«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:» THIS MESSAGE IS FORWARDED TO YOU FROM THE BOWER-L. PLEASE DO NOT HIT REPLY TO RESPOND TO IT. Instead, please address your reply to Merry Ann Simmons <[email protected]> «:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:» -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [BOWER] NEED HELP!!! Resent-Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 07:59:48 -0800 Resent-From: [email protected] Date: Thu, 16 Nov 2000 08:57:32 -0700 From: Merry Ann Simmons <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Ok I am asking a big favor to all my Bower researchers. I live in Mesa AZ and have a family friend who was kind enough to drive my mother from WV to AZ (she refuses to fly). He is 40 years old and asked for my assistance in finding his family. Believe me in all my years of genealogy I have never seen such a mess. He was raised in the foster care system of WV since the age of 2. Had numerous foster families until finally all he and five other siblings were placed in one household. He knows very little to go by. His mothers name on his birth certificate says Edna May Bowers. I have not seen this certificate so I do not know if May is Mae in the spelling. Said he remembers seeing his grandmother before she died in 1991 and her name was Bertha Purcell. Thought her husbands name was Peter. They lived in Ellenville NY. I am assuming that the grandmother must have remarried since Edna's name is Bowers but you know the old saying about assuming!!! Bertha died 11-25-91, found that on SSDI. Edna married a Ellington, we believe his name to be Richard. Had four children. My friend was the fifth but he says his father was Charles Bailey from around the Moundsville area. Can not find any info on him in death records. She had two children by him. They social services apparently placed them in foster care. He was told because of her health but she went on to have 2 more children by another man. The youngest would now be 38 and the siblings have not been able to find him. Now for the real kicker. Even though 4 had other fathers then the Ellington, they were all given the Ellington name. I am totally confused on where to go. He has know idea where his mom is buried. They lived in the Wheeling area, but he thinks the Ellington is buried in the Canton Ohio area. He would like to make use of the genealogy library here in Mesa but as you can see we need a starting point. Any help is appreciated. Also does anyone know whether or not he would be able to have access to his state records? Since they were never adopted should they not be sealed? HELP!!! Thanks so much for any leads or directions you can give me, Merry Ann ==== BOWER Mailing List ==== Bower Cottage, sister site to the Bower Family Homestead, homesites of the Bower research group -- http://bowercommunity.com/cottage