Web search locates Kentucky man 51 years later
By Karen Donato
Staff Writer
Bill Lint, a 1976 Hodgdon High School graduate and now a resident of Gray grew up in the communities of Linneus and Haynesville, never knowing his real father. That all changed this past spring, when his half-brother Dan decided to do some investigating and Lint was united with his father after 51 years of being apart.
It all began in 1957. Sgt. Beverly Herbert Cotton, a Kentucky boy stationed at Loring Air Force Base met 23-year-old Glenna Lint. She had spent most of her childhood in the Houlton and Linneus area, moving around from town to town and finally settling in Caribou. Many social events in those times took place in churches and it was at a church social near the Loring Air Force Base that Cotton and the young Aroostook County girl became smitten with one other.
It was just one of those things that happened, love at first sight. In those days, with no cell phones, or readily available transportation, though, they saw each other infrequently and with Cotton in the service he was often involved in maneuvers on base. Without much notice he received orders to report to Okinawa and left the base without being able to say good-bye.
Just as she settled into life without him she discovered she was pregnant. Lint sent letters to him, but received no response. She tried to get more information on his whereabouts from the commanding officer at the base, but was told nothing, however he did give her the disheartening news that Cotton was married and had a wife and son living in Massachusetts. The truth being, Cotton had been stationed there prior to his Maine assignment, but his wife had left him and the marriage was over.
Contributed Photo
AFTER 51 YEARS — Beverly Cotton and his son Bill Lint finally met after 51 years, thanks to the help of Lint’s half-brother Dan. The Lints grew up in the Houlton area and attended Hodgdon schools.
Lint faced the fact that she was alone to raise a child by herself. She gave birth to a little boy and named him Beverly Herbert Lint after his father. He would later go by the name of Bill.
As he came to realize that his father was not a part of the family, he asked about him.
“Are you sure he knew about me?” he often asked his mother.
The answer was always the same, “yes.” His mother always told him that his father knew about him, but was not coming back. Lint accepted her words, never questioning her beyond that statement when he was young, but still wondering in the back of his mind about his real father.
Lint did eventually marry, returning to the Houlton area and had three more sons. Bill, knowing he was the child of another man sensed that being a stepson made him a little different.
His brother, Dan, who lives in Alaska always felt bad for him and often wondered where Bill’s real Dad might be. Last April after moving into a home that had a satellite dish he became interested in the, “The Locator”, a cable show about reuniting loved ones.
Dan said, “Every time I watched it, I thought of Bill and wondered if I could ever find his real father.”
He started looking for him on his own, not sharing his idea with his mother or Bill. He had few facts to go on, other than his name; he was in the Air Force and either from Kentucky or Massachusetts.
Dan even signed up for a variety of Web sites that specialized in finding missing people. He also got busy researching the Internet looking for the Cotton name. He called many of them and met many dead ends. But he continued on his mission.
Eventually he did find a Cotton in Kentucky with the same name, but this person would have been too old to be Bill’s father and he had died, so there was no way of contacting anyone. Dan kept looking.
Finally he discovered a book online published in 2001 that honored military veterans in Clay County, Ky. In that book was the name of Beverly H. Cotton (the deceased man’s son). He had served in Okinawa and other places in the 1950s.
Having found what he was looking for, he was all of a sudden left in a quandary. Was Bill going to want to hear what he had been doing? How would he handle this new information?
“Now,” said Dan, “I had to find out if Bill was curious enough to pursue getting in touch with his father.”
This past June, Dan and his wife went to visit Bill and his wife, Christine and their two boys in Gray.
The day after their arrival, Dan and Bill had some time alone. As they sat at a table Dan braced himself and asked Bill if he thought of his father much. Bill replied that although he had blocked thoughts of his father growing up, he now would at least like to find out some information for his medical history if nothing else.
“Well,” said Dan. “I think I have found him.”
Bill was stunned to say the least. “I didn’t know what to say,” said Bill.
While Bill was gathering his wits about him, Dan proceeded to bring all the material to the table for Bill to see and the all important phone number of Beverly H. Cotton in Kentucky.
With that they called the number. No answer.
Not giving up, they had another number for a Thursa Cotton, who they found out was the widow of Bev’s brother. She referred them to Ralph Cotton, Bev’s youngest brother.
When Dan and Bill finally reached Ralph their hearts were pounding with a mixture of excitement and apprehension.
Although Ralph was quite skeptical at first, he was finally convinced there could be a connection, although it took nearly 45 minutes. They found out that Bev, a widower was in Michigan visiting his family. He, too had moved on with his life, had married again and had three more children.
“Tell you what,” Ralph told Dan, “I’ll call him and see if any of this checks out.”
Ralph dialed the phone and reached Bev. He told him about the two men that had called, one from Alaska and one from Maine by the name of Lint, but the key name mentioned in the next conversation was “Glenna” and then there was no question that they had a connection. Cotton was overwhelmed with memories that had been tucked away years ago and the girl he had met in Maine.
Cotton confirmed the information and asked for the telephone numbers. Then hanging up the phone Bev went back to the living room and proudly announced to his other children that they had another brother.
The next weekend after returning to Manchester, Ky. Cotton called his newly found son, Bill. It was Father’s Day. There was no answer, but he left his name and telephone number and asked him to call as soon as he could.
Bill returned the call that evening and they talked for a long time.
Bev told him that he had never received any of Glenna’s letters, and as it turned out she had never received any of his. If he had, he assured Bill, he would have supported him from the beginning.
But the best gift he received that day was that Bev told him that he loved him.
Since this phone call in June, Bill and his wife Christine and their two sons have driven the 1,200 miles to Kentucky to meet his father and other relatives. It was a tearful meeting and a loving embrace from a father who cared. Bill’s two sons, Adam, 13 and Ethan, 10 met their grandfather for the first time and the entire family toured the area where their ancestors had lived. They visited the gravesites of family they had never met and saw landmarks bearing the Cotton name.
Not only did Bill and his family come to Kentucky, but so did Dan, all the way from Alaska to witness this long overdue meeting.
“It was an incredible experience, said Dan, “to hear my brother, 51 and his father, 76 tell each other they loved one another.”
Bill’s mother has remarried and is living in New Brunswick. She was very happy to know that Bill had met his father.
Bill still has four siblings to meet, David, Mary and Steve all born after him and an older half-brother living in Massachusetts. He also has two nephews living right here in Maine.
Since their meeting, they talk or e-mail just about every day.
Bev Cotton thanks God for this gift, but wishes it had happened a lot sooner.
