This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Adams, Pickerell Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/CI.2ADEB/8944.1 Message Board Post: I am looking for my half brother. He was born in Iowa probably in Iowa City. He was born in late 1952 or early 1953. He was born to my mother Betty Lou "(Adams) maiden name" her married name at the time was Pickerell. If a father's name was on his birth certificate it would have been Charles Kenneth Pickerell. I was told my mother named the baby Richard and she was 17 or just turned 18 at the time she put him up for adoption. I was told this by my grandmother (my mom's mother) and my Aunt"(my mom's sister)" who is 6 years younger than my mom. My mom passed away in 1994 and my grandmother in 2002. I was told two stories about his adoption. One was Charles parents adopted him as their own or she just gave him to them to raise. This story is from grandma and my aunt. The other story was she went to a private lawyer and put him up for adoption, and because Charles name was on the birth certificate he had to sign adoption papers to give him up. Charles told this to my wife over t! he phone and also said the baby was not his. Charles was in the service at the time and when he came home on leave she was pregnant or had already given birth. He said he was willing to accept the child as his and raise and support both the child and my mom but she didn't want that. Charles parents names are Clifford and Erma May"(maiden name Boyd".) My grandmother and aunt said they believed at the time Charles parents were living in Davenport, Iowa. I believe my mom was living in Ottumwa, Iowa at the time. After I found out mom had a child before me, which I found out when I sent for my birth certificate, I told my sisters and brother. They new about him and said mom had told them, and 2 of my sisters remember mom saying she named him Richard. Any information would be most welcome. Thank you, Michael mutter_54@yahoo.com