The two sweethearts have been through everything together. They were at the height of their love when they were both in high school and prepared to marry, when something completely unexpected took place. She found out she was pregnant. Still, they were willing to take this curve ball and make it work. However, it didn't end up going the way they imagined and were forced to give their child away.
After they said goodbye to their daughter, they didn't stay together themselves. It seemed like it was the end of their relationship. The funny thing is, the universe works in mysterious ways. Several decades after they gave up their daughter, Dennis and Karen reconnected and found out what kept them separated for such a long time. They also found out what happened to their baby girl.
A Unique Love Story
Finding love is not a difficult thing, especially when you're a teenager who is feeling everything in such a heightened sense. Teenagers fall in love fast and hard. In 1958, teenagers acted the very same.
Dennis Vinar and Karen Lehmann were teenagers in high school in Browntown, Minnesota. They were high school sweethearts who were the epitome of teenagers in love. They were totally different from one another, but in the classic case of opposites attract, they couldn't help falling in love.
Football Star
Dennis was a tall, handsome, and popular football player. He was an ambitious young man who didn't let a childhood illness steer him from his goals and worked that much harder to make them a reality. Dennis liked helping his dad, a Buick salesman in St. Paul, so he could spend time with him.
By the time Dennis reached high school, he was quite the attraction for the local ladies. Add to that the fact that he played football and they were all beside themselves.
Smart and Quiet
On the other end of the spectrum is Karen. She was quiet, shy, and introverted. She was just a girl from a small town who made her schooling her priority and didn't focus too much on popularity.
The main thing they had in common was their incredible work ethic. They were both used to working very hard to get what they want. Karen focused on her clarinet and becoming a star player in the high school band before going off to college.
Love
Now this is where this takes an interesting turn... Dennis and Karen initially met in 1958 when Karen was just 13 years old. He was 15 and completely infatuated with her despite ignoring her mostly. By the time 1960 rolled around, Karen got her spot as a musician like she always wanted, and Dennis was the star football player he always dreamed of being.
This was when Dennis asked Karen to go to prom with him. Karen recalled that "all the girls were jealous." Their teenage love story sounds like it's something right out of a movie.
Serious Turn
While these two were very different in many ways, Dennis loved Karen more than he ever thought possible. Dennis would even arrive late to football practice so he could walk Karen home from school. Karen loved the attention from Dennis, she wasn't your ordinary girlfriend either.
They were totally in love with each other, there was no denying that. Dennis was so committed to Karen and their future that he told her that he planned for them to build a home together. Unfortunately, life got in the way.
A Bump In The Road
Sadly, the two couldn't lead the lives they planned. The two hit a bump in the road, pun intended, when Karen found out she was pregnant. She was just 15 years old at the time. They were both too young to start a family and were not prepared for this.
However, ever the gentleman, Dennis proposed to Karen. Her parents were not at all happy about the idea of their little girl marrying so young. Because Karen was under age, they had power over her decision and decided not only to not let her marry Dennis, but they shipped her off to a maternity home instead.
Hiding In A Maternity Home
Maternity homes are not a thing today, but in the 60s they were mothers got prenatal care for free if they were unable to afford it. When Karen was there, these homes were mainly geared towards adoptions, since at the time having a child out of wedlock was a very scandalous topic.
Society at the time basically dictated that pregnancies such as these remain hidden. Maternity homes are no longer just for adoptions or for keeping pregnancies secret, but their reputations haven't changed much.
Shocking Situation
Needless to say, this situation meant that Dennis and Karen's relationship was over. Karen was heartbroken but listened to her parents. She gave birth to a daughter at the maternity home and named her Denise, after her father.
Denise was quickly put up for adoption after being born. Karen and Dennis both were scarred by the whole ordeal. Despite Karen's parents being against their relationship, Dennis proposed to Karen again after giving birth. As sweet as that moment was, Karen's parents were still against their union.
A New Situation
In addition to Karen's parents being a wrench in their plans, another problem happened - Dennis was recruited into the military. Karen had just started college at the University of Minnesota. The long distance made them nervous that they wouldn't survive it.
However, no matter what happened, Dennis stayed devoted. He continued to send Karen letters while they were apart. Unfortunately, Karen's father kept the letters and hid them from Karen so she never got them, or wrote back. Karen thought Dennis moved on from her.
Moving On
While they were both heartbroken by this unknowing trick, they both had to move on. While being interviewed, Dennis said: “I went through hell to be with her, but I couldn’t. We couldn’t be together.”
So time marched on and each of them moved on in different directions. Karen graduated college with a degree in Interior Design. She went on to marry and have kids. Dennis finished his military service, married as well and had two children with his wife. 50 years had gone by without Dennis and Karen speaking to one another.
Game Night
So the years went by and Dennis and Karen's relationship turned into memory. While the saying goes that "time heals all wounds", there is also a saying that "the past has a tendency to haunt you." Somehow fate wasn't done with these two quite yet.
In October 2014, Dennis was at a friend's party when he was asked to play a game. His friend asked him, "if your doctor gave you 60 days to live, who would you want to take out to dinner and talk to?" Dennis replied without a moment of hesitation "Karen Lehmann." A couple of days later, Dennis got a hold of her.
Technological Help
By the time this all took place, Dennis was separated from his wife. His friend then encouraged him to create a LinkedIn account and search for Karen on there. As soon as technology got in the picture, it was a matter of time before he would find her.
Dennis started out by finding old school friends who were on the platform, just to freshen up his memory of what felt like a lifetime ago. Then he took a deep breathe and typed in "Karen Lehmann". Lone behold - there she was!
He Found Her!
Dennis went into Karen's profile and learned that was living in Monroe, Washington and worked as an interior designer. He was so happy to learn that she did what she always dreamed of doing!
Despite the fact that Dennis married and had children, he admitted that he never stopped thinking about Karen. He decided to make it his mission to find her information and give her a call. As he dialed the number and the receptionist answered, Dennis said, “tell her an old friend of fifty years ago called. My name is Denny.” Karen got a text from her receptionist and called back right away.
Talking Again
Initially, Karen couldn't believe she was actually talking to Dennis, it's been so long. But he was so important to her that it was never a possibility that she wouldn't be in touch, she loved Dennis so much when she was younger. She thought she had lost him forever.
Dennis and Karen started to exchange emails at first and then went on to have regular phone calls. Karen was also no longer married, so after a couple of months of phone conversations, they finally decided to meet face to face. Could there be something left between them?
They Meet Again
Dennis flew to Washington to see Karen. He was so nervous to see her again and couldn't believe he was getting this opportunity. Karen was just as excited as Dennis. It's been 50 years since they last saw each other, she wondered what would it feel like to be near him again.
Dennis' flight felt like it went on forever. He arrived in Washington on January 19, 2015. He couldn't wait to see Karen's face after so many years. Could this face to face reunion lead to something more?
In Love Again
After 50 years of not seeing each other, these two took one look and knew that the love they felt as teenagers was just as alive and there today! They knew they were meant to be together, they never wanted to be apart again.
Wait to hear this - Dennis and Karen got married just two days after their reunion! They said that they waited 50 years for this, there was nothing stopping them now. Dennis said, "It was wonderful. Absolutely wonderful." After their wedding they moved back to Minnesota.
Their Daughter
Despite the fact that they were living the dream they have had since their teenage years, there was something they couldn't just brush under the rug. They knew there was someone out there who belonged to their family - the little girl they were forced to give up all those years ago.
Dennis and Karen both wanted to find their daughter but they weren't sure if it was a good idea. Dennis thought that their daughter would want to meet them, her birth parents. Karen was more fearful that they would rock her life too much.
A Big Decision
When Dennis told Karen, “I found you now, and my life will be complete if we find our daughter,” she was so touched that she agreed and decided to look for their girl. They began their search by finding the adoption agency that her parents spoke with in the 60s.
They asked the agency to assist them in finding her. After getting as much documentation together as possible, the searched proved fruitful and after 50 years, they found their daughter.
Little Denise
Karen named their daughter Denise at birth, but when she was adopted she was given the name Jean Voxland. Jean was 56 years old and was a happily married mother of three. She also lived nearby in Kenyon, Minnesota.
Initially, when Jean got a letter telling her that a biological family member wanted to connect, she was sure it was a scam. She was about to throw out the letter but her husband took it and decided to do some digging. He found out that the letter was legitimate as it came from her adoption agency. Jean was stunned to learn that it was her biological parents who were looking for her.
Can She Forgive Them?
Jean called the adoption agency to set up a meeting. She thought about finding out who her parents were when she was younger but never went through with it. She never thought that they would be the ones to look for her!
Dennis and Karen were overjoyed to hear that Jean accepted the invitation to meet with them. They hadn't seen her since she was just a few days old. Now, Jean was also a mother so they hoped that she would be sympathetic to what they were forced to do in the 60s.
First Meeting
The three were set to meet in May 2016 at the offices of Lutheran Social Services in Saint Paul, Minnesota. They were to be met along with a caseworker who would also be there to supervise. Dennis and Karen were so nervous to meet their daughter.
However, as soon as the three got into the room, all worries went right out of the window. Their reunion was emotional for all of them. Their unit was now complete. This was a new beginning.
A Family Again
Jean had a hard time describing just how she felt about being reunited with her birth parents. She recalled the life she had as an adopted child and the memories she had with her family. She also went through the death of her adoptive mother. These three, however, got closer and closer.
They see each other at least once a week now. Jean said, “I feel like there’s been divine intervention here. For… us to get together the way we did, everybody had to be in the right place at the right time."
Bigger Family
Now that they were all together, they made for one big family! Karen's son and Dennis' three children, plus Jean, her husband and her three kids. It was a happy motley crew.
Reuniting wasn't enough for these guys, though, they took it one step further and formed a company called Vinar Companies. Vinar Companies is in the lighting and furnishing business.
Writing Their Story Down
Jean felt and thought so many things when meeting her birth parents and what they all did to get to where they are today. She wrote down her memories, thoughts, and emotions to help her digest everything. With time, she learned more about her new family and started pulling everything into a story.
Everyone who heard Jean's story was shocked to learn just how amazing it was. Jean's husband, Andrew, was so touched by the tale that he wanted the words to be published.
Inspirational Family
Andrew knew that what Jean wrote was a story everyone could relate to. He spoke to Jean about it and she worked on making her journals into a book.
Jean also asked Dennis and Karen to jump on the book wagon and tell their own stories. They spoke deeply and honestly about how it felt to be reunited with the love of their life 50 years later. It was all so incredible and inspiring.
Huge Success
The book, no surprise here, was a massive success. This family's story crossed the country and world, entering people's homes and sharing the most epic love story.
Readers were so touched by the couple's love and devotion to each other, and that fate brought them together once again. They were so happy and surprised at how much success the book was getting, but in the end Karen said, "It's a good story, and it is a true story."
The Family Today
Today, the family is closer than ever before. They share weekly dinners together, and travel together when they can. They have also not stopped growing...
“We now have five children, nine grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren,” Karen confirmed in an in terview. They are all very happy and grateful to have had this happen to them and share it with the world.