By Bill Morgan, Staff Writer

 

The first annual Morin family reunion is scheduled for next month and Jean Mann Johnson of Becker has been feverishly planning for the big gala at her home.

Reunions take loads of time trying to track down family members — sometimes from all across the nation, even across the globe. Cousins, second cousins and sceond, second cousins come crawling out of the woodwork to attend.

Little did Jean know she’d discover new people to invite to the big party who she didn’t even know existed. 

Three of those new people just happen to be three new step-brothers!

“Get-Together”

It all started last year when Jean and a cousin mentioned they should plan a family reunion after the last sibling of Jean’s mom passed away in 2016. Jean and the cousin had been communicating via Facebook and Messenger and it began with a strategy to get as many relatives together for a “get-together”. Jean offered to hold the event at her home where she was guessing around 50 or so people would attend.

That was until she got a text froma man named Patrick, her niece Mariah’s husband out east. Out the blue, the man started asking questions about Jean’s family and offering information on others.

Jean was skeptical and so she let him explain who he was, who he knew and how he was connected to the Morin family. 

Patrick described Jean’s family upbringing and details nobody else would possibly know. As they conversed, she felt Patrick was indeed a relative and not somebody trying to scam someone for information.

“Everybody has a story,” said Jean. “Something from the past and it can come up anytime.”

Growing Up

Jean was born in 1959 in Washington D.C., the daughter to a serviceman (Derrell) and a housewife (Marie). Jean had a younger brother (Butch), who was born a year later and she had two older sisters, Marg and Terri. Terri and Butch are since deceased.

Jean says her parents’ past is murky and Marie and Derrell split up after four years of marriage in 1965. Through conversations with Patrick, Jean learned her mother had been previously married to a man named Arnold. And it was there that Jean learned she had three brothers from that union.

New Brothers

Patrick said the three step brothers on Jean’s side were named Bill, Paul and Tom. Patrick was the son-in-law to Paul, the middle boy. Marie, Jean’s mom, was a strict Catholic and when Marie and Arnold could not handle the upstart family at such a young age, they went through Catholic Charities to have the three brothers put up for adoption.

All three boys were placed in one family.

Paul, the middle boy lives in Montana after growing up in the state of Washington. Bill, the oldest still lives in Washington as well as the youngest boy, Tom.

Since connecting with Patrick, Jean has had the oppportunity to chat with her long, lost step brothers and learn more and more about her murky past.

Marriage 

License Photo

As Jean’s family members started posting old photos and info on their Facebook pages, Jean saw a photo that caught her eye. The photo was a picture of Jean’s mom (Marie) and Arnold on their wedding day and a copy of their marriage license. In the photo was another couple, who happen to be Marie and Arnold’s witnesses.

Jean saw the photo and immediately texted Tom (and his wife Donna) with some incredible news.

“The witnesses on Mom and Arnold’s photo are Arnold’s sister and brother-in-law,” she told Tom and Donna. “The couple are the parents to my neighbor (in Becker) — like close neighbors that we have known for years.”

Jean explained that Arnold’s nephew’s wife is a sister to a very good friend of hers since the 1980’s and was even part of her wedding party 35 years ago.

“We have known that family for years and years and used to farm land of their families before it was sold for development,” Jean explained. “As I said, we know the family. Crazy stuff!”

Jean’s dad, Derrell died a half-a-dozen years ago and her mom, Marie died in 2002 in Jean’s home in Becker. Though she has lost two siblings (Terri and Butch) over the years, she now has three newly discovered brothers to add to her family tree. All thanks to Facebook, Ancestry.com and people connecting the dots.

Reunion Approaching

With the Sept. 22 reunion date fast approaching, Jean’s expected family list has grown from 50 to a possibility of up to 300! All three long, lost step brothers are planning to soon visit Jean, her sister and their families.

Following the gathering, who knows if new discoveries will urge the Morin family to continue their new tradition?

Who Is Jean?

Jean Johnson is in public relations at Triple J Farm (Norm’s Farm) and has worked for the USDA for over 30 years. She is a graduate of Becker High School (1978).

She is passionate about farming and educating the youth about agriculture and where their food comes from. She says she is of the belief that farmers need to unite together and not be against conventional farming nor organic farming.

Jean is also chair of the ongoing project to promote and educate agriculture for the youth through the Farm Friends Barn Project.

She and her husband, Steve live in Clear Lake.