A 100th Birthday

Anne & Lela

As most of you know, I've been associated with the Orphan Train Heritage Society (OTHSA, now the National Orphan Train Complex(NOTC)) for many years. Over those years I've had the privilege of meeting many of the riders and, as time would have it, many of these precious people have passed away. However, this made a trip to Lincoln, Nebraska on the weekend of February 21 even more special.

My husband and I were part of a 100th birthday celebration for our dear friend, Anne Harrison. She was an orphan train rider at the age of 2 1/2. She was among the children who wasn't told that she wasn't the biological child of her adoptive (in this case, she was adopted) parents and so learned about it by accident as a young adult. It wasn't until she was in her 80s that she finally got her birth certificate from NY and found her parents' names.

Anne has a good placement and has been a great supporter of the OTHSA and a wonderful friend to us. The lovely lady next to Anne in the picture is Lela, another orphan train rider, who just recently turned 95.