Herman’s Story – Lucky Number 3

Herman’s Story – Lucky Number 3

Written By:  Desiree Hovland

What’s your favorite number? Herman’s favorite number is three. Why? There are several reasons for this, let’s begin explaining.

Herman was born in Baltimore, Maryland but has spent many years living in the Carolina’s and has always known he was adopted. He attempted to get his adoption records, but Maryland wouldn’t provide him records unless by a court order and had to be for a medical necessity. For his 50th birthday his adoptive sister gifted him with an ancestry kit. He was excited to receive the gift and immediately submitted his sample. He patiently waited six weeks but unfortunately received a message stating he had inconclusive results. A second test was sent to Herman and again inconclusive results. He received the third test but the initial excitement no longer existed.

Herman took the third ancestry test kit and placed it in his desk drawer. The kit sat in his desk for eight months. However, his third wife and the love of his life convinced him to try a third time. He resisted a cigarette and a cup of coffee for an hour, placed his sample in the tube, mailed the kit, and endured another six weeks for the outcome.

On Saturday August 28, 2021, while at his second job, he received a message from ancestry. He had conclusive results. Herman opened up his computer and began to analyze his results. He immediately reached to his closest match on Facebook, but knew he needed more hands-on deck to locate his biological parents.

He reached out to DNAngels (after a quick Google search) and in less than 24 hours was working with search angels Kat and Kelly. He also had a third person from an outside organization, helping too.

Herman is in law enforcement and is accustomed to working under pressure. However, he was shocked seeing his ancestral tree growing overnight and within 72 hours making his first telephone call. With Herman’s third DNA attempt and one Facebook message, he was able to connect with his biological mother, Pam. They spent an hour talking on the phone both surprised and excited about their discovery.

Pam explained being a young unwed Mom and her parents not allowing the newborn boy to reside with them. She made the difficult decision to place him for adoption. However, Pam was able to keep a memento from his birth. She saw the bassinet card with his name, weight, height and other facts on his birth. She took the card, wrote on the back, “beautiful baby boy” and this card has been the only thing she’s had to memorialized the birth of Herman; her first-born child. Pam remembered his father and said, his name was Jay.

Herman worked with Kat and Kelly to locate Jay. The angels located an obituary of a presumed uncle and found the name Sterling Jewel. The search angels predicted Sterling was using his middle name and provided contact information for Sterling “J.”

September 3, 2021, Herman heard his biological father’s voice for the first time. He missed the phone call and listened intensely to the voicemail. The anticipation of the reunion was nerve racking. Finally, after a few days of phone tag. Herman reunited with Jay, and his recollection was loving Pam and had enlisted in the United States Marines. He fought in the Vietnam War and lost touch with Pam and whatever became of their child together.

In late September 2021 Herman traveled (four hours) to Maryland to meet his biological parents in person. His birth Mom and Birth Dad live within an hour of each other but have not had any communication with one another in over 50 years. “Awesome, truly amazing” states Herman regarding the reunion. He is enjoying getting to know both of them, and describes it as felling natural and like knowing them all his life.

Pam’s husband is a retired police officer and they had three children together, two girls and a boy. Herman describes her as soft spoken and easy-going woman. He explains asking Pam what to call her, and within a short period of time she said he deserved/earned the right to call her Mom. He calls her Mom and says “I love you.” He continues to build his bond with his Mom and siblings. However, he understands it is slower with some of his newfound relatives, because they did not know about him and are adjusting to their new reality.

Jay and his wife have two daughters. After his military service he worked at a nursery and owned his own excavating company. He still runs heavy equipment into his 70s. Herman’s wife calls him “Little Jay” because he has so many traits of his biological father including: walking, talking, mannerisms, and dressing alike. Herman has become close with both his paternal sisters too.

Herman’s adoptive Mom passed away in 2003 to cancer and his adoptive father sadly to suicide in 2021. His adoptive father was a difficult man, and he doesn’t remember a time feeling supported by him. However, with his daily phone calls with his biological father he hears “good morning son, I love you son.” Herman says identifing his birth parents has been the best thing that has ever happened to him. Of course, besides his wife, step-children and four biological children.

Finally, Why Three? “Third times the charm.” Herman says his third wife is his rock, best friend and “everything.” They married on 4.3.21. He also loves the number three, because on his third attempt with ancestry he got his results, and three researches located his biological parents.

Herman says the DNAngels volunteers were professional and efficient. “Can’t’ say enough how awesome the angels are.” He explains having a special bond with his search Angels Kat and Kelly, because they saw all his emotional ups and downs thru the research and reunion process.

Kat and Kelly likewise remember Herman’s case fondly. Kelly loved Herman sharing the pictures of his reunion. Her favorite number is 8, because of her birthday and her birth certificate fathers on 8/28. Kat’s favorite number is 7 because of her birth, grandparent’s anniversary and several other relatives in her family tree. She recalls Herman’s reactions be genuine and like she was helping her own family member. My favorite number is 14, the birth of my son. I found Herman to be transparent and encourages others to be patient and persistent when searching.

Numbers can have a powerful meaning. What’s your favorite number? Share on our Facebook page and let us know you want to share your search story.

 

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