Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Richard Bush
Released to: American Horne Finding Association for permanent custody
- Lynn Richard Bush
- Shirley Joyce Bush
- John Harold Bush
- David Joseph Bush
Siblings: Alice Elaine Bush (Sally)
Placement: Mr. and Mrs. Lester Matthews
Half siblings: Children nine and eleven years old by Bush’s previous marriage. Their placement is with their maternal grandparents.
The Bush family lived at 1225 West Melrose, Chicago, Illinois. They arrived at the American Home Finding on August 27, 1962 after a long train ride from Chicago and came directly to the agency. Mr. and Mrs. Bush are both blind.
NOTE: My biological mother was born sighted, however due to an incident at the hospital she was blinded shortly after birth. I remember my biological dad being sighted in one eye and having a glass eye in the other eye socket. At some point, prior to our adoption, I remember him having the other eye removed.
Mr. and Mrs. Bush spoke easily with Mr. Seabrook and both had extensive vocabularies and used good grammar and were free in expressing themselves and their opinions. They gave as the reason for making the decision on releasing these four children that they feel they are unable to do for these children what normal children need in that; all the children have good sight in their eyes and the parents have to restrict their play and other wants in that they are unable to know what these children are doing at all times and have trouble keeping them “corralled”. They stated that these children are active acting-out kids and that all kids should have an even chance in this world and that they are just financially, emotionally, and physically unable to give these children a proper upbringing.
Second, they don’t know how the children dress or look and with these many children, clothes become conglomerated and it is impossible for Mr. and Mrs. Bush to know what the children are wearing, if it matches and if it is the proper clothes for this child and that it is hard to buy clothes for these children.
Third, it is impossible to help Dick (Richard) with his school work, although he does not have that much school work in that he is in a Catholic school in a kindergarten class. It is impossible to know if he is doing it when he says he is and if he is actually a good student or a bad student. Also it is impossible for them to keep the children clean. This was made starkingly aware to them when Dickie came home from school one day and said that his teacher, a nun, had made him wash himself with Babo, that he was so dirty. Mrs. Bush said that they were humiliated about this but it was just another thing that was impossible to handle in that there were so many children and so much to do and they were physically unable to make sure that everything got done.
They decided to release these five children to the American Horne Finding because it was impossible to pick one child to keep and yet adopt the others, consequently, they decided to adopt them all out to the American Home Finding. The daughter, Sally, went to a maternal aunt in that Sally had spent a good deal of time in their home and they did want her and consequently decided that she should be placed in that home for future adoption although at this date, the papers have not been signed.
Different ideas that came up through the interview were that Mr. Bush considered Mrs. Bush a virtual prisoner to the children and because she is in poor health, has been unable to give her all to these children and is “bogged down” by the demands of these children. They rationalized in giving up these children by saying that dealing with heart aches of their own, if you really love them, you must give them up; that it is selfish to keep them. There are so many things you can’t do for them, any regrets about giving them up are only selfish.”
Mrs. Bush at one point said, I know what I have to do and that is give these children up. She stated the reason that they had had so many children was that she loved babies and Mr. Bush, too, said that she was good with kids and that is probably why they had so many. Mrs. Bush said her attitude was at first, “I’ll show ’em. I can take care of them. Now she says, n that I must face myself and other people that I am not as competent as I think I am. It is impossible for me to any longer take care of them.” Mrs. Bush commented, too, that it is impossible for them to take them to parks and zoos because there are so many and it Is hard for them to handle them; she has a cane and he has a dog. There are little things like crossing the street and pointing out what signs mean. This is all Impossible for a blind person to explain to another person in that these people have never seen these things. Although Mrs. Bush said, things are small, yet they add up to make a child’s life.”
NOTE: My biological mother had named her cane “Prometheus” and the seeing-eye dog that I remember as a child was named “Ziggy”. When I spoke to my biological dad in the 1980’s he informed me that he had more than one guide dog through the years.