Clarence Hodges was born in Michigan in 1936 where he lived until the time of his mother's death in 1941. He and three brothers and a sister were cared for by various relatives and shuffled from foster homes to an orphanage until they were finally sent out West to rejoin their father. Clarence finally found his three older half sisters in 1978. When Clarence retired from the Air Force in 1979 he moved back to Michigan to get reacquainted with his sisters and their families.

When Shirley and I met she already was a "genealogy nut". Even though I knew nothing about my family history she convinced me that it was not a hopeless situation. During the last fifteen years we have found many relations, both living and dead. It is hard to express the joy of discovering that you do, indeed, have family.