I waited most of yesterday for the postman, anticipating my delivery from St. Elizabeth/Coleman. It supposedly required a signature, but instead it wasn’t necessary for me to be here. When it finally did arrive, it was a very thin package, not the mass of paperwork that I imagined. Inside, were four Child Welfare & Children’s Home Admission file cards, confirming my birth name of Jerry Lee Bannister and the mother Edna Faye Bannister. It showed my status as “born out of wedlock, to unmarried woman” and birth date of 8/27/1951. Edna was admitted on 7/25/51 and went back home on 9/11/51 two weeks after I was born. At this point, I was admitted to the Children’s Home until my adoption by Burton and Catherine Johnston of Elkhart, Indiana on 10/29/51. It was interesting that all the paperwork showed the name Bannister with two “n’s” when both families involved used the single “n” spelling. It’s also important to note that Edna’s birth date and home address match the same Edna Banister that I had originally suspected to be my  biological mother. 

All of these files had been sealed for 67 years by the State of Indiana to protect her identity. However, over thirty years ago a friend of mine in the newspaper business had media access to this private information. This is when I first heard the name. Over the last couple years, as documented in this diary, I had found her birth certificate and census data that pointed to her family. I could just never prove it until today. Also, as most people would find insignificant, I have her original signature as an 18-year old on the 3 pages of notarized Release paperwork also provided in the packet. This is the very first item that we’ve both touched, and as close as I’ve gotten to her since September 11, 1951. There is nothing in the files to indicate how much time we spent together in my first two weeks of life before our separation on that day. From this day forward, 9-1-1 takes on new meaning for me. I also wonder if it’s as close as we’ll ever get. 

The most revealing page was a two-sided, heavy cardboard chart filled out by a case worker. Most of this information was given to me years ago by the Suemma Coleman Adoption Agency, but names and dates were excluded. It shows her with 7 siblings, including twins, ranging in age from 28 to 18. It names her mother & father and maternal grandparents along with their addresses and professions. I was also surprised when it listed the name of the birth father. All the other forms show him as “unknown.” It’s the first documented link between Edna Faye Bannister and Cecil Bannister and confirms them to be my biological parents. Once again, I had known this but couldn’t prove it. It also states that her sister and mother brought her to the home on 7/25/51, two months after she finished her Junior year of high school.  

From what I could calculate, the Banister family (or Bannister) paid a total of $261.08 for medical, room, board, and baby care during the 6 weeks that Edna stayed at the home. My parents (who were legally defined as my foster parents for the first year) paid an additional $350 settlement with the understanding that they could return me if I was found “unsatisfactory,” or that I could be removed from their care at any time previous to legal adoption. I’m sure I was very spoiled the first year in their home, and this explains my regal-like behavior even today. 

In the Social and Medical Background Information the agency sent years ago at my request, my birth father was described as “gregarious, easy-going, generous, a good worker, and good looking.” I assume this description came from Edna. I found it curious on the cardboard form that she had added “a little conceited.” The social worker must have decided to leave this out on the description they sent me because every other word was identical. Being “excessively proud of oneself” is not necessarily a bad thing, nor is “self-admiring,” as the word is defined. After my carefully supervised upbringing, I just might be like him in that respect, as my parents felt so lucky to have me after failing to produce a son of their own. All of us are beyond grateful to Edna and Cecil. 

The form then goes on to list them both of the  Protestant faith and Baptist church. This was important because the home was supported by the church, although Edna indicated that she was referred by an ad in the paper. As you can see, I was involved in the advertising business even before I was born, eventually becoming my chosen career. Edna was working at Lochhead, while Cecil was at Switzer-Cummins, where he remained employed for 35 years along with serving in the Marines. It also shows his address to be R.R. 1 North Vernon, indicating that he lived somewhere very near her at the time. However, not all the information appears to be accurate, since his birth place on the form was given as Jeffersonville, Indiana, where most records show it to be Alert. I’m really surprised that this much information on him was contained in the file, when Edna could have easily denied his identity. 

This means that Edna’s mother and sister undoubtedly knew that Cecil was the father, but may have sworn to secrecy in telling other members of the family. Their grandfathers were brothers, even though Edna, who shared the same last name, claimed “no relation” to Cecil. If word had gotten out, it would have created a much bigger scandal than just an unmarried pregnancy.  This is why I continue to believe that Cecil never knew of my existence, once he left for the Marines and got married. It could be, however, that he never acknowledged their affair. I can prove it now through both DNA testing and these newly released adoption records. Although the pieces of my adoption puzzle continue to fit together, there are still some key answers missing.