Do you remember that quaint way of communicating in which the receiver can actually hear inflection, gasping, snorting, and real live air moving in and out of a voice box? When “LOL” had a noise attached to it — and I don’t mean a clicking sound on a keyboard?
Recently, I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with two gentlemen (in the real sense of the word) who were Pedro Panes and lived in the Holy Family Orphans’ Home. I appreciate how openly they shared their memories. Their experiences were different and similiar in many ways, but both highlighted the warmth and connectedness they still feel from the Marquette community. According to a database shared by one of the gentlemen I mentioned, 53 Pedro Panes lived here throughout the course of the mission.
I’m working on an article for a regional historical magazine about the role the Holy Family Orphans’ Home played in Operation Pedro Pan. (This research is strengthening the chapter book, too.) And, while secondary research is quick and easy, it never beats a good old-fashioned noise-filled conversation.
