I am adopted and due to a interesting turn of events I was given an opportunity to meet my birth Mother at the age of 52 on her 75th birthday. During the
short time we were in communication I found that she, her half brother and her half sister were put in the Rosalie Tillis Orphange in Ft Smith, AR about
1938. My birth Mothers name is Elmerita Staley, her half brother was Warren Staley, and the missing half sister is named Elmerine Staley.
Elmerine Staley was born in Ft Smith, AR on August 19th, 1936 and was placed in the orphanage a short time after the oldest two children. Even being sisters
the two girls were not close. The children in the orplhanage were no allowed to co-mingle with the opposite sex even if related unless a parent of family
member came to vist.
The last time my birth Mother Elmerita saw her half sister was in 1952 on a street in Fort Smith. The
two had a diffrerence of opinion and Elmerita never saw her sister again. Elmerita asked about her until she left the area in 1956.
In 1980 a reunion was organized by an adoption coordinator who was also in the orphanage of all the orphans who had lived at Rosilie Tillis Orphanage and and
extensive search was done at that time for Elmerine but since that last day in 1952 no one has ever had any further information on Elmerine or what might
have happened to her. Elmerine was considered 'slow' or mildly retarded due to circumstances at her birth. Fort Smith, AR in the 1950's was an army town and she could have left with a serviceman. Elmerine would have been about 16 or
17 when she went missing.
Elmerine did not care for her name and was using the name 'Ruth'. I am searching for what may have happened to her hoping that she had a good life
somewhere. Your help would be greatly appreciated. If it helps her parents name were Ora and George Staley
Thanks, ROSS
