Pam Jacobs Cant by Judy (Earle) Waters

Pam Jacobs Cant shares that, at the age of two or three, she was adopted and separated from her older sister, Penny.  She didn't want to be "adopted," however, so she says, "I just stuffed it away and didn't remember it until I was almost 40 years old."  

By the time she went to Rocky, Pam knew that she wanted to be a secretary.  She took business classes and began working half days in a small insurance office where she continued through a year of college before becoming a full-time secretary.

She met Richard Shubat in 1965, and they were married in 1968, welcoming their daughter 18 months later.  During most of their marriage, Pam was able to be a stay-at-home mom.

In the ensuing years, Pam worked part-time with Welcome Wagon, selling Avon, crafting and selling her work at craft fairs, and teaching wheat weaving.  Rich's work required frequent moves. "We lived in Hutchinson, Kansas for 4 years, and Independence, Missouri (Kansas City area) for three years." she says.  "That was a fantastic place to live.  We had all four seasons, but winter was only a month or two."  The next transfer took them to Waukesha, Wisconsin. 

The next and final move was back to the Quad Cities in 1981.  Pam says, "Our daughter had attended three schools before seventh grade, so we promised that Rock Island would be her last school system."  After getting settled, Pam returned to work, first with a law firm - the one that processed her adoption she later found out - then with a local printing company for more than ten years.

Rich was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer shortly after they watched the Kansas City Royals win the 1985 World Series.  While he recuperated from surgery at Mayo's, Pam's parents said they didn't think they could live on their own much longer.  Without hesitation, Rich invited them to move in with him and Pam.  Shortly thereafter, their modest two-bedroom, one-bath home became a four-bedroom, three bath home.  Sadly, Rich didn't live long enough to fully enjoy it.  The cancer took his life on August 18, 1986, on the shared birthday of his mother and Pam.

In 1987, a family friend revealed to Pam that she had information about Pam's birth father and sister, Penny.  The friend quietly told Pam to call her when she was ready for the information.  However, Pam's adoptive parents - her "real" parents - were in failing health, and Pam didn't want to worry them. Her parents died 30 days apart, and Pam thought that she and her daughter were what was left of her family. She waited for two years before calling the friend who had the information on her birth father and sister.

She finally worked up the courage to call her birth father before driving to Dubuque, Iowa to meet him and his wife.  Upon arrival, she learned that she looked much like her mother and had two stepbrothers.  They had numerous repeat visits over the next few months and later, when Pam contacted her sister, that reunion went just as well.  "It was without a doubt the warmest welcome I have ever had!"  Pam describes Penny as an "absolute treasure."  They discovered they shared many similarities, e.g., love of crafting, nearly identical handwriting, life events, names in their families, and playing cards and games.  "We even laughed alike," notes Pam.  Pam recalled a young girl visiting and playing with her in their early years, but did not at that time realize that the visiting playmate was actually her sister who was in their father's custody after their parents divorced.

About a year later, when Pam married a handsome, kind gentleman named Gary Cant, whom she'd met shortly after her reunion with her sister, her daughter was her maid of honor; her sister was her matron of honor and also made their gorgeous wedding cake; her father gave her away; and six of Gary's seven children were present.

Over the next 13 years, before metastatic melanoma took Penny's life, they got together as often as possible, and every visit was delightful.  They took short day trips, shopped in Galena, went to craft shows, and took their four daughters to the House on the Rock for an overnight.  "Each time we visited, more memories and photos were shared," Pam tells us.

As difficult as the other losses were, losing Penny was devastating for Pam.  They thought they would grow old together, "but it seems that God had other plans for her," adds Pam.

Pam has one daughter, seven stepchildren, twelve wonderful grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.

Her hobbies and interests - now and in the past - include crocheting, knitting, flower arranging, wheat weaving, and wood working, especially furniture refinishing.  She also enjoys water aerobics, photography, taking care of Gary's mother's shopping and appointments (she's 95 and still alone in her own home), and church activities.  She bought a digital SLR camera shortly before they took a cruise last spring and is still learning how to use it.

In their 21 years together, she and Gary have visited Toronto and Niagara Falls and have driven through much of Nova Scotia, including beautiful Prince Edward Island.  They've toured Italy, which was especially inspirational to Pam because she had joined the Catholic Church about six months earlier.  Seattle, Port Orange (Florida), North Carolina, Washington, D. C., Las Vegas, and the Grand Canyon are places they've visited one or several times.  In the spring of 2010, they cruised Alaska's Inside Passage and hope that their health will allow them to continue traveling.  Their next trip will probably be to the Caribbean or to Gary's father's birthplace in Belgium.  Pam says, "I'd also like to see Germany (my heritage), Hawaii, and many more of our national parks."

In addition to working at the law office and printing company mentioned earlier, Pam worked as office manager for a janitorial service, retiring in May of this year.

She would like to add that, over the years, she's lost contact with most of her high school friends and does not think they've attended the Class of '62 reunions. She encourages all to try to attend the 50th and hopes that the event will be a big success.

Pam welcomes messages from old friends and classmates at pcgirl25@mchsi.com.