The Adopted Son: God's Blessings and Perseverance Achieved Success

By Joseph C. Peterson

The purpose of this book is to show people that are having problems in their lives and/ or going through some abuse, that there is hope for them and with God’s help they will succeed.

This book describes the life of Joseph C. Peterson from the time he was born through over 79 years of developing businesses and raising a family with f

• Language: English
• Publisher: TOPLINK PUBLISHING, LLC
• Release date: Nov 19, 2018
• ISBN: 9781970066357

Joseph C. Peterson

Born in Philadelphia, PA on October 9, 1939 and currently President/Owner of Crown Technology, Inc., Crown Enterprises LLP, and Crown Restaurants, Inc. Graduated from Cathedral High School in 1957, Purdue University two years, majoring in Chemistry, and Indiana University two years, majoring in Business Management. Married for over 49 years to Marilyn, with four children and eight grandchildren. Employed at Crown Technology, Inc. for over 60 years in the capacity of manufacturing, research and development, sales, and management. Holds over nine patents for steel pickling and acid recovery. Helped develop over dozens of products for laundry, car wash, ware wash, maintenance cleaning, and retail. Performed laboratory and pickling studies for many steel companies and the U.S. EPA. Developed the concept for Peterson's, a fine dining restaurant in Fishers, Indiana that will celebrate 20 years in business. Professional: Wire Association International(Life Member), AISE, ASM, AWWA and Pershing Rifles. Publications: "Closed Loop System for the Treatment of Waste Pickle Liquor" 1977, "Waste Minimization and Recovery Techniques for Acid Pickling" 1992, and "The Adopted Son" 2010.

Book preview

Chapter One

Don’t be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves. - Dale Carnegie

On October 9th, 1939, a baby son was born to Pauline Barwick Holiday in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in Belmont Hospital, Salvation Army Home. His name is Joseph Gibbons Barwick. Times are tough and Pauline has seven other children to take care of with no husband to help. The children were: Olin, Robert, Kenneth, Virginia, Jackie, Claude, Donald, Patrick, and Joseph. At this point in her life, she had eight children and very little income. This could end the story, as this baby could end up like so many that begin in such poor conditions, but this is only the beginning of a life of perseverance and success. So many people will be affected over the next 78 plus years, and without God having a hand in this life, none of it would have happened. I’m that baby, and this is my story.

Pauline lived on relief payments as her husband, Olin Holliday, had died of a ruptured gastric ulcer at home in 1937. I was conceived out of wedlock and my father listed on the birth certificate was a factory worker named William Harris. Pauline lived in Philadelphia, and at age 15 she eloped with a 30-year-old service man, Olin Holiday. She was widowed at age 29 and sought help from the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children in Philadelphia. This agency was not just named for helping children that were mistreated, but also for children that did not have a proper home. All seven children were placed in this home at the same time. I was taken also at age2. Also, a baby boy born to Pauline in 1941 (15 months after me) was put in the same facility as me after birth. She did not want her other children to know me. However, I did meet them at about age three. Pauline was to get a job and pay about one dollar per week for my support. She finally found a job at a factory for sixteen dollars per week.

Because Pauline couldn’t care for her children, the City of Philadelphia put most of the children in various foster homes and residential schools. I ended up in the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in Philadelphia, as this is the only available space, and not because she was mistreating me but because they could not find lasting foster home care. I was put in this agency home at about age four as this was the only government-supported home available. This was later merged in 1980 with The Home Missionary Society, forming the Philadelphia Society for Services to Children, or PSSC. All the other seven children were placed in foster homes. I lived in about ten foster homes during my first four years of life. There are several years that are not accounted for until I remember the children’s home. I had childhood diseases like scarlet fever, mumps, chicken pox, and measles. I was in the hospital for about ten days with Pneumonia. Fortunately, I was strong enough to overcome these illnesses.

Pauline finally agreed to put me up for adoption when I turned five and signed the paperwork. I never remember Pauline visiting me at any time at the Home or any of the foster homes. I did not even know what she looked like.

There was a couple that could not have children of their own and were looking for a child. Their names, Dorothy and Harry Peterson. He was in his fifties and she was forty-four—a little too old to really know how to raise a small child, but they needed something else in their lives, possibly a challenge. But they were definitely not prepared for the responsibilities and love required.

Harry was an attorney and had been on the Judiciary Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly of 1919, and later on, had his own chemical business. His father was a chemist and got Harry interested in the chemical business. He was suffering from high blood pressure and was not in good health. He and Dorothy had both been married before. She was a good looking lady and he was older looking with very little hair. Dorothy came from a poor family that had their own problems and divorces, etc. She would never discuss her past or anything about siblings. Later, though, it would be revealed that she had been married before, but not discussed until about 1972.

I was so happy to be out of the children’s home that I loved being with them.

I was taken home by the Petersons to see how they liked me and if they really wanted to adopt me. I was about five years old at this point. They thought of it as getting a pet. They also had another foster child living with them at that time. His name was Stewart and was about two years older than me. Stewart was very jealous of me and we did not get along. Stewart always tried to get me in trouble. They moved to a house in Marion, PA, after moving from the apartment in Philadelphia, and I remember being very happy. They had a black cocker spaniel named Traveler that I really loved. I had never been around pets before, but I quickly got attached to Traveler. I didn’t have many chores around the house at this time in my life.

There were several occasions when I could have died, could have been taken back to the orphanage, or just accept my lot in life. On one of those occasions, before we moved to Marion, I was going to catch a bus for Friends Select Kindergarten, a Quaker school, so as I ran out into the street, I got hit by a car (Stewart was with me at the time). I was hit so hard it knocked me out of my boots. The hospital said the main thing that saved me was the snow hood I wore on my head. I remember the ambulance ride to the hospital, and later being carried into the apartment lobby of 2106 Parkway where we lived, and all the people gathering around to see how I was. This was the start of God watching over me that would follow me the rest of my life.

Chapter Two

Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another. – Walter Elliott

It seemed like Harry was afraid to stand up to Dorothy for anything. He always left the decisions on how to raise me, up to her. The house was very nice in a quiet suburban street. They had a small black and white TV. Harry was very busy with work and was not home much. I really don’t remember any love shown between Harry and Dorothy or to me. However, I was just so happy to be out of the orphanage that anything looked good.

I remember