[Linda K. Layton]

Earlier this summer, a fellow member helped me discover that my birthfather, Donald Binney Baker, was deceased. While trying to find information about his death in the California Death Index today, it took me into Ancestors.com. I was able to find his name there.

In the information found for me this summer, four boys were listed for his first marriage. However, in Ancestors.com, it lists 6 or 7 children for Donald and his first wife, Anna.

I do not have membership on this site, nor do I have the credit card to purchase membership. Would anyone with this program be willing to help me by looking him up and seeing what the names of all the children are? His first wife's name was Anna; I believe his second wife's name was Lois.

FYI: Neither of these women were my mother. They had an affair while he was married to Anna and I was the product of that affair.

While I am begging, I have only been able to locate one son, Gayland, who is closest to me in age and in the first group of children. All he seems to know is that the oldest son, Gerald, passed away in 1993; his other 2 brothers are around Omaha, NE; and the 3 half brothers are somewhere in California. Because their names are so common, does anyone have any suggestions how I could go about locating these guys?

Thanks!

Linda

[shirleyville]

I believe I know someone here at the forum who has a membership! I will PM her and ask her to get ahold of you, Linda!
Hugs,
Sally

[Linda K. Layton]

Thanks, Sally! You are the best!!!

[misspiwackit]

Do you mean ancestry.com? If so your local library will probably have a membership. Call first to see which one has a genealogy section. What year were these children born if prior to 1930 I can find them on the 1930 census?

[Linda K. Layton]

OK, sorry, it probably is ancestry.com. Sorry, I was really tired when I wrote that this morning.

All of the children in the first marriage were in the 40's, I was born in 53, and the youngest boys were born in the 60s. My dad, though, appears in the 1930 census at 2 years old.

Thank you for the offer.

Linda

[misspiwackit]

Okay Linda I did some searching on FamilySearch.com and found:
Gerald Baker
b 3 June 1943
d 25 Dec 1993
SS# 376 42 9676
Issued Michigan
Death Residence 92683 Westminster, Orage, CA

They also have a death for Donald Binney Baker born 1925 and it lists his parents.

You might want to check this out. With the date of death for Gerald you might be able to find an obit in a local paper, if you do not live in CA maybe one of the librarians would look it up for you, it might lists his siblings.

I hope this helps. I have tried "breaking into" ancestry.com but I can not find any expanded info on Donald Binney Baker.

If I make it to the library in the next couple of days I will look it up for you.

DP

[Linda K. Layton]

Thank you so much. I really do appreciate all your help.

How sad.........Gerald died on Christmas. Did not have a date of death or location for him.

I live in Indiana, but will write a library in CA and see if they can get me a copy of both obituaries.

Again, thank you for your help!

Linda

[shirleyville]

Linda,
First of all.....I got your PM, and you are most welcome!
Second of all......when you contact the library in California, don't mention adoption.....just say that you are looking for an obituary for a relative in conjunction with some genealogical research.
Sometimes, as hard as it is to fathom in this day and age, when folks hear the word "adoption" the task gets back burner status , if it gets handled at all .........but folks seem to be eager to help with genealogical endeavors .......
Best of luck!
Keep us posted!
Sally

[Linda K. Layton]

Thanks for the advice; I'll try it!!!

Linda

[shirleyville]

You're welcome, DearHeart!
While I am on the advice train , you might make mention in your e-mail to the library, that you live in Indiana, so they don't assume you are just being lazy! Sometimes they are more sympathetic to your plight, if they know there is absolutely no way you can physically visit the location.
The library you want to contact is the library on the county level -- the county where your family members passed away. If you contact a main branch, they may not have local or county papers archived. Also, the county level libraries are more apt to help....the larger ones tend to be too busy to help.....or they will make you wait forever.
I have another suggestion.......there is a site for search angels -- I wish I could recall what the site is??? Something in the back of my mind says it's "VSN" something or another??? At one time, I posted at that site for help with a library search, and within an hour, someone had contacted me back and was on the way to the local library in that area to find the information for me, himself!! He found the obit, copied and scanned it, and e-mailed me in the same day!
Sometimes it helps to have someone in the area do the search for you, if you find the library unresponsive.
Hugs,
Sal

[shirleyville]

The site for the search angels is VSN.org!

[Linda K. Layton]

I have PMd the lady you referred me to and I just signed up my request for obits at VSN.org.

Thank you................you are a wealth of information and such a sweetheart! Nice to know you have friends just down the road. Thanks again.

Will let you know what I learn!

Linda

[Linda K. Layton]

I would like to thank everyone for the help I received looking for information on my father and brother, both of whom are deceased. I appreciate the time and effort it took to help me get this information.

If I can be of help, please let me know.

Thanks, again!!!

Linda

[shirleyville]

Did you find out anything of use.....or things you didn't know???

[Linda K. Layton]

Yes, I did. I found out where both of them passed away. I knew they both died in California, but I did not know where. Now I can enlist the help of the libraries and see if I can get copies of the obituaries, maybe there would be even more info there. Also hoping they may give cause of death if I write for death certificates.

I do so appreciate yours and everyone's help!!!

Another thing I plan to do this fall is make a trip to Lucerne, Indiana and find where my grandparents are buried. If I remember correctly at least one of bdad's siblings are buried there also.

Since grandparents were born and raised in Cass County, I would assume Lucerne is also in Cass County. Have to go buy a map today and check it out.

Thanks! Keep in touch..................

Linda