Towards the end of the 1940s, a particularly distressing photograph depicting four children who were up for sale was distributed to newspapers all over the United States. An individual by the name of Lucille Chalifoux and her husband, Ray, were confronted with the difficulties of being unemployed and on the point of being evicted, and it appeared that they had no other choice. On the other hand, it is possible that there was more to it than what the general public had been under the impression. At some point in the future, the children would be given the chance to share their personal narratives.
Children Available for Purchase
During the week of August 5, 1948, an advertisement was published in the Vidette-Messenger newspaper in Valparaiso, Indiana. The advertisement depicted a mother who appeared to be in a state of distress, with her back turned and her head in her hands. While this was going on, her four small children were sitting on the stairs behind her, next to a sign that read, “4 children for sale.” Look within yourself.” Within a short period of time, the announcement was published in newspapers across the United States. Beginning in New York and Pennsylvania and continuing on to Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin. After that, it was published in newspapers in a number of states, including Texas, Iowa, and a few more.
A youngster named Lana, who was six years old, and a girl named Rae, who was five years old, were spotted sitting on the upper step. In the meantime, their younger brother Milton, who was four years old, was sitting on the lower step with Sue Ellen, who was two years old. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that Lucille was expecting her fifth child, who would also be taken away. A significant number of the children have very little knowledge of their biological mother or the person who took the photograph. On the other hand, some people would meet Lucille at a later point in their lives and discover that her choice might not have been made out of necessity. All of the children who are up for sale have their own individual histories that are not only fascinating but also chaotic, and they have been allowed to share these stories with one another. With the exception of Lana, who succumbed to complications from cancer in the year 1998.
Meeting the Children Who Are Available for Purchase
Alternatively, they have been successful in establishing communication with Lana’s family in the intention of gaining as much information as possible regarding the life that their eldest sister has led. Despite the fact that it is unfortunate that they were never able to get back in touch with their elder sister, Rae and Milton were able to spend time together throughout their lives. Rae and Milton were transported to live with John and Ruth Zoeteman in DeMotte, Indiana, despite the fact that there is no clear evidence to suggest that the children were purchased or adopted. Rae claims that Lucille sold her for a price of two dollars. It would appear that she was able to acquire bingo money due to the fact that the man she was associated with did not wish to have any involvement with her children. As a result, she decided to sell the children.
Rae and Milton’s names were changed to Beverly and Kenneth, and they lived together for a number of years before Rae was sent to a home in Michigan for unwed mothers after she became pregnant as a result of being raped and being pregnant. Her daughter was forcibly removed from her and placed for adoption. Rae recalls that the only time she ever felt anything from the guy who had reared her was when he was on his deathbed. The home in which they were raised was described as “loveless” and “abusive.” According to what she said, “They used to chain us up all the time.” In the days when I was a young child, my family worked in the fields. At the age of 21, she had a brief reunion with Lucille, during which she expressed that she did not feel “no love.”
Making contact with the children that are up for sale
After a number of years, she would eventually give birth to a boy named Lance Grey, who was instrumental in facilitating her communication with her siblings through the use of social media. When he was asked about his mother, he responded, “They don’t make ’em like her anymore.” It is as tough as nails.
Milton was the one who sent her the photograph that shows the children that are up for sale. According to her, “My brother in Tucson sent it to my e-mail in some mysterious way.” After I had gotten on there, I said, ‘Good God. Oh, that’s me!'”
Milton
During this time, Milton would eventually arrive in Tucson after enduring his own challenging voyage. Milton said, “There are a lot of things in my childhood that I can’t remember,” in reference to the fact that he was one of the children that were up for sale. He was beaten, tied up, and told that he would be a slave on the very first day that he would be living with his adopted parents. It was then that he revealed, “I said I’d go along with that.” Because I was only a child at the time, I had no idea what a slave was. They would continue to torture Milton, locking him up in a barn and providing him with nothing but peanut butter and milk from that point on. On a particular day, Milton inquired as to the reason of his treatment, and he was informed that he should “keep him in line.” The explanation that John gave to him was, “If you are afraid, you will listen to me.” After some time, he moved in with his aunt and uncle, where he attended high school and eventually became involved in the operation of an egg delivery service.
It was eventually decided that Milton would be placed in the care of his friend’s family, and it should be noted that his adoptive parents were actually deemed to be foster parents. “At first, I suspected that I had been adopted,” he stated. “I have no idea how they were able to get away with it.” He was subsequently admitted to a mental hospital, where he was given a diagnosis of schizophrenia. He had been going through some difficulties with his life. He was granted his freedom in 1967 and relocated to Chicago, where he remained until he eventually settled down in Tucson. As a result of receiving $500 from my in-laws, we relocated to Arizona, he explained.
Getting to know Lucille
Along with his sister, Milton also met their biological mother a significant amount of time after she had put her children up for sale. The year was 1970, and he stayed with her for a month. However, at that time, he was involved in a confrontation with her spouse, which resulted in the husband being taken into custody. For this reason, Lucille ejected Milton from the room. On the other hand, he stated, “My birth mother, she never did love me.” “She did not express any regret for selling me up. She detested me so much that she didn’t give a damn about me.
Ms. Ellen Sue
In addition, Sue Ellen did not have any documentation of her adoption; rather, she was under the impression that she had been adopted “legitimately” by a couple whose surname was Johnson. Sadly, she lost away in 2013 due to lung disease; nevertheless, she was able to reunite with Rae before she went away. “It is really wonderful. When Sue Ellen wrote about her sister, she said, “I love her.” “She needs to be in hell burning,” she wrote about her biological mother, in contradiction to the previous statement.
Those who are the youngest to go
Among the children that were up for sale, their youngest brother, David, who was born Bedford Chalifoux, was not one of them. Instead, he was taken away from his mother and placed in the custody of the McDaniels, who were unable to conceive a child of their own. The individual stated, “I had bites from bed bugs all over my body.” “I suppose that it was a decently unpleasant atmosphere.” According to his adoption records, his biological father had abandoned them, and he “does not return to his home because of a criminal record against him in Cook County, Illinois.” This is the cause of his absence from his home.
