Illinois Adoption Record #37069

Illinois Adoption Record: # 37069

Biological Sister looking for Adoptee
Donna Decker Hefner

Adoptee's Info
Birth Name: John Edward Clark Jr
Adoptive Name: Cook ?
Date of Birth: Jul 11, 1963 at 11:49 am (now 62 years old)
Gender: Male
Birth Location: Blue Island city, Cook county, Illinois USA

Birthmother's Info
Name: Lorraine Margaret Decker (Engel)
Born: Jun 1945 (now 80 years old)
Age at Adoptee's Birth: 18
Religion: Unknown

Birthfather's Info
Name: John Clark
Born: Unknown
Age at Adoptee's Birth: Unknown
Religion: Unknown

Born at Hospital: St Francis
Birth Certificate:
Adoption Agency:

Additional Info
My sister & I recently found out that our Mom had another baby before she met & married our Dad. She was in a relationship with a man named John Clark. We cannot find any record of marriage so we're assuming they never married. From an old baby book that she kept hidden away from us, we've learned that she had her baby at St Francis in Blue Island, IL. It appears at that point John Clark was still in the picture. She's made notations in this baby book of various 'firsts' for baby John. The last 'first' is when baby John was 9 months old. \n\nMom's older half sister has told me that Mom and John Clark split up & ended their relationship. Apparently, he also was either unable or unwilling to help raise their son. Mom was about 18, had no job & family just wasn't able to help her financially raise her baby. From what my Aunt recently told me, she made the very tough decision to allow a couple to adopt baby John. My aunt said that she was pretty positive that Mom somehow knew the couple that adopted baby John. She believes the couple lived in Tinley Park, IL and the adoptive father may have worked in some position at the Tinley Park police station.\n\nNot long after Mom met my Dad and they married. Judging by their anniversary date & my birthday Mom was about 2 months pregnant when they were married. We know after me she suffered 2 miscarriages before she finally had my sister 5 and a half years later. \n\nIt's clear to my sister & I that she never forgot her baby John even though she never told us about him. She kept his baptism outfit and his baby book hidden away from us for many years. Unfortunately, there are no baby pictures. \n\nMom passed away almost 3 years ago from lung cancer.


Registered: February 18, 2016
Updated: July 3, 2016