Facebook got a family together after 45 years

Facebook  was valuable in getting a family connected after 45 years. 

In 1971 Bud, Norma, Randy and Tami Sims who lived in Clearbrook wanted to share their home with a foster child.

They had heard about some small children in the county that were in need of a foster home. Norma called Bagley and talked to one in charge of Child Foster Care. She had a  visit with them at home in 1971. They checked the Sims house over to make sure that they had room for another child and explained what having a foster child entails. 

Herbie Pawlitschek, age 7, joined the family and entered second grade. Norma said, "It was quite an exciting day. Both of our children enjoyed having Herbie in the family. He was such a good one to share everything including food and toys. I always felt he taught our children how to share. If Randy and Tami were arguing over a toy or food, he would step up and say ‘do you want some of mine Tami?’, or whoever was doing the fighting. We totally didn't do much of anything special, we just did our normal day-to-day lives." 

Norma went on to say. “My parents lived across the street from us so we had the grandparents close by too. We'd go camping in the summer with our trailer at the State Park near Alexandria. While we were there a tornado came across the lake and our camper lifted up and sat down again but a lot of tents and campers were scattered all over the campground. I think we were really lucky. Cops were there in no time and checked everyone out. We left the next day for another place."

She also said, "Herbie was in the second grade the first years we had him. He came in the summer and stayed with us two years. During the school years, I was cooking at the school in Clearbrook so I'd be at work the same days as the kids had school. My mother would come over for one hour in the morning to make sure the kids were up and ready for school and she would fix breakfast for them. If it was raining or very cold my father would take them to school."

"Herbie liked to eat, he had a good appetite and would eat whatever you gave him. Seemed like he could eat anything with bread and butter pickles, which was one of his favorites. He would eat a whole jar if I let him."

Herbie, Randy and Tami all had small jobs to help around the house. They would help Grandma and Grandpa also. They had a black puppy, and the kids really liked to play with him. 

Norma said, "I thought at first when I started this that I'd keep on having different children when one had to leave, but when the time came I realized how difficult it was to say goodbye. I decided it was too hard to give them up. When the time came for Herbie to go I gave him an envelope, stamped and addressed to us with paper and told him I was going to be waiting for a letter. I didn't have an address where he would be so I thought he would send it to me. He moved with his mother to St. Paul and he started school there. He did remember to send me back the stamped and addressed letter. But kids forget to write the return address on it and I was not able to locate him again.” But, Norma said, “I still had his letter after 45 years. Herbie read this once we were re-united. He was surprised to see that I still had it. It was fun to see him read it. Before he moved to St. Paul with his mother we had gotten him a bike for his birthday and sent it with him, but he said that someone had stolen it from him almost right away.”

Shortly after Herbie left, the Sims family moved to Bagley where they had the Amoco Station. In 1998 Bud and Norma moved to Fergus Falls. While in Fergus Falls, Norma started working with the Foster Grandparents in the schools with the pre-school. She really enjoyed this and it made her start thinking of earlier days so she kind of kept it in the back of her mind of locating Herbie. 

Norma said, "We wanted many times to try and find Herbie but didn't even know for sure how to spell his last name.” Finally in November of this year, Susan (Randy Sims’ wife) who live in Gonvick went on the internet and managed to find his name. “I only wish Bud would have met him again because he wanted so badly to see him," Norma said. Bud passed away on March 4, 2016.

After Susan found out that it was him on the internet, Randy made contact with him and Norma was so happy. Herbie called more than once and it was so good to talk to him. 

The best part of this was Herbie and his fiancé drove up to Gonvick, where Norma lives, one evening and she is hoping she will get to see them again before too long. 

Herbie had gone to the University of Minnesota a couple of years and he has a truck driving job now. Norma said, "he looked so good and it was so good to talk to him." She was very thankful that he did come to see them and they hope he and his family all come next time.

When he left Gonvick after his visit Norma remembered his love of bread and butter pickles and she gave him two quarts. When he was ready to leave he had them in his arms.