This was a story about my uncle Steve and his family. Steve was just a baby when my grandparents Kenneth and Betty Handy adopted him. They later had three kids Craig, Bruce, And Pam. Craig is my dad. I don't remember my uncle because he died in a motorcycle crash when I was little. I recently saw this movie with my grandma and we both cried while watching it. I think this is a story that should be shared and I'm so glad that it was made into a movie.
shareI saw the movie back when it was first on TV...
I was very much interested in it as I was a student
of Joann Samsel (she was my art teacher back in
grade school).. Joann was Steve's sister and the
oldest of the Fray children.
I remember reading of Steve's death..I believe it
happened shortly after the movie aired.
I wish the movie could be DVD as I would love a copy.
I absolutely burst into tears with this movie, One of the greatest tearjerkers i have ever seen.
r.robinson
This must be the saddest film ever made,if I'm going to watch it I need to set aside a day and a half to recover. Are you in touch with any of the other Fray children?
sharei agree with everyone that thinks its a sad film but i also think its great film to see a woman that was dying of cancer and how she kept the family together for as long as she could and kept pride in the face of great obstacles.yes in the end she dies but i think it shows what can be done with a bit of spirit
shareI didn't know anyone in this film, but I've watched it alot, it's really sad, especially as it's based on real life, everytime I've seen it, it's made me cry, I cannot imagine how difficult it was for those children having to go though the loss of their mum, even though they were adopted into new families.
sharecould you tell me all about the children and were they are now and what they are up to thanks
share
i havent seen this movie but i am going to.
do you mean to say that one of the children dies? i mean did Steve die later in life? (not talking about the actor)?
The one that dies (Frank) doesn't die in the movie. It's the mother who has cancer and dies at the end. Frank is epileptic and is much harder to place because of the sitgma of epilepsy of the time. In the movie Frank is adopted byt the same couple who adopt the hyper kid but I believe that is not what happened in real life. I think in real life Frank ended up living in an institution and that's where he died. But I don't know any of the specifics.
When the film came out in 1983 there was a popular tv program called "That's Incredible" where people or events that were incredible were profiled. Needless to say what Lucile Fray did before she died was an incredible feat so they invited all the real Fray family on the show. That was the first time they had all been together since their mother's death many years before. It is on this show they announced that Frank had died. Of course on all these shows they have to have a surprise and the surprise was one of their brothers who was in the military showed up. They had told the siblings that he couldn't come and then he showed up right after all of them were introduced. They also had Ann-Margret there and she was balling her eyes out. She said she felt Lucile's Fray's spirit with her during the whole filming of the movie and that she was there with them right now. She said she wanted to do Lucile's memory justice. It was very touching.
Frank, the disabled boy, died in 1974, and Steve died in a motorcycle accident shortly after the movie aired in 1983.
One of the daughters has passed as well; IIRC it was Virginia and it was rather recent.
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I saw this movie so long ago. Turns out that a little after the movie came out, we moved and that summer Ann Margret, was the Grand Marshell for the 4th of July Parade, in our Town. We then found out that an elder couple, which only lived 3 houses away from us were one of the True families that adopted one of the kids. I thought that was wild.
Sadly both have them (husband and wife) recently passed on. Dick passed right before his 100th birthday.
I just wanted to add in this interesting bit of information.
Which one of the kids did they adopt?
shareI was married to Steve...and we had a daughter together...marisha love handy...jst thought i would post that
shareDoes anyone know of a website where you can find information on where the children are now and how theyre doing? Would love to find out
shareHello! I'm the granddaughter of Joyce Fray. I have this movie on DVD and watched it for the first time in years not too long ago. Definitely is a tear jerker movie and how much my great-grandmother gave up so much to ensure that all of her children - (my grandma and my granduncles and grandaunts) were placed in good loving homes. I had been thinking of trying to get in touch with these family members to see how everyone was doing and so on.
shareAlways nice to hear from the real family members! You must be very proud of your great-grandmother! I admire her a lot.
"I'd rather believe what I believe and be wrong than believe what you believe and be wrong."
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This is a reply to you from your uncles brother, Warren L. Wehmeyer (Frey, I'm "the hyper one" Frank went with. While it is true that my brother Frank was indeed placed into and institution for a time, he was eventually adopted by my parents, Joyce and Larry Wehmeyer. The summer that I was adopted my dad and mom and I went to California to buy a new home in Coaling CA. My dad took a teaching position there. When we returned to Iowa to pick up their possessions we stopped by the orphanage to visit Frank and allow me to say goodbye. As fate would have it my folks went back home and discussed the problems of adopting Frank and what responsibilities it would entail. The following day they began the adoption process, and indeed Frank and I were raises together in Coalinga, CA and eventually Frank and I traveled to Seattle where he got a job with Boeing Aircraft. To set the record straight he died from a slip and fall accident in his residential dormitory where he lived. He was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in 1962. He had some 14 operations before his death. I am in contact with all of the other brothers and sisters that are still living. Joyce and Virginia have also passed away of cancer. I have had heart bypass surgery as has Carl, who lives in Oregon. I live in Northern California and have two wonderful childeren Charlotte and Frank Edward Wehmeyer, named after my brother. I am married to a wonderful woman, Elizabeth wehmeyer, a high school sweetheart. You may contact me directly, should you have any intrest in doing so. Lastly, I attended your uncles funeral in Iowa. Take care and God Bless.
Warren L. Wehmeyer (Frey)
e-mail: [email protected]
I was looking this up because I wondered if it was available through Netflix (as of now, it isn't).
I first read about this in the Reader's Digest when I was a kid; my grandmother had a huge collection of old ones and I loved to read them. I understand that the adoptions were done on the condition that Ivan Fray Sr. not attempt to contact the kids, but the children could contact him if they wished, and they all did.
I also vaguely remember reading that all the kids' photos and mementos were destroyed when Ivan's house burned down a few years later.
Hello,
My name is Charlotte Wehmeyer. I am the daughter of Warren Wehmeyer (Frey) and the granddaughter of Lucille Frey.
It is my understanding that the adoption process was that way, at least that is what my father said.
About the fire, he was unsure. I do believe that all of the photos and momentos are around somewhere.
If you want to know more information about the family, feel free to contact me on here, or a faster way is through my email.
either
[email protected]
or
[email protected]
Thank you