The MILESTONES . . .
The pages that follow reflect the defining moments of my life—the milestones that have shaped my journey.
You’ll notice frequent references to Scripture throughout. That’s intentional, and as you read on, the reason will become clear. Since 1973, the Word of God has been a central part of my life, continuing to guide and influence me to this day. My intent isn’t to preach—I’ve never responded well to anything being forced—but simply to be honest about the role faith has played in my story.
Without God’s presence in my life, I truly don’t believe I would be here today. If you’ve never come to know Jesus, I encourage you to explore that in your own way. Above all, this is my story—an effort to illustrate how God’s Word has shaped my life and redirected my path. It also serves as a timeline of the pivotal years surrounding my adoption and the experiences that defined them.
1225 W Melrose, Chicago, IL . . .
In mid-September of 2009, my son Joe, my wife Becky, and I made a road trip from Indiana to Chicago to visit the address where I had lived in 1962—just before my long train journey to the American Home Finding Association in Ottumwa, Iowa. Joe was preparing to relocate to Maryland, and we realized this would likely be our last opportunity to make the trip together while we were still within reach of Chicago. Since his field office was based there, he knew the city well, which made navigating the area far easier than it would have been for me alone.
One unexpected discovery was that 1225 W. Melrose was only about three blocks from Wrigley Field—a detail that caught me by surprise.
While we were there, we took several photos to capture the moment. I also spoke briefly with a local resident to see if she remembered our family living in that row house back in 1962, but she had no recollection of us.
As noted in the “Release of the Bush Children” pages, I attended a Catholic school during our time in Chicago. We spent some time driving through the neighborhood and identified two Catholic schools nearby. Although I don’t remember which one I attended, it seems likely it was one of them. Photos of both schools are included at the end of the slideshow.