Hi list - Can anyone supply me with the names of the newspapers in Hillsborough Co? I'm trying to locate an obit for my cousin, Herbert W NEED, and I've looked at several cemeteries online and can't find him. He died in June 1987, don't have the day. The only obits I found were the obits that have been contributed by fellow researchers, and none of them show a NEED family. Any volunteers out there who can do a lookup in a newspaper for that year to see if Herbert shows up? And does anyone know if the Hillsborough Memorial Cemetery has been transcribed yet? Tried to contact Sunny Zenglerk and my mail came back as undeliverable. Thank you, Venee Stuart-Henson

There is a cemetery in Thonotosassa as I have g-grands buried there. It took me a while to find it and not sure I can give directions to it. It is about 2 blocks off the main street (north side) before you get to the road that goes around the lake. Seems like I turned off the main road where a convenience store is located. But am sure any of the locals could direct you there. Flo

Deborah and Listmembers, Perhaps I can offer some general information and thoughts on the adoption issue and Hillsborough County. Regarding adoption in General, I think the most important thing I can say to anyone interested is not to immediately give up and believe that ALL RECORDS ARE SEALED. This is not true. While it is pretty much standard today, some legal jurisdictions, at various times in history, did not seal adoption records. Some court systems only sealed them when the presiding judge ordered them sealed. If the presiding judge failed to pronounce that order during the adoption hearing and the clerk did not remind him, the record was not sealed. Every person searching for adoption information should learn from an experienced courthouse researcher what information might be available from the different departments in each jurisdiction. It is not enough to ask to see a sealed file, be refused, then give up. In the state of Pennsylvania, the office of the Prothonotary records every civil action. While doing some random searches of 1950-1990 civil documents in a PA courthouse this past summer, I stumbled onto information regarding three separate adoptions in my paternal line. I honestly couldn't believe my eyes. Out of curiosity I checked for the actual adoption records and they were sealed! However, all information was available in other documents. Having a lot of curiosity and a little time, I continued to search records prior to 1950 and found two more adoption cases that were not sealed, both from about 1940. Both files contained information as to why the children were placed for adoption and there were signed statements in the files from birth parents! Regarding Hillsborough County, there were, indeed, many homes for orphans or adoptable children, most run by the state, church or sometimes private. Some were good, some weren't so good. Remember that Pre-Disney, Tampa was the only "major" city in FL other than Miami. An unwed or widowed mother can find anonymity in a city that can't be found in rural areas such as Hernando or Pasco Counties. No one "back home" would have to know. As a former state employee who was frequently involved in adoptions, I can say that there is still a tendency to do this. The surrounding rural communities frequently send their children to Tampa and Tampa sends their children to other cities. Pinellas County (St. Petersburg, Clearwater) has always had a small tax to fund child welfare programs, including adoption. Their services are unequaled, in my opinion. There is also a tendency for northern mothers to come to Florida to have their baby, place him or her for adoption, then return to the north. A young mother would not stop in the rural communities looking for services and assistance. She would go on to Tampa, Orlando, Miami or Jacksonville. I have an adopted friend whose birth mother came from a town outside of Boston, had her baby in Clearwater, placed him in a home/orphanage in Tampa and went back to Boston...perhaps to create as much distance as possible. Another friend's mother was from Chicago, left her baby in a hospital and went back north. For those curious, one of the two has been reunited with his birth parents. For those who are searching for their parents...or their child, I wish you the very best. There is information out there somewhere that will help you in your search. Don't take no for an answer. Marc ----- Original Message ----- From: Deborah Byrd <dbyrd@lightcom.net> To: <FLHILLSB-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2000 2:08 PM Subject: [FLHILLSB-L] Help finding sites and information > As webmistress for the Hillsborough Genweb site, I get a fair amount > of questions about adoptions in Hills. county. Not living anywhere > near the east coast or Florida, I am at a loss for information to help > those seekers. > > If anyone has general information to share about adoptions in Florida > and Hills county in particular and if you feel comfortable sharing > that information please contact me. I would like to add that to the > Hills. county genweb page. Also if you know of any web sites that > help adoptees and birth parents find each other please forward them > to me. > > I had no idea that so many people were adopted out of Hills county. > My two Georgia counties and Hernando county don't have anywhere near > this amount of traffic on adoptions. Did Hills. county have a number > of foundling homes and orphanages in the early to mid 1900's? > > Deborah Byrd > > > ============================== > The RootsWeb WorldConnect Project: > 12.8 million individuals and counting. > http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/ >

Barb, May I jump in and say that there is the Sunset Memorial Gardens on Hwy 301 in Thonotosassa. I know there are a few smaller cemeteries in Thonotosassa but I don't know the names of them. Hope this helps some. Mary Alice ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On Sat, 12 Feb 2000 14:50:02 EST BARLYNN22@aol.com writes: > Both David and Barb can check with Hillsborough County library for > obituary. > They are online @ > http://scfn.thpl.lib.fl.us/thpl/thpl.htm > access "thor" , type in name your looking for. Small fee for copy of > obit. > David, I don't recall there being a cemetery in Thonotosassa, so you > really > need the obits to find out where they were buried. > Or call the library @ 813-273-3652 > Barb

As webmistress for the Hillsborough Genweb site, I get a fair amount of questions about adoptions in Hills. county. Not living anywhere near the east coast or Florida, I am at a loss for information to help those seekers. If anyone has general information to share about adoptions in Florida and Hills county in particular and if you feel comfortable sharing that information please contact me. I would like to add that to the Hills. county genweb page. Also if you know of any web sites that help adoptees and birth parents find each other please forward them to me. I had no idea that so many people were adopted out of Hills county. My two Georgia counties and Hernando county don't have anywhere near this amount of traffic on adoptions. Did Hills. county have a number of foundling homes and orphanages in the early to mid 1900's? Deborah Byrd

The Hillsborough WWI draft registrations have been uploaded to the FL Genweb archive site. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/fl/toc/hillsborough.htm

Both David and Barb can check with Hillsborough County library for obituary. They are online @ http://scfn.thpl.lib.fl.us/thpl/thpl.htm access "thor" , type in name your looking for. Small fee for copy of obit. David, I don't recall there being a cemetery in Thonotosassa, so you really need the obits to find out where they were buried. Or call the library @ 813-273-3652 Barb

Hello List - Just subscribed and would like a lookup for my NEED family, Herbert William NEED and Helen NEED. I would like to know where Herbert is buried and the transcription on the headstone. He died in June 1987 in Thonotosassa, so he's probably buried there (Thonotosassa Cemetery?). Also, would like to know where his wife, Helen, died. I'm thinking probably in Thonotosassa, also. Not sure when she died. Thanks, Venee Stuart-Henson

I am still looking for an obit about the following person I found on the SS Death Index: VIRGINIA ROSE 02 Jun 1918 27 May 1998 (Tampa, Hillsborough, FL) (Bradford, Mckean, PA) 189-10-2720 Thanks, Barb

Okay Deborah, Count me in for Hillsborough County, it's the least I can do to repay the numerous people who have help me with my searching. Barb-Tampa

VIRGINIA ROSE 02 Jun 1918 27 May 1998 (Tampa, Hillsborough, FL) 16701 (Bradford, Mckean, PA) 189-10-2720 Pennsylvania I would like to get a copy of the above name if I could please. I will pay for postage and copies if necessary. Thank you, Barb

> I do have a question, why are there more pages for Hernando than > Hillsborough? I would have thought the opposite to be true. I had kin > in the first district which is now Pinellas. > 5 pages of the 20 pages I copied are already spoken for and in the mail. That left 15 pages to parcel out. The total number of pages for the 1885 census is around 180 for Hills. county and 140 pages for Hernando county. Deborah

I have 15 pages of the Hillsborough County 1885 census for transcription. I am looking for 3 people to tak 5 pages each and complete it by the end of March. I have 20 pages of the Hernando county 1885 Census for transcription. I am looking for 4 people to take 5 pages each and complete it by the end of March. The transcription should be done using a pc compatible spreadsheet program. I have a template to send along. The pages are xerox copies of microfilm. The census are hand written. On the Hernando County Genweb site, I have a listing of churches in the county in 1939. By this weekend I should have a similar list up for Hillsborough county Genweb page. Thank yous to two the list memebers who volunteered and each trancscribed a portion of the church list. Have a good weekend. I am going to play in the sunshine, that makes winter look like spring, even though it is still too cold. Deborah Byrd

----- Original Message ----- From: AlohaBev <alohabev@bigfoot.com> To: <FLORIDA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 02, 2000 1:04 PM Subject: WELLER, Eugene A. Obituary (b. 1901 NJ d. 4 Dec 1978 FL) > WELLER -- Eugene A. 77, 4310 Helena St., NE, St. Petersburg, passed away > December 4, 1978 in St. Petersburg. Native of Summit NJ, Veteran of World > War II, Retired insurance salesman with the Del-Marcotte Agency, Resident > of St. Petersburg for over 25 years. He is survived by three sisters: > Evelyn Abracht, Marie Keenan, Ruth Throwbridge. Funeral services will be > held Thursday 10am from the A P Boza Town & Country Chapel, with Father > John Doyle officiating. Interment will be in Myrtle Hill Memorial > Park. Frieinds may call at the chapel Wednesday 7:00 - 9:00pm. Catholic > Wake services to be held at 7:30pm.A P Boza Town & Country Chapel, 6902 W. > Hillsborough Ave., Tampa. > [SSDI: b. 5 Mar 1901 d. Dec 1978; SSN: 085-03-6999] >

This is Genealogy's most wanted, query page. An interesting site. http://www.citynet.net/mostwanted/ Deborah Byrd

Can anyone please give me the name of a bookstore that carries used books in TAMPA. I would be most appreciative, thanks, Lee Heath

There is an Albert Singleton b. June 10, 1886 d. August 26, 1972 & his wife, Lena M. Singleton b. Jan. 9, 1905 d. Sept. 6, 1970 in Garden of Memories cemetery in Hillsborough County. They were from Conway (Horry County), SC and over the years had drifted from the Singleton family, so I need an obituary on them to learn about them. Is there anywhere to find a person that'll do lookups or maybe a library that'll do them for a fee? I live in Conway, SC and it is impossible for me to get there and do it my self anytime in the foreseen future. Any help or suggestions appreciated, Sonja Singleton Phipps

Hi List, new to this one. Thought I would send out my surnames and see if we have any matches: Barnes Hudnell (Hudnall) Hummer Meadows Gainey Rousseau Mock Nicole Barnes n.barnes@mindspring.com

I'd like to announce to all of the volunteers that the Obituary Archives Search Engine at http://www.cribbs.net/obitsearch/ now can search through all of the past three years obituaries for Detroit and New Orleans, as well as thousands of obits from around the country from different time periods. There are approximately 104,000 obituaries indexed at this time, with more added daily. Thanks, Bill Cribbs The Obituary Links Page http://www.geocities.com/cribbswh/obit/index.html

Needing death certificates for: Kenneth Schroeder d. July 23, 1999 and Patricia Schroeder d. July 15, 1999. Both have last residence listed as Tampa, Hillsborough, FL. Even obits would be greatly appreciated. I will reimburse for copies and postage. Thank you in advance, Shirley in NM