Was Steve Maxwell adopted?

[theologygeek]

I had a sixties flashback for a minute with that question.

The grandfather Sarah posts about is Teri's dad who lives next door to them.

Sixties flashback. LOL!!!

[dianapavelovna]

Wow, very interesting.

It says Paul remarried in 1984. That's not long before Steve went down the rabbit hole - perhaps it contributed?

I could see his tack to extremism as a response to the idea that his parents split up and remarried 'cos they weren't Christian enough/right type of Christian. It's a deep fucking rabbit hole though.

[anjulibai]

In those days, a lot of times kids got adopted by the second husband whether or not they wanted to be. Children with different last names were considered from trashy families and got whispered about. When their stepfather adopted them, the whispering stopped. It was then considered acceptable.

Which is bizarre, I think - it kind of forces the biological father out.

Perhaps that was the reality of the situation - Paul stayed out of the picture once Mrs. Mary found someone else?

[anjulibai]

I can't find a damn thing about James Maxwell. Mrs. Mary's obituary says they married in Rolla, Missouri, but I can't find anything on it. It's going to drive me nuts not knowing.

[sparkles]

On Ancestry.com he comes up as Steven Ray Bargar. http://records.ancestry.com/steven_ray_ ... =190565255

Oh, great. I'll never be able to listen to Stevie Ray Vaughn again without thinking of Stevie Ray Maxwell. Nooooo...

[thoughtful]

Oh, great. I'll never be able to listen to Stevie Ray Vaughn again without thinking of Stevie Ray Maxwell. Nooooo...

But will knowing that Christopher's middle name is Lloyd affect your ability to enjoy Taxi or Back to the Future?

[anjulibai]

As an aside, apparently Anna's middle name is Elizabeth. I'm guessing that's where Ruthanne's middle name comes from, maybe?

Of course, in my mind that just makes Ruthanne's full name that much less imaginative. I'm seriously, they have Anna Marie, Anna Elizabeth and Ruthanne Elizabeth....

Also, I wonder why Mary isn't listed.

[uber frau]

When I read Paul Barger's obit I felt like I was reading about Steve, we'll, what Steve was like before he went down the rabbit hole.

[theologygeek]

Which is bizarre, I think - it kind of forces the biological father out.

Perhaps that was the reality of the situation - Paul stayed out of the picture once Mrs. Mary found someone else?

Regarding the bolded-My aunt once told me that was exactly what happened many times. Her father was torn to pieces when my aunt's stepfather adopted her and her siblings. They were church goers, and it's the only way that the whispering stopped. The kids were just as torn up about it as their father was. But that's what they did back then.

[anjulibai]

Regarding the bolded-My aunt once told me that was exactly what happened many times. Her father was torn to pieces when my aunt's stepfather adopted her and her siblings. They were church goers, and it's the only way that the whispering stopped. The kids were just as torn up about it as their father was. But that's what they did back then.

It's so stupid - how does it even make things "better"?

[theologygeek]

James Christie Maxwell married Mary Ann Gadbury. She went back to her maiden name, I guess.

[theologygeek]

Maxwell, Sr was one smart cookie. He had a PhD from Columbia and he wrote a book.

[anjulibai]

Oooh, awesome!

[anjulibai]

So, when did they get married? I'm curious because it would give us an idea when Steve became a Maxwell.

[theologygeek]

So, when did they get married? I'm curious because it would give us an idea when Steve became a Maxwell.

I'm not having much luck with that, but I'm still looking.

[anjulibai]

I'm not having much luck with that, but I'm still looking.

The earliest year would have been 1960, since 1959 was the last year Paul and Mrs. Mary were shown living together. The latest would have been 1973, since Steve and Teri married in 1974.

[Rebelwife]

Regarding the bolded-My aunt once told me that was exactly what happened many times. Her father was torn to pieces when my aunt's stepfather adopted her and her siblings. They were church goers, and it's the only way that the whispering stopped. The kids were just as torn up about it as their father was. But that's what they did back then.

That's how it was with my father as well. He and his 1st wife divorced when my half brother was a toddler and her 2nd husband adopted him. My brother didn't come back into our lives until he was in his late 20's. My dad stepped back without fighting it, because it was seen as what's "best" but it always tore him up.

[BullyJBG]

Hmmmmm interesting. Paul married Cecile in 1984. That was after Steve and Teri had their first 3 kids; Sarah would've been 2 and the older sons school-age. But Mary and James had to have gotten married before that or else Steve would not have become Maxwell.......And nothing on James? Is he still alive? The skeletons are coming out........

[SPHASH]

The earliest year would have been 1960, since 1959 was the last year Paul and Mrs. Mary were shown living together. The latest would have been 1973, since Steve and Teri married in 1974.

1968. Steve turned 18 in 1969 and I doubt he would have changed his name after that point, although Curtis Roosevelt grandson of FDR was born Dall, then changed his name to Boettiger after his mother remarried then to Roosevelt after she divorced John Boettiger and he was over 18 then.

[theologygeek]

It's so stupid - how does it even make things "better"?

It didn't. My aunt turned to scotch to dull the pain.

[theologygeek]

Does anyone have an ancestry.com account? I think the James Christie Maxwell stuff is here somewhere. http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse. ... h=000&cp=0

[anjulibai]

1968. Steve turned 18 in 1969 and I doubt he would have changed his name after that point, although Curtis Roosevelt grandson of FDR was born Dall, then changed his name to Boettiger after his mother remarried then to Roosevelt after she divorced John Boettiger and he was over 18 then.

That's awfully old for Steve to have changed his name, even with his mother's remarriage. I mean, Steve would have gone at most 8 years without Paul at home, potentially much less than that. He must have had some serious problems with Paul to change his name at 17.

[anjulibai]

Does anyone have an ancestry.com account? I think the James Christie Maxwell stuff is here somewhere. http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse. ... h=000&cp=0

I looked earlier but couldn't find anything. :(

[Jana814]

Steve has never talked about his background. On one of their anniversary posts Sarah talked about how Steve came from a "broken" home & Teri was raised by parents who didn't know Jesus yet.

[nelliebelle1197]

I cannot believe all this! Crazy. Steve's dad owned a liquor store and was a pilot! His aunt's middle name was Rae, like Sarah's. Where is the pall bearer stuff?