 Hope Cottage has been building and nurturing strong families through counseling, education and adoption services.

If you have questions about adoption, please call Hope Cottage at 214.526.8721.

If you are a woman facing an unwanted pregnancy and would like to talk to someone about adoption, please call Hope Cottage at 1.800.944.4464 or 214.404.4546.

This Week in Twitter

Each Thursday Hope Cottage shares some of its favorite links from Twitter. As always, please remember that all links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content, accuracy, or any other implied or explicit purpose.

From Adoption Under One Roof

     Foster Care Adoption Has Risen in the U.S.: The Washington Times has some excellent news on adoption from foster care. 

Foster Care Adoption Has Risen in the U.S.: The Washington Times has some excellent news on adoption from foster care.

Estate Planning and Your Adopted Child
Cure Summer Boredom with the Boredom Busting Jar!
Another way to cure summer boredom. Check out these books on a Preschool Summer Reading List.

The Pros and Cons of Cloth Diapers

Baby Talk and Your Newborn

An adoption story for Father's Day

Hope Cottage is the oldest nonprofit, non sectarian adoption agency in Dallas. Since 1918 Hope Cottage has been building and nurturing strong families through counseling, education and adoption services.



If you have questions about adoption, please call Hope Cottage at 214.526.8721.


If you are a woman facing an unwanted pregnancy and would like to talk to someone about adoption, please call Hope Cottage at 1.800.944.4464 or 214.404.4546.

Picture Tuesday - Me and My Dad

In honor of Father's Day, Hope Cottage - Dallas' oldest nonprofit, non faithbased adoption agency, is sharing pictures of Hope Babies and their fathers.  Enjoy!

 

 

Hope Cottage is the oldest nonprofit, non sectarian adoption agency in Dallas. Since 1918 Hope Cottage has been building and nurturing strong families through counseling, education and adoption services.

If you have questions about adoption, please call Hope Cottage at 214.526.8721.

If you are a woman facing an unwanted pregnancy and would like to talk to someone about adoption, please call Hope Cottage at 1.800.944.4464 or 214.404.4546.

This Week in Twitter

Each Thursday Hope Cottage shares some of its favorite links from Twitter.  As always, please remember that all links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content, accuracy, or any other implied or explicit purpose.





This Father's Day Weekend Wendys is donating 50¢ per Frosty to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.  Check it out on Treat It Forward.   



From MLJAdoptions
     Post Adoption Depression Syndrome Part 1
     Post Adoption Depression Syndrome Part 2
     Angelina Jolie Talks About Adoption Themes In Kung Fu Panda And At Home


From Adoption Circle
     "Welcome Home" photo contest! Enter pics of your earliest days with your newly adopted child.
     Want to see your child on the cover of "Adoptive Families" magazine? Enter our contest today!

From Parenting Squad
     Top Five Adoption Books for Children


Hope Cottage is the oldest nonprofit, non sectarian adoption agency in Dallas. Since 1918 Hope Cottage has been building and nurturing strong families through counseling, education and adoption services.

If you have questions about adoption, please call Hope Cottage at 214.526.8721.

If you are a woman facing an unwanted pregnancy and would like to talk to someone about adoption, please call Hope Cottage at 1.800.944.4464 or 214.404.4546.

Meet the Staff - Amy Broussard

Amy Broussard, MSSW

Intrepid World Traveler - that is Amy Broussard, Adoption Counselor and one of Hope Cottage's newest employees.  Amy joined our staff in May where she works with parents waiting to adopt children from the Infant Adoption Program. 

Amy was born in Garland, but when she was one, she started on her "world tour" when he father worked for ExxonMobil.  Amy and her family spent five and a half years living in Indonesia followed by six months back in the U.S. living in Coppell.  Their next stop was Nigeria where Amy attended school from 2nd grade through her freshman year of high school.  Amy finished high school as a boarding student at The Hockaday School, while her parents moved to Equatorial Guinea, a small island on the west coast of Africa.  All this moving around has earned Amy the distinction of having visited five (North America, Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe) out of the seven continents in the world.

When she was growing up, Amy thought she would be a teacher. She used to "teach" her stuffed animals and use her bedroom window as a whiteboard.

After graduating from The Hockaday School, Amy attended SMU where she earned her Bachelors in Psychology.  She received her Master's in Social Work from University of Texas-Arlington.  While attending SMU, Amy had a mentor that helped her get a job in the children's room at the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center.  She played with and supervised the children while their parents attending group therapy or other appointments.  Her ineraction with the other social workers on the staff and her experience there, led her to see her master's.   Amy came to Hope Cottage from Refuge House where she was a Case Manager for foster care children.  She also did an internship with the Family Court Services while attending UTA. 

Amy shares her live with a crazy Boston Terrier named Parker.  He will be five in December and is still developing, shall we say, odd habits.  His latest trick is to jump in the dryer while the clothes are still warm.  Amy loves going to movies and keeping in touch with friends she made while living overseas.  Facebook has come in handy for that!

Amy's favorite part  of Hope Cottage is the positive work environment and the positive impact Hope Cottage makes on others' lives.  She loves being on the "happy" side of social work and seeing all the smiles. 

Hope Cottage is the oldest nonprofit, non sectarian adoption agency in Dallas. Since 1918 Hope Cottage has been building and nurturing strong families through counseling, education and adoption services.

If you have questions about adoption, please call Hope Cottage at 214.526.8721.

 If you are a woman facing an unwanted pregnancy and would like to talk to someone about adoption, please call Hope Cottage at 1.800.944.4464 or 214.404.4546.

Picture Tuesday - Scenes from Babypalooza

This past Sunday, Hope Cottage held its Annual Founders' Day Picnic (because you know we have our 93rd birthday coming up on June 23rd).  Enjoy some pictures from that event!

 


Kathy Cobb and Jennifer Terry prepare to greet our guests

  

The Therapy Dogs were a big hit again this year!



Hope Baby Artist Shannon Kincaid,
all gown up



Heather Hussong, Amy Broussard and
Christina Easton prepare sandwiches



DJ Mark Ridlen gets the party started!

Hope Cottage is the oldest nonprofit, non sectarian adoption agency in Dallas. Since 1918 Hope Cottage has been building and nurturing strong families through counseling, education and adoption services.

 If you have questions about adoption, please call Hope Cottage at 214.526.8721.

If you are a woman facing an unwanted pregnancy and would like to talk to someone about adoption, please call Hope Cottage at 1.800.944.4464 or 214.404.4546.

Babypalooza!

Yesterday more than 100 people gathered at Hope Cottage for our annual Founder's Day Picnic. Babies and toddlers were everywhere!

Despite the heat and humidity (what can we say - Texas in June!), everyone had a great time. The picnic is one of two events held annually that gives our Hope Families a chance to visit with each other, visit with birth famillies and reconnect with Hope Cottage. DJ Mark Ridlen provided musical entertainment and kept the crowds moving, especially during the limbo contest.  The Therapy Dogs were a smash hit again.   We snacked, we laughed, we smiled and we are looking forward to next year. Tomorrow's blogpost, Picture Tuesday, will feature more pictures from the picnic, but this photo was too good to wait until tomorrow to share.

Dr. Kenneth McIntosh, our oldest living Hope Baby, held our youngest Hope Baby during a group picture of all the Hope Babies in attendance.  We managed to capture this moment.

Hope Cottage is the oldest nonprofit, non sectarian adoption agency in Dallas. Since 1918 Hope Cottage has been building and nurturing strong families through counseling, education and adoption services.

If you have questions about adoption, please call Hope Cottage at 214.526.8721.

 If you are a woman facing an unwanted pregnancy and would like to talk to someone about adoption, please call Hope Cottage at 1.800.944.4464 or 214.404.4546.