state Battalion/Page 7 March 26, 1982 Family unites [after years }of separation 'gun. lay foiu irea nei ty saidi] np con saplo[ udeh l«l limed ik) Missioif hich il Spencul iuddf ) years jl liefi ovn o show charged nderal lid notb convict’ 1, 19711 estimoi of Sliit atherfoi r as til man and Kill a isolaq her I ■ butto en rapt tting 1 fled, il ae folio illeged. of wh ne cotf estimoi ?nt pit an allot anothfl i Clin mnot i ave I ng til thef )m eroi kies Dub'e.' 1 ! ager United Press International CUSHING, Okla. — The [search lasted decades, but Hazel [Beatrice McGonaha and four of [the five children she was forced [to give up for adoption 38 years [ago will meet again today in [Dallas. The reunion will not be com- [plete, though, because Walter [Elmer McGonaha, who was born [after his father died, still has not |been found. Paul Ithamer McGonaha [died in 1942, leaving behind a [wife and four young children. McGonaha was uneducated, [unskilled and unable to provide [for her family. W'hen Walter was srn, she nearly had a nervous breakdown. The best thing to do, she de cided, was to allow the state wel fare department to take custody af the children until she was able i provide for them. McGonaha, vho was raised in an orphanage lerself, reluctantly turned them [over to the state in 1944, with the assurance they never would be keparated. Now, after decades of sear ching through telephone books and running ads in newspapers and magazines across the coun- Itry, most of the children and [their mother are finally getting pack together. The family said Walter, who [would now be 38, may have lived vith a family named Cox some- vhere in Oklahoma. He was less khan a year old when he was Adopted, and may not even real ize he grew up in a foster home. Maxine Terrel, the third bldest sibling, has spent nearly BO years trying to reunite the family. Terrel, 48, now lives in Mul- lane, Kan. James Albert McCo- jiaha, 51, is flying in from Moses Lake, Wash., for the reunion. Ceorge Dean, 45, and Wilbur Francis Dean, 42, who were kaised by the same foster pa ints, live in the Dallas area. Barbara June McCoy, 36, a half- kister who was born a few years Vter the rest of the children vere adopted, lives in Stillwater, 5kla. Their mother, 71, returned lo the Southwest when she redis- kovered George and Wilbur, and now lives near Dallas. When her father died after a long illness, Terrel said, her mother was unable to cope with raising the family. The children were sent to fos ter homes in Stillwater. Some then were sent to Perry, Okla., where they were split up again and sent to Guthrie. “We were separated from the beginning,” said George Dean, now a chief engineer for a Dal las-based electronics firm. “I have very vivid memories of our life before the separation and they are the driving force for making the reunion happen.” Terrel said it became a per sonal obsession over the years to find all the children. Starting in 1953, she sent out search letters, placed ads in pap ers and spent hours examining phone books. She joined the Wichita Adult Adoptees Club, and recently hit paydirt when a letter intended for Walter was recognized by George and Wilbur. “I knew I would succeed eventually,” she said. “You have to have a lot of faith in the Lord. When you’re adopted it leaves so many blank spaces, and I can’t put into words the heartbreak I went through.” A number of factors further complicated a seemingly impos sible task. Wilbur once was told all his family members were dead when he tried to find the brothers and sister he vaguely remembered. State laws also complicated the search, as did the fact that some of the siblings never may have been formally adopted by their foster parents. “Oklahoma has a closed re cords law for adoptees that I think for 40-or 50-year-old adults is completely stupid,” George said. His mother also ran up against roadblocks when trying to find her children, George said. “You can tell she has quite a bit of bitterness in her because of that,” he said. “But now she just wants to spend the rest of her life with us.” exas Air wants merger of airlines United Press International HOUSTON — Continental kir Lines Inc. could become a wholly owned subsidiary of lexas Air Gorp. if shareholders [pprove a plan proposed by the ro companies. Texas Air, parent company kf Texas International Airlines, [Iready owns 51 percent of Con- Inental common stock, but the pnancial combination of the two prriers proposed Wednesday Vould place both airlines under lie control of one company. Both airlines would continue >operate with their own identi- > if the plan isapproved injune stockholders, officials said. Terms of the transaction spe- jify the outstanding 49 percent KContinental’s publicly owned ock would be exchanged for Nr-tenths of a share of Texas kir common stock and S4 in li- nidating value of a new issue of Jexas Air preferred stock. The new stock would pay an annual dividend of 15 percent of the value. Company spokesmen said the proposed combination would result in operating cost reduc tions and increased revenues. The two carriers would syn chronize their respective sche dules to provide feeder traffic for each other and improve con nections at the hubs of Houston and Denver. Spokesmen said they expect to officially file terms with the Securities and Exchange Com mission in early April and will present the proposal for share holders’ approval at meetings in early June. Texas Air is a Houston-based holding company that owns Texas International Airlines and 67 percent of New York Airlines. Continental Airlines is headquartered in Los Angeles. otorcycle gang hreatens Garland United Press International GARLAND — Members of a orcvde gang, already ac- **<1 of harassing one city em- ee this week, have ^tened more violence a, nst the city, police say. Police said people believed to members of the Scorpion orcycle gang made the rf ats after two members of the were arrested and charged murder in the death of a woman. Ernest Brandon, 32, and r^ld Smith, 35, ere charged March 16 death of Eli- Gavin, 21, also known as A Saw > er » "hose body was m a pickup truck in Gar- ^ ‘"o men on “chopper-type ^orcycles I uesday harassed dler department employee driving a truck, police said. When the driver stopped his truck, the two men banged on its locked door, but could not get inside. The driver's dispatcher re ceived a phone call from a man who said the drher would be kil led if police “did not release our friends from jail.” Last Wednesday, the Garland SWAT team surrounded police headquarters after police re ceived a call saving someone planned to get “our friends" out of jail that night. How ever, the suspects were transferred with out incident to Dallas Countv Jail the next dav. Police Chief Jesse Young blood called the threats “Mickev Mouse stuff.” hut said thev were worth attention and the depart ment would take precautions. 24-Hr. Stereo MARATHON ONCE A YEAR, DYR THE DISCOUNTER STAYS OPEN ROUND THE CLOCK TO OFFER YOU SOME TRULY OUTSTANDING STREO DEALS. EACH HOURLY SPECIAL LISTED BELOW IS GOOD ONLY FOR THE HOUR SHOWN AND IS GIARANTEED TO BE AT ITS LOWEST PRICE EVER! SALE BEGINS FRIDAY AT 6 0 CLOCK! Friday 6 p.m. 'til Midnight Hourly Specials! 6 to 7 p.m. Friday— VMS Blank Videotapes Stock up on RKO T-120 blank videotapes in the most popu&r VHS format. 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