County's Right to Life chapter holds first-ever banquet here by Dave Lewis with The Meteor

Madison County experienced another first Saturday, Oct. 13 when the local Right to Life chapter conducted its annual banquet at the Truman Kimbro Center with more than 70 people attending what was billed as a Celebration of Life.

The grassroots organization, part of Texas Right to Life, has as its theme seeking due process of law and equal protection of the law for all human beings, from the moment of fertilization until natural death, without regard to age or physical and mental competence, through legal, peaceful and prayerful means.

“The primary purpose for the banquet was to educate people and increase awareness of Right to Life; to let people know what we're about,” said Betty Ann Reynolds, president of the Madison County chapter.

Elizabeth Graham, Director of Texas Right to Life, emceed the evening, which featured a sit-down dinner and entertainment by the country group Back at the Ranch, featuring Madisonville native Rachel Carroll, her husband, Clover, and Matthew Menke of Hempstead.

Graham, before introducing the band, told the group that the Madison County chapter is growing and is now the most active Right to Life chapter in the region.

Before launching into the first number, guitarist Clover Carroll told the gathering, “This is one of those shows that line up with where we're coming from. This is an honor.”

After dinner and several foot-tapping, down-home renditions by the trio, Graham introduced keynote speaker State Rep. Fred Brown of Bryan, who represents a portion of Brazos County but not Madison County.

“Fred is in his fifth term, and he supports all the pro-life bills,” said Graham. “He's always there carrying pro-life issues. Jim Dunnam (who represents Madison County in the state legislature) is the farthest thing from pro-life.”

Graham said she considered it a “major achievement to have a county judge” who takes a pro-life stand here.

Rep. Brown then related his life as a youngster, how he discovered he was adopted, how he finally met his birth mother and how strong a bond between his adoptive parents and his birth mother evolved.

“Brown told of having two older siblings and a younger one in his adopted family. “I knew I was different,” he said, chuckling. “They were studious.”

He was a grade school student when he learned of his background.

“I'll never forget that day in sixth grade. The principal sent me home from school at noon. My parents were there, and they sat me down and told me I was adopted from an orphanage in Germany when I was two years old and said adopting me was an act of God. Mom and Dad wanted me.”

Twenty years later, Brown said, his parents gave him his adoption papers, and in the years that followed he was determined to locate his birth mother, who actually witnessed the adoption process years earlier. After several trips to Germany and a trip to the German Consulate in Houston, Brown was able to locate his mother and scheduled a reunion. “I wanted to tell her she had made the right decision,” he said, emotion evident in his voice. “I met her at a restaurant, and we visited for eight hours. I wanted her to know what happened. I met my biological sisters, too. I was thankful I wasn't aborted. It just shows you God has a plan for every birth.”

In the years that followed, Brown said a strong bond developed between his birth mother and adoptive parents. He called his life “the legacy of an adopted child and the gifts they receive from both parents.”

The evening ended with a brief action call by Gary Ladd, pastor of First Baptist Church of Madisonville, who urged Christians to support human life and support those who need help making decisions.

(For more information about Texas Right to Life, e-mail Pro Life@TexasRightToLife.com or contact Betty Reynolds at 348-6644.)