Woman’s quest to find brother she’s never met led her to 10 siblings she didn’t know existed
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IDAHO FALLS – When Charlene Goetz set out to find the brother she’s never met, she never imagined there’d be other siblings she didn’t know about. But that’s exactly what she’s discovered.
In August, the 53-year-old Wisconsin woman told EastIdahoNews.com about her “horrible” upbringing with Pansy Jones, who was involved in the murder of her 5-month-old sister in eastern Idaho 59 years ago. It happened years before Goetz was born and she was 8 when she first heard about it.
She paid a visit to Idaho Falls this summer after learning that her sister, Ellen May Jones, is buried in the Rose Hill Cemetery. During her visit, she met Shelley Ramey, the daughter of former Bonneville County Sheriff Lester Hopkins. He investigated Ellen’s death and visited her gravesite every year. Hopkins has since passed away, but Ramey has continued that tradition as an adult.
Goetz recently discovered her mom had a son while serving a prison sentence in Nebraska. She doesn’t know his name or what happened to him, but she spoke with us in hopes of finding him.
Several months after beginning the search, she still hasn’t found her brother. But through DNA testing, she’s discovered an additional 10 siblings.
She’s spent the last week connecting with some of them through social media and phone calls and is looking forward to meeting them in person soon.
“I’m overwhelmed,” Goetz tells EastIdahoNews.com. “I set out to find one brother and I’m having all these siblings pop into my life. I’ve found a family that I’ve never had.”
Goetz’ sisters
Among those siblings are two sisters, Amy Madrid and Denise Mestas, both of whom live in Colorado.
The trio are related through their father, John Gardner. Goetz didn’t know about Gardner until she was 18. She’s never met him to this day, which Mestas says is a good thing.
“He was an abusive man. I know Charlene had a terrible childhood, but she didn’t miss out on anything without him in her life,” Mestas says.
Mestas says Gardner left when she was five.
Madrid is four years younger than Mestas and has little memory of Gardner. She says she spoke with him on the phone one time and “he was a real jerk.”
She and Mestas were raised by their mother, Irene, who they both say is a wonderful woman.
“The best mom you could ask for,” Madrid says.
“My mom has always been there. She’s been there for us, she’s been there for my kids and she’s now there for my grandkids,” Mestas explains. “She’s a very strong woman and I’m very happy to have her in my life.”
Like Goetz, Mestas and Madrid, both of whom were raised with a brother, had heard there might be another brother out there somewhere, but it was never something they thought about.
Neither of them were actively searching for lost siblings when Goetz reached out to them, and they were surprised to learn they had a sister.
“I’m in shock,” says Madrid.
She’s enjoyed getting to know Goetz, but is still reeling from the news. It’s a lot for her to process and it’s difficult for her to put into words how she’s feeling.
Like Madrid, Mestas can’t stop thinking about it, but she seems more willing to talk about it.
“It’s a good feeling,” she says. “We have a lifetime to catch up on!”
Mestas felt an instant connection with Goetz when she reached out. Though they’ve never met in person, they’ve spoken through FaceTime and she says talking to Goetz feels very natural.
“We talk and there are no pauses (in our conversation),” says Mestas. “It will be incredible to meet her. I can’t wait!”
Goetz is grateful for the way Madrid and Mestas have “embraced” her and she, too, is eager to meet.
“All three of us have cried through this,” Goetz says. “I want to know them for the rest of my life. I don’t ever want to lose them.”
She’s since raised funds for a new headstone for Ellen’s grave. It’s her goal to have her siblings by her side when she installs it on the 60th anniversary of Ellen’s death next summer.
“This whole thing going on in my life — I believe God has orchestrated every bit of it,” Goetz says.
Our attorneys tell us we need to put this disclaimer in stories involving fundraisers: EastIdahoNews.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries.