nection. My father’s niece in Kansas City. On September 15,
2010, my father spoke on the phone with his son for the first
Family Reunion
time. He called me with joy and excitement in his voice. He
told me he had been praying, asking God to
The Reunion
allow him to see his son before he died.
The letters stopped.
About a year later, we anxiously waited for
My father wrote. They
Walter and his family to come through the
were returned or never
terminal at O’Hare Airport in Chicago. Tears
answered. He went on
flowed from Walter’s eyes as he saw his fawith his life.
ther for the first time. A big smile erupted
“I would write to that
across my father’s face as he hugged his son
address and letters came
for the first time.
back and I knew then that
My brother Walter celebrated his 58th birthshe obviously had
day in November. Through the wonders of
moved,” my father said.
modern technology we spoke via Skype. But
“I just sort of dropped it
also due to the failings of modern technolfor a while.”
ogy, the audio wasn’t working. But I could
Margot went on with
see my brother. Tina still has to translate for
O’Hare Airport, October 2011. A happy reunion.
her life. She married and
had another son. Walter’s life went on. He traveled through
Europe, studied martial arts and eventually became a web designer. He married Tina, a woman with an American father and
a German mother who spoke fluent English and had dual citizenship. They had two children—a son, Patrick and a daughter,
Thryra.
Walter’s mother, Margot, died in 2010. Tina found my father’s letters when they were cleaning out her mother-in-law’s
house. Tina set out on a mission to find Walter’s father.
In an interview with the Kankakee Daily Journal, Tina said,
“His stepfather died when he (Walter) was 14. So he told me
that he just learned to be by himself.”
“I did feel very alone at times,” Walter said. “But I always
My father and all of his grandchildren.
knew I had a real father out there.”
Tina got on the computer and phone. She began to call every
us. Walter’s English is limited and my German is non-existent.
Copeland in
Although he could not hear my voice, I held up a sign, “Happy
the United
Birthday! Love you!”
States.
Funny how you can love somebody that you hardly know,
“I found
feel a kinship with someone you have known for only a few
hundreds of
years. But I love my brother. He is a part of me. A part of my
Copelands in
family. He is an answer to prayer. My father’s back keeps him
several states,”
in pain many days now. His prayer now is to go to Germany
Tina told the
next year and visit his son.
newspaper. “I
My father’s prayer, expressed in a letter 50 years ago, has
was beginning
been answered. My father’s prayer whispered in his heart
to wonder how
countless times to his heavenly Father has been answered. He
many calls I
has met his son. He has another daughter, Tina, and more
would have to Walter and his family, Tina, Patrick and Thyra at
grandchildren. He has held his son in his arms. And Walter
Navy Pier in Chicago.
make.”
knows the love of his father.
She called
And I thank God, our faithful, loving Father for answering
Copelands from Montana to Louisiana. She finally made a conmy father’s prayer.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23
28
The Well Magazine Fall/Winter 2013