| Notes |
- From Leo A Suter's Memoirs, 'My Life & Personal Adventures':
"My twin sister Leona and I were born on April 18, 1937, at St. Joseph Hospital, Houston, Texas. My mother was admitted to the hospital two days before with cold / flu symptoms. There were very few antibiotic medicines in those days. My father and some hospital nuns watched my mother’s health degenerate and she died two days later of what was then called “childbirth pneumonia.” My father was a young man with no family at home other than my grandfather John Klass, four very young children, and now two infants. My father struggled to work long hours and hire day sitters for the young children at home.
The Suter and Klass families were long-time members of St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Houston and friends there of the John Helfrich family. The Helfrich family had nine sons and three daughters: Rose, Margaret and Mary Louise). It was agreed (without formal or legal papers) that the twin babies would be raised by Arthur and May Hammond (nee Helfrich). They resided in Houston and had no children. She soon became pregnant and because of her ill health it was agreed (again without formal or legal papers) that the twins would be raised by Nicholas and Rose Perusina (nee Helfrich). They resided in Galveston and had three sons and one daughter. About this time they mourned the very tragic death of their youngest son Joseph Perusina who had died as a result of running in front of an auto while playing in front of his parents and house. He died in their arms. About this time, my father arranged (without formal or legal papers) with the Perusina family and St. Mary’s Orphanage (Incarnate Word Sisters of Charity) in Galveston, that he would pay what he could and visit as often as possible the twins and children. He brought the children to the Klass homestead after seven years.
“Mama Rose and Uncle Nick”- It was not about the title but the role as a loving mother and father. They raised Leona and I for seven years, and until they died we always travelled home to visit them. We always considered them our mother and father (whatever name we knew them by). They taught us our core values with love, patience and humour. We were always told that we had another mother (who died) and a loving father who visited us as often as he was able. My birth father, Leo P. Suter (and Grandpa, John Klass), sometimes visited for a Perusina dinner and sometimes took us for the day to visit brother and sisters (Richard, Helen, Mary Ann and Katherine) at St. Mary’s orphanage." [1]
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Father | Male
Mother | Female
Child 2 | Female
Child 3 | Female
Child 5 | Male