I was born the third child of Louis Adkins and Claire Peloquin Clark Adkins. Both had been previously married, Louis to Maxine Balree and Claire to Herbert Clark.

I was born in Holyoke Massachusetts in 1948. I was a year old when they divorced in 1950. My mother then married Joseph Matukonis in 1950 and we later moved to California where I now reside.

Both of my full siblings by Louis, Patricia Louise Adkins Brouillard and Thomas Reese Adkins have passed in 2001 and 1989 respectively. My eldest half brother Leo J. Clark passed this year, and my elder half-sister Bonnie Lee Clark passed in 1965. Bonnie was a spastic quadraplegic who had been institutionalized before she was a year old. The institution where she was placed became synonymous to the mistreatment of the disabled in the U.S., a fact I did not know until I was very much an adult. I was under the impression she was interred near my grandfather. Only recently have I discovered she is at the cemetery attached to the now-closed institution. It had been a goal of mine to have her relocated to be near our family, but now I realize what a great disservice that would be as it would detract from the message that the passing of all those children preserve which is to never let this happen again.

I was born the third child of Louis Adkins and Claire Peloquin Clark Adkins. Both had been previously married, Louis to Maxine Balree and Claire to Herbert Clark.

I was born in Holyoke Massachusetts in 1948. I was a year old when they divorced in 1950. My mother then married Joseph Matukonis in 1950 and we later moved to California where I now reside.

Both of my full siblings by Louis, Patricia Louise Adkins Brouillard and Thomas Reese Adkins have passed in 2001 and 1989 respectively. My eldest half brother Leo J. Clark passed this year, and my elder half-sister Bonnie Lee Clark passed in 1965. Bonnie was a spastic quadraplegic who had been institutionalized before she was a year old. The institution where she was placed became synonymous to the mistreatment of the disabled in the U.S., a fact I did not know until I was very much an adult. I was under the impression she was interred near my grandfather. Only recently have I discovered she is at the cemetery attached to the now-closed institution. It had been a goal of mine to have her relocated to be near our family, but now I realize what a great disservice that would be as it would detract from the message that the passing of all those children preserve which is to never let this happen again.