The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-09-09

Josephine Noble Gardner o. she
looked In the garb Of an Institution.
al ward.
Lincoln, ILL.,, Sept. 9.-(NEA)-
For all Of the 10 years Of her life
Josephine Noble Gardner, fully nor
NAL in mind and body, has lived in
the state home for backward children
here.
Surrounded by pitiful youngsters
with stuntsd brains and twisted
bodies, knowing that she was not as
they were and yearning hOpelessly
for home and mother, Josephine
grew up to young womanhood like q
modern CINDERELLA. condemned to .
drab, chimney-corner existence.
But now-after Is years-she 10 60.
: ing home.
Mether u Found
The mother of whom she dreamed
for 50 long is coming to claim her.
Rich gowns. fur coats and silk stock
ings are going to replace the plain
frocks of the state home. All that
she has missed > going to be hers.
for the rest Of her life.
On q transcontinental train speed
mOther-Mrs. Minifred Herxog, who
she had mourned e. dead for IL
years is alive and we'll, waiting to
rejoin her.
That is the outline Of one Of the
most amasing stories eve unearthed
in, the, history Of nlinois' charitable
Institutions.
Eighteen years ago Mrs. Herzog
was Winifred Noble. . young girl
living in Mclean, Ill.
Father QlAapproved
There she MAs married-a youth
full, possibly ut-advised romance that
met with much opposition from her
father. And 30, when Winifred
Noble gave bith to o little girl, her
father vowed that the child would
never be raised In his home.
At. first, when the young mother
begged to be allowed to see her baby,
she was told by her nurse to TASK
your father" Then. when she was
able to get mp. she was told that the
bSby had died.
Couldn't Trace Her
Winifrcd's father had had the
child taken away and put IN the care
Of q family living in Williamson
county. Shortly after this was done
he-Winifred's father-died, and the
mothers only chance at tracing her
baby was lost.
Little Josephine spent her early
childhood as q ward of the William
SON county family. Then she was
sent here to become = ward Of the
Lincoln State School and Colony.
Although this is = home for children
mentally or physically deficient.
some horrible mistake placed Jose
phine, q fully normal child. in it.
and here she stayed.
She grew up probably better than
might have been expected. She was
given grade school education.
taught household science and given
such advantages rs are possible in an
institution.
Investigation Started
A social worker at the school, Mrs.
Sara Crosby, was interested in her.
She noticed her name-Josephine
Noble Gardner. Mrs. Corsby had
lived in the Noble home town, Nc
Lean, and remembered vaguely that
the Noble girls daughter had been
sent away. She began m investiga-
tion.
She enlisted the aid Of Mrs. Jean
Comerford, Illinois institution Wis
itor. The two made trips to Mclean.
Bloomington and other cities. Bit by
bit they picked up the thread Of the
story. Eventually they satisfied
themselves that Josephine was Wini-
Then came task Of finding the
After losing her little girl, Wini-
fred had gone to the Pacific coast.
Her first marriage dissolved, = few
years ago she married Theodore Her
sog, manager Of q northumberland
profitable - Los Angeles ball room.
This ball room, aptly enough. was
named the Cinderella. 8
Longea For Daughter
Winifred Herxog was happy-ex-
eept that she still longed for the
daughter she had never seen. So
hungry Was abe Tor this dseamed-of
child that Ahe took 70 mothering or
phaned children In Los Angeles.
Last Christmas she and her husband
gave huge party. In the Cinderella
ballroom for I'll The Juvenile court
wards in the city.
But still the ache-the loneliness-
persisted. gs
And then, short time ago, the
Illinois Investigators found her and
told her that her daughter WAS living
In Lincoln-living in state institu-
ton. suffering for lack Of the homo
that Mrs.. Hersog 'was yearning TO-
give her.
So now Mr.. Hersog Is coming to
Lincoln. o. fast % the train can carry
her. Ahead Of her have come let
letters. Kilograms, cheeks, boxes "
n1nthnai and nkhnp nehaAnfa ~