SEQUIM — Siblings Sue Harrison and Steven Hanson have connected after five decades apart.
The brother and sister both were placed for adoption as babies, and after they met for the first time in person a few weeks ago, they found they haven’t missed a beat.
They have a similar demeanor, sense of humor, taste in music and share a general feeling for “how blessed they are to be adopted,” Harrison said.
They caught up in Harrison’s Sequim home during a planned visit with Hanson traveling from Minnesota, which he’s called home his whole life.
“There really isn’t too much we don’t have in common,” said Hanson, 58.
“We’ve connected on every single level.”
“We’re upfront and honest with each other,” said Harrison, 69. “If there’s something we don’t agree much on, we talk about it.
“Steven has taught me a lot since he’s been here.”
Harrison started her search for biological family members 15 years ago while working as an operating room transporter at Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles. A coworker was into genealogy, she said, and offered to help research her family’s background.
Harrison later hired a researcher from Kitsap County to gain even more clarity about her family tree.
“(About) 15 years ago, I got a call from a lady Sue hired who said she was working for a sister of mine and she was trying to find any siblings in my biological family,” Hanson said.
The pair learned they share a mom, Margaret LoVecchio, who was married three times and had 10 children.
She had one boy, Jack, in her first marriage, who was placed for adoption.
In LoVecchio’s second marriage to William Wright, she had seven more children. Harrison was the seventh born from that marriage and the only child placed for adoption.
She was born at Virginia Mason Medical Hospital in Seattle and adopted at 12 days old by Marcus and Rebecca Rud (pronounced “Rude”) of Port Angeles.
“My mom and dad put an ad in the newspaper seeking a baby, and my mom wanted the first girl that came along, and I was her,” Harrison said.
In LoVecchio’s third marriage to Glen Johnson, she gave birth to Hanson in Eureka, Calif., and he was adopted at 3 days old to Marlyn and Shirley Hanson of Madison, Minn.
Hanson said his adopted parents told him they received a letter from the same adoption agency he was adopted from asking if they’d want to adopt a girl from the same mother. They agreed, he said, but the 10th sibling died at birth.
In total, there were seven girls, including the deceased newborn, and three boys.
Outreach
Through her research, Harrison reached out to all the siblings and known family members and heard from Hanson, an unnamed uncle and their eldest brother Jack.
The uncle wrote one letter, but Harrison never heard from him again, she said.
She corresponded with Jack for a few months, but more correspondence didn’t pan out, Harrison said.
The six other siblings did not respond, she said.
“They probably just didn’t want to, and I understand that after all these years,” Hanson said.
He said his adopted parents told him early on he was adopted, but it likely wasn’t until his teens that the concept sunk in.
Hanson grew up in Madison, Minn., and graduated from high school there. He now lives about 30 minutes away in Montevideo, Minn., and works as a baker.
Harrison spent most of her life in Port Angeles before she moved to Sequim 14 years ago.
She recalls learning she was adopted when she was 12 or 13.
The siblings first spoke 15 years ago when Harrison called.
“We started talking and we connected,” Hanson said.
“Then I decided a year ago I’d love to come out here and meet her.”
Connection
Harrison said, through her research, she just wanted her family’s medical background, but she’s learned some details about her adoption.
“I was the seventh of seven kids, and I learned she couldn’t care for me,” Harrison said.
“She couldn’t give me the life they thought they should. That made me feel: ‘that’s good enough.’”
For Hanson, he believes his mom and dad were good people because “they went through exactly the right channels to adopt me out.”
“I had a great upbringing,” he said. “It was just like ‘Leave it to Beaver.’”
Hanson has one brother, Scott, his parents’ biological son, who now lives in Germany, where he owns and operates McDonald’s restaurants. Their father Marlyn was a civil engineer and Shirley was an operating room nurse.
Harrison had an adopted brother, Shannon, who died at the age of 42.
“I give kudos to my adopted mom. She contracted polio at 17 and my dad worked shift work (at PenPly), and I did most of the shopping, cooking and gardening while my brother did school stuff. I had a strict upbringing, but I’m glad I did,” Harrison said.
“I learned a lot from her — to be strong willed.”
Through their research, Harrison and Hanson learned their biological mother was institutionalized for unknown reasons for about 10 years and she died in 1971, according to adoption papers.
On a brighter note, the siblings believe famous singer and songwriter Frankie Lane (Francesco Paolo LoVecchio) could be their mother’s brother — their uncle.
Background
The siblings did share with each other that their mutual grandmother died of a stroke and that there are heart issues in their family line.
Harrison said she’s been diagnosed with tachycardia, and it can take her a while to calm her heart down.
Hanson experienced bad health earlier in life, overcoming bouts of cancer 30 years ago and again in recent years. He experienced a heart attack in 2008 and had double bypass heart surgery a few years later, but he said he’s doing well today.
“I’ve always been a person that I don’t see the sense of worrying about something unless it’s happened,” Hanson said.
His sister appreciates the sentiment but considers herself a “worry wart.”
After learning so much about his background, Hanson said the last thing he’d like to see is a picture of their biological mother.
“For me, if I could see it, I feel I could put this to bed more,” he said.
Harrison said she once received a small photo from her uncle of their biological mom wearing a bathing suit, but at the time, she didn’t feel it was significant enough to keep as she was just seeking her family’s health history.
“But when I connected with Steven, I thought this is kinda cool,” Harrison said.
“We talked more and more, and it just became really interesting.”
Reaching out
The siblings recommend other people go through a genealogy service if they feel comfortable.
“Our point to people is to not be afraid to reach out,” Harrison said.
“My hope is that, if there are other people out there going through something like we’ve gone through, they should know if you do a little bit of searching, there’s high possibilities that good things will come out of it,” Hanson said.
“I’m hoping we can give somebody else some hope.”
Harrison is married to Rick Harrison, and they met Hanson on the Harrisons’ 22nd wedding anniversary. She has one son, Brandon, from her first marriage, and he married Marina and they have a 5-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son.
Hanson is not married and does not have children. He’s already planning a return to Sequim in spring 2026.
Nov. 23 was declared Adoption Day in Washington. So far this year, more than 550 children and youth have been adopted, and more than 800 children in the Washington foster care system are legally free to be adopted into new families. For information on Washington state adoptions, visit dcyf.wa.gov/services/adoption.
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Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach him by email at matthew.nash@sequimgazette.com.
