[mrsfish3]

Hello to All - I am new to this forum and it seems extremely informative AND supportive. I am sure there are others out there who have found out their adoption was handled privately. Is this a dead end? There was no "non-identifying" information in the files - only a piece of paper which explained why my husband was adopted - his birth father disappeared and his birth mother was unable to support and care for him. We have heard the birth family last name is Williams - birth parents were married at the time. We have heard there may be two full sibling sisters. Without birth dates and social security numbers in the file, our social worker who is very much appreciated, and frustrated, can't find anything.

I am conducting a search on behalf of my husband, who was born
4-25-48 in Lackawanna County, PA. He was adopted by
Ethel and John Fischer. His adoptive aunt worked in a hospital and heard of either a nurse, or another hospital worker, who had a baby for adoption.

If anyone has any tips for how to go any further, please tell me. I am going to put ads in local papers as a start, and perhaps contact local area high schools for alumni lists, and go that route to see if I can locate sibs.

I appreciate any tips, no matter how small! Thank you.

[lewellen]

mrs,

Doesn't sound hopeless, just hard. But it can be done.

Just a couple of suggestions, if b-mom was a young nurse, her lincense may be on file somewhere with the state. Try looking into Wiilliams at the professinal lincensing area of your state website, or try paying a researcher at the state archives. This is usually fairly inexpensive.

Are a-aunt or a-parents still living? If so, pump them for all the info that you can. Sometimes little details can help. Also if a-parents are still living they can get a copy of the attorney's file that handled the adoption.

Also contact a search angel in your state for help. They have a lot of access to info specific to your area.


Good Luck

LewEllen

[mrsfish3]

Lewellen, thank you so much for your tips - I would've never thought of the professional licensing part. Unfortunately all a-parents and relatives are deceased, but at least the a-Mother did share information with my husband's 1st wife.

I plan to visit this board frequently just to support others and to be selfish, learn-learn-learn all of the time.

Take Care.


Beth

[NewlyScotGirl]

I placed ads in local papers, too, seeking people or info about my private adoption. It led to several peple trying to scam me. Prisoners tried to misrepresent themselves as relatives, wanted money for info, solicited me--pretty unpleasant! It seems they "work" the ads and try to manipulate you & run a con. So if you do the ads, be really careful. Sorry to have to report my experience, and I hope it's not the norm.

[Tink1965]

Hi Beth,

My adoption was private as well. I just received my hospital records, on the last page where it stated the time of my release and to whom, I came up with the Lawyers office name. They would have some of the legal papers you might be interested in. Just a different thought to explore if you have not thought of it yet.
My best wishes in your search

Tink

[newlyorphaned]

Hi! My adoption was private too, in the state of California. Check out the Vital Search web sight. it contains marriage, birth and death certificates (at least for california) I pulled up my name and date of birth and low and behold, I had a maiden name! From there I checked out other births with the same maiden name and cross referenced it with the marriage index. I found that my birth mother (I only had a first name) married in '61 and had two more daughters, one of whom died in 97. I also learned that my birth mother and her husband had passed away. Now I've got all these names and birthdates, etc. but am having troble locating my brother and living sister. There are a lot of public records out there, so I've ordered the obits, and the probate case. Hoping to get a town or relatives of her husband whom I can contact. The waiting is hard and I run to the mail box every day harder than if I was expecting a tax refund! There is a slight cost for the vital search unless you want to run through everything from 1906 but the cost has been WORTH IT! The web sight is a little trickie and I've found the less info I plug in the better. Good luck with your search and I hope this info helps.

[chris1965]

Hey Tink were you born in '65 also? That's great you were still able to access your hospital birth records as I'm trying to aquire mine also. How long did you have to wait?

Msfish3
I was a private adoption also and I know how tough it is without any 'non-id' to put some wind in the sails for that journey to discover one's birthfamily. I happen to have my birthmother's surname but that's about it. The silver lining about private adoptions is that the use of alaises was uncommon (unlike maternity homes) and the name of the birthparent(s) are correct.

Just as Shirleyville has demostrated, having no non-id isn't always a deadend; just alot more legwork lies ahead.



Chris
6-5-65

[Tink1965]

Hi Beth, I wanted to check in and see if you had any progress in your search? Hope all is moving forward in a positive way for you!

Hey Chris, I called the hospital that I was born in and asked them to look me up to see if they had records, sure enough there I was on microfish, they sent out a consent form which I received the next day and within a week, I had all my papers from the five days that I was there. Pretty neat stuff! Best of luck to you, it is worth a try!!

Tink

[newlyorphaned]

Hi Tink,

How'd you know which hospital to contact. I was born in Van Nuys, Ca. and when I looked up hospitals there I found about a dozen. I tried to go online and find out what year they opend to narrow down the list without luck. Sure could use your info on this. Thanks!

[Tink1965]

Hi newlyorphaned I found out the hospital name from both of my birth certificates, box C and the address was located under the attending physician signature! I want to also add on how sorry I am to read that your bmom had passed away before you got to meet her I hope in searching for her family and siblings will bring you true treasures. I will be keeping my eye on you in your search for your siblings. I have an older half brother I believe out there some where and would someday like to search for him. Best of luck to you!!!

Tink

[newlyorphaned]

Hi Tink!

Nice to know your out there. My birth certificate looks like a negative with not much but black on it. I know my wt, lenght as well as date and time of birth. I remember sneeking into my Mom's room to break it and my adoption records out when I was aroung 12 or 13 to read it for myself. Today I have the copies. The attending physician's signature is on there but that's about it. California is supposed to be sending my non-id info in 3 to 6 months, I'm hearing it could take close to a year. Guess this is a lesson in patience. I've been online to vital search for california births and have found something interesting! I'm only listed as a birth under my birth name, not listed under the adoption name. in the 70's I started to go into the military and didn't have my birth certificate, the recruter tried to call in and get one under my adopted name but could'nt. I told him about being adopted and he called back and got it under my birth name and Bing, he had a copy. At 17 I did'nt think to get a copy from him. Now I'm wondering if there was a srew up or something and maybe it did'nt get sealed? Think I ought to try sending for it? I'm wondering if I should but don't want to send up any red flags. What do you think? Hope your search goes well for your older brother. I've got one out there too with a sister to boot and am still on this quest in order to find them. Dying to see a picture of my mother and have someone tell me what she was like. Take care and talk to you later.

[Tink1965]

Newlyorphaned......Hey, glad to see that your hanging in here with us all. Ya, patience is a virtue I seem to be mastering it quite well, not willingly though I think it would be a great idea to get your military records, you never know what they were sent and to view them may bring you a little closer to some kind of clue, you never know until you try. Another thing is just to start calling the hospitals in the city you were born, if one does not have you, then check that off and move on to the other. Keep trying Hun, there is info out there you just have to dig and dig some more for it. Was there anything pertinant on your adoption papers? Do you still have a copy of it? Maybe take another look at it if it has been awhile, each time I look at what I have, I always see something that I missed the time before. Another idea is to put the attending physician name in quotes on google and see what comes up. OK, enough from me for now, keep up the research and I will brainstorm to see what else I can do to help you out. Never give up! There is something out there for you.
newylorphan quote:
"Think I ought to try sending for it? " You bettcha!! What red flags would come out of this? Just was wondering what your fear is exactly or what you meant. If you would like to find a pic of bmom, start looking at the high schools in the area, That is how I came across a picture of my bmom when she was seventeen. Nope, I look nothing like her but to see her face is truly magical to me My prayers and thoughts are with you that you find a clue. keep me updated. You can do this

[newlyorphaned]

Hey Tink,

Thanks for the info, when I read the part you put in about the red flag the light went on, the records either got sealed or they did'nt right? duh! I will try the military records as well, about calling the hospitals, do I just ask for the records on me or what? I'm so close now that I'm in this for the long haul, I waited too long as it is out of fear. How has your search come out so far? Well thanks for the help and support.

[Tink1965]

Hi Newlyorphaned

When you call the hospital, ask for record keeping. Then I would say that I (give your name, then the name that you were given at birth if you had one) Mine was baby girl ******, and your date of birth. They will pull you up in their records and let you know if they found you. Does not take long, if one does not find you, go to the next. My husband is retired from the army and he says that your file can be obtained, sometimes it takes the military a while so be ready to be patient. Sure is worth the try

My story is on the thread "what do I do next", but in a nut shell, I have made contact and was promised a letter in April, since then, nothing, not a word, zilch. I took my time in contacting bmom, sat on my info for a couple of years to make sure this was the right thing to do, and to contact her in the best way I could without hurting her or disrupting her family. Then I found this wonderful forum, which has kept my head pretty level. I did loose it back in April, but have learned so much since then. So now, I am impatiently waiting and learning about where she (bmom) might be going through.

Best of luck to you, keep me posted as to where and what you have found. My fingers are crossed that you find some clue, you can do it, you just got to try

Tink

[newlyorphaned]

Hey Tink!

Hi again! I printed out all the hospitals in the city I was born and will begin to make contact. I've got a vacation comming up soon. Will check out your story. Thanks for the help and I'm sorry that things arn't going better for you. The fear of rejection kept me from searching until it was too late. Now I'm dealing with the fear of being rejected by sibblings but this is just something I have to do for myself before I leave this earth. Now the waiting on info is beginning to drive me nuts! Thanks for being out there!