Chris's Story  on how she met her family in the Summer of 2001

     My husband, Harry and I reserved and rented a condo in Park City, Utah this summer.  We arrived about the 26th of June and stayed until the 6th of September.  We noticed that in the building just next to ours there was another family that arrived about the time we did.  There was a pretty blond lady and her young family.  They had brought an electric car with them from Mesa, Arizona.  This interested my husband, Harry and he introduced himself and they talked about the electric car.  I waved at them a couple of times but I didn't introduce myself.  One day in the early part of August Harry and I decided to drive to Idaho Falls, Idaho to visit some relatives.  I was born and raised in Idaho Falls.  My mother raised my brother and myself by herself as my mother and father were divorced when I was six and my brother was eight yrs. old.

       I saw my father only five times from the time of the divorce in 1938  until he died in 1974.  I was aware that he had married and had raised a large family.  The last time I saw him, I met some of his children.  That visit was in Carey, Idaho and was under a big tree in the front yard. It lasted an hour or so and  I think it was the summer of 1965 or 1966. Now to get back to the original story, Harry and I  were packing the car so we could go to Idaho Falls.  I brought our dog, Ruff MacTuff outside to the lawn and garage area.  He immediately ran over to our neighbor's children that were outside on the lawn.  He loves children.  I walked over to get him and to assure the young mother that our dog was very friendly and wouldn't hurt them..  She said, "You aren't leaving are you?"  I assured her that we were not leaving but only going on a trip to Idaho Falls for a few days.  She said that they had been through Idaho Falls the week before as her mothers family lived in Irwin, a small little town on the way to Jackson, Wyoming.   I told her I had lived in Irwin when I was a very little girl.  That my mother and father had taught school there.  She acted surprised and said that her grandfather had taught in Irwin also and she asked the names of my parents.  I told her that they were Nora and Kay Thatcher.  She exclaimed "That is my Grandfather".

      Apparently I had just met the daughter of one of my half sisters!  She was so excited and hugged me and said, "My mother will be sooooo excited!  The entire family have been looking for you for years." 

    I really didn't know what to say I was so astonished.  I had thought of trying to find my other family years ago but I really didn't know where to start.  My little neice and I exchanged names, addresses, and phone numbers as she said they were going back to Mesa, Arizona as school was going to be starting soon.  Harry and I went on to Idaho Falls and were gone 6 days.  

    We arrived back at the condo on a Sunday afternoon.  Harry decided to take a nap and I went to my computer to check my Email.  I was busy doing that when I heard a knock at the front door.  I went to see who was there and found four ladies outside on the porch.  They said that they were looking for Chris Cagle.  I told them that I was Chris and they said, "We are your sisters".  Then they started laughing and hugging etc.  I asked them in and I can tell you, I was in a state of shock.  The mother of my niece is named Linda and we look very much alike.  They were all so nice and seemed so thrilled.  

    They told me about my fathers family as I knew so little. They said that our brother, Ed Thatcher had moved our fathers body to Thatcher, Idaho two years ago and they had pictures of the beautiful little cemetery there.   He is now buried next to his parents and grandparents.  They showed me pictures of the original Thatcher farm and a picture of our Great Grandparents home that is in Thatcher, Idaho. We had a wonderful visit I really liked my sisters.  

     They were warm and loving but I, also, wanted to be truthful with them.  I said that I wasn't  exactly sure if I wanted to get emotionally involved with my new family as I had  always resented them when I was growing up.  I told them that I had never receive a letter, a call, a birthday or Christmas gift or visit from my father in my entire life.  I felt completely abandoned by my father and his family.  One of my sisters, LeOra, said, "We cannot be responsible for our parents mistakes but we should be responsible for our own actions.  You are our sister and we want to know you and love you.  We want you to be a part of our family."  I guess that that says it all.  We had a wonderful visit that lasted about four hours.  

     We planned another get together before Harry and I left to go back to Houston.  I found out that I had two brothers.  Ed lives in Greenville, Texas and Shane lives in Washington state.  I remember meeting Shane the last time I saw my father alive.  My father told me that Shane looked like me and sent one of the other children next door to get him.  Sure enough Shane did look very much like me and like my son. Rob.  As it turned out I did get to meet Shane and his wife and two daughters.  They were in Utah for a visit and they were able to come to Park City before then went back to Washington state.  I found Shane and his family to be just lovely people.  They were friendly and the girls were very patient as we talked for about three to four hours.  We hope  to get together for a big reunion next summer.

     I talked to my other brother, Ed by telephone several times and we also Emailed messages back and forth.  Ed told me that he had found a small grave in Thatcher that was the grave of my little sister, Cora, that had died at birth two years after I was born.  She did not have a marker on her grave. He said that the family had talked about buying her a marker.  I decided that it was my responsibility to do it and got the information from him about who to call etc.  Harry and I drove to Thatcher, Idaho about a week later and met my first cousin, Bob McGregor and his wife Relda.  They were so kind and offered to show us the area.  We went to the cemetery in Thatcher and  looked at the graves of my grandparents and great grandparents and the grave of my father and little sister.  I arranged with a mortuary in Preston, Idaho to put a matching marker on my little sister, Cora's grave.  

     The cemetery was a small one but exceptionally pretty.  The land around Thatcher is exquisite. It is in a valley and the mountains are various shades of blue and gray and black.  My cousin, Bob, took us to the Thatcher Farm and showed us the buildings that were still standing.  One was the old log house.  It is the original dwelling of my grandparents.  It is, also, the home that my mother and father lived in when I was a baby and until I was about three or four years old.  We were able to go through the home of my Great Grandparents Larkin.  The home has been restored and it is lovely!! 

     We had a wonderful visit with the Mc Gregors and we really want to see them again.  They are exceptionally kind.  Bob McGregor gave me a book that was written by three men, including himself.  It is about the settling of the Thatcher Valley called the "Gentile Valley".  It includes the history of the settlement of the valley and the families that lived there.  It is a wonderful book and and I going to enjoy reading every page. 

After we went to Thatcher, I contacted my cousin, Lee that lives in Sandy, Ut. That is a suburb of Salt Lake City.  She is the sister of Bob McGregor and the daughter of my father's sister, Connie Thatcher McGregor.  Lee and I talked on the telephone and she agreed that she and her husband, Neil would come to Park City the following Sunday as my sisters and their families were coming.  We planned on spending Labor Day Weekend together.  They did join us on Sunday and it was a wonderful reunion for us all.  We loved Lee and her husband Neil.  We hope to see them when we are in Park City for Christmas.

     My sisters, Linda, LeOra and Kelly and their families spent the weekend with us and even spent Saturday night at the home of our son, Rob and his family.  It was Rob's 45th birthday.  Somehow we all felt very comfortable with each other.  They sang and Jon, LeOra's husband, played the guitar.  This new family of mine are so much like my own family.  They are musical, they are kind and love to sing and they have that big, ready smile.  My sisters, Dee and Shana, couldn't be with us but we want them to be with us next summer.  We all want to plan on a great big reunion. 

     My other brother, Ed Thatcher, lives in Greenville, Texas with his family.  He is coming to Houston in November and we will plan on meeting all of the
family then.  I know that he is going to be a neat brother as I have already
talked to him and written Email letters to him. 

     That is pretty much the story of how the Thatcher family all found each other.   We are so delighted that the Lord decided that we should know one another.  My sisters also believe that our father had something to do with this unusual happening.  I rather believe he did too.

Mom emailed this story to me so I can add it to the Thatcher website I'm making.    It's like a "faerie tale"  and I just love faerie tales!  www.foundus.com/faerie