David F. Porter

It is time to jump back into a bit of biological family history. This one is a bit tough. David Porter was born to Grace and Albert Porter in Fulton County, Illinois in about 1927. My research up to this point has not provided me with an accurate date of birth. When the family broke up in the early to mid 1930's David, Kermit and Harriet are placed at Cunningham Children's Home in Champaign, Illinois.

I have spoken to Harriet about Cunningham and she stated the siblings rarely saw each other because the boys and girls were kept separate. David was eventually placed with a family but things did not go well. He was then placed in the Military School in Quincy Illinois. He is adopted by an Iowa family when he was 12 years old. We know this information because in 1960 he wrote Judge Murphy in Fulton County, Illinois and asked about his original birth certificate and family. Judge Murphy advised him that my biological grandmother Dora Louise Porter might be his sister. He wrote her on March 30, 1960 and relayed what he could remember of his family to her. He provided sufficient information to convince her that he was in fact her brother. David indicates that he lost track of Kermit when he was adopted by the Iowa family and has had no contact with any member of his birth family since then.

 

David's next letter to Dora indicates he has received letters from several of his siblings and from his mother. She sent a short note saying according to him: "She said it was too much of a shock for her to write more." He clearly has a gift for understatement since his mother had not seen or heard from him in almost 30 years. He has received pictures from several of them and is hoping for more. His sister Ruth suggests that that it would do no good to reach into the past and rehash all the things that happened to separate them and just move on from where they are now. He goes on to say something very forgiving: "I know Mother has paid dearly for the troubles of the whole family." He is most likely kinder than I would have been. He goes on to tell about his life. He served as a paratrooper during World War II in 1945 and 46. He is living in California and fate has not been kind at least financially. He is filing for bankruptcy. He is employed as a truck driver. He indicates he has met a wonderful girl named Dawn whom he calls Genie. She has two sons David 9 and Stephen 7. They also have a son together named Kenneth and a daughter Nona who is two weeks old. He states hopefully: "Our family is well and the future looks much better."

This is the picture David sent with his letter of his family without baby Nona.

 

The better times David hoped for were not to be. He next writes Dora in October 1960 indicating he is still working on the bankruptcy and that on October 25th his divorce from Dawn was final. She had run off with another man and left the children with him. The two older boys are going to be adopted by his ex father in law. Nona, according to David was conceived by the other man and is not his daughter although he says he loves her as if she were. He is not sure what will happen to her. Kenneth is the only child he feels is actually his. He apparently had asked Dora and George to help with some money so he could come out to Illinois and see them. George apparently was not happy about the request and vigorously rejected the idea. David apologizes for the gaff and states he is not a drunk or drug addict like his two deceased brothers were. He then states: "If anyone needed a drink, I should right now, but I know that brighter days are ahead and my troubles will be lighter very soon." He later closes the letter hoping to visit them soon and stating he is lonely there and has no friends.

 

I have discussed David with Harriet. When I interviewed her she indicated that he seemed to feel that his siblings should take care of him and provide his with a desk job of some sort. She relayed that he had passed away but she did not know when or where. My research to this point has not provided any records other than his military enlistment records from 1945 and his marriage record to Dawn in June of 1955. It appears that the brighter days and lighter troubles escaped him. Placed in an orphanage as a youth, cheated on and abandoned by his wife, seemingly rejected at least in part by his siblings one wonders if his life ever turned around. If I find any additional information I will share it here with you.