My Mom's dad was adopted.....how do I handle this? Do I try to find the original family or just not do anything on the chart about it other than note "adopted"? All my grandma knew was that her husband's mother, Mary, came here from England. She didn't know what happened to the dad or anything but his name was Spooner. We don't know the mom's maiden name, either. No one is left alive who knows any more than this. I found my grandpa's obit. He died when my Mom was a year old and my uncle was four. My grandma worked at either Taylor's or Bailey's Dept. store in downtown Cleveland. The adopted sister watched my mom and uncle for free so my grandma could work. There was no welfare, food stamps, etc. back in 1915 so I wonder how in the heck she raised her kids without going crazy. Alice

Some people trace both the blood lines and the ancestors of adoptive parents. What is important is to make sure that a distinction is clear on any printouts that you distribute so as to not mislead. Your genealogy program may have a way to include two sets of parents. You may be able to find the birth parents or you could just chose to mark that your grandfather was adopted and go on to other lines. You might at least want to check out the particulars related to adoption in the area where your grandfather lived. Then you can decide whether is seems realistic to try to track down possible records to determine who the birth parents might be. Margaret Scheffler ----- Original Message ----- From: <Alikat42@aol.com> To: <ohlorain@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2007 7:02 AM Subject: [OHLORAIN] adoption question > My Mom's dad was adopted.....how do I handle this? Do I try to find the > original family or just not do anything on the chart about it other than > note > "adopted"? All my grandma knew was that her husband's mother, Mary, came > here > from England. She didn't know what happened to the dad or anything but > his > name was Spooner. We don't know the mom's maiden name, either. > > No one is left alive who knows any more than this. > > I found my grandpa's obit. He died when my Mom was a year old and my > uncle > was four. My grandma worked at either Taylor's or Bailey's Dept. store > in > downtown Cleveland. The adopted sister watched my mom and uncle for free > so my > grandma could work. There was no welfare, food stamps, etc. back in 1915 > so > I wonder how in the heck she raised her kids without going crazy. > > Alice

My genealogy program doesn't allow for adoption lines. Once a person is adopted, that "bloodline" doesn't go backwards--only forward. In my opinion, it's hard enough tracing our bloodlines, let alone the adoptee's line. I have cousins from Lorain County who were adopted due to parents' early deaths, and I tried to get info on them. All the agency would do was take my name in case the adoptees were looking for realatives. In addition, I have an adopted "aunt" whom I would never be able to trace, as she was just "given" to my grandfather and wife. She was born in 1910, and lived in a farming community. Best regards, Patricia Daly MScheffler <mscheffl@twcny.rr.com> wrote: Some people trace both the blood lines and the ancestors of adoptive parents. What is important is to make sure that a distinction is clear on any printouts that you distribute so as to not mislead. Your genealogy program may have a way to include two sets of parents. You may be able to find the birth parents or you could just chose to mark that your grandfather was adopted and go on to other lines. You might at least want to check out the particulars related to adoption in the area where your grandfather lived. Then you can decide whether is seems realistic to try to track down possible records to determine who the birth parents might be. Margaret Scheffler ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2007 7:02 AM Subject: [OHLORAIN] adoption question > My Mom's dad was adopted.....how do I handle this? Do I try to find the > original family or just not do anything on the chart about it other than > note > "adopted"? All my grandma knew was that her husband's mother, Mary, came > here > from England. She didn't know what happened to the dad or anything but > his > name was Spooner. We don't know the mom's maiden name, either. > > No one is left alive who knows any more than this. > > I found my grandpa's obit. He died when my Mom was a year old and my > uncle > was four. My grandma worked at either Taylor's or Bailey's Dept. store > in > downtown Cleveland. The adopted sister watched my mom and uncle for free > so my > grandma could work. There was no welfare, food stamps, etc. back in 1915 > so > I wonder how in the heck she raised her kids without going crazy. > > Alice ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to OHLORAIN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Hi everyone I found out in 2003 that the Grandpa I grew up with (and all of his blood line I knew and visited often with) was not my biological Grandfather. He loved me like a Granddaughter and I loved him like a Grandpa too although he never legally adopted my Mom. I had mixed feelings about what to do with my family tree. My Mom still does not like me calling my biological one "Grandpa" but being he is my blood line I show him the respect and refer to him as such. And yes my Grandpa I did grow up with will always be my Grandpa too...feelings have not changed. I trace both lines as respect to both of them. I wouldn't be the same without all of them and consider it a blessing I have so much family. In 2005 I found my biological Grandpa's grave in Ashtabula Co. Oh and paid him a long visit and needless to say it was a very emotional time for me. I missed all the years I could have known him and never had the pleasure. So you have to decide emotionally if you want to trace both sides or forget the side that provided love and care in times of need. It's a personal decision you can only make. No genealogical guideline can keep this issue cut and dry in my opinion. Good luck in your research and may God Bless you. Kathy ----- Original Message ----- From: "MScheffler" <mscheffl@twcny.rr.com> To: <ohlorain@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2007 7:22 AM Subject: Re: [OHLORAIN] adoption question > Some people trace both the blood lines and the ancestors of adoptive > parents. What is important is to make sure that a distinction is clear on > any printouts that you distribute so as to not mislead. Your genealogy > program may have a way to include two sets of parents. > > You may be able to find the birth parents or you could just chose to > mark that your grandfather was adopted and go on to other lines. You > might > at least want to check out the particulars related to adoption in the area > where your grandfather lived. Then you can decide whether is seems > realistic to try to track down possible records to determine who the birth > parents might be. > > Margaret Scheffler > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <Alikat42@aol.com> > To: <ohlorain@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2007 7:02 AM > Subject: [OHLORAIN] adoption question > > >> My Mom's dad was adopted.....how do I handle this? Do I try to find the >> original family or just not do anything on the chart about it other than >> note >> "adopted"? All my grandma knew was that her husband's mother, Mary, >> came >> here >> from England. She didn't know what happened to the dad or anything but >> his >> name was Spooner. We don't know the mom's maiden name, either. >> >> No one is left alive who knows any more than this. >> >> I found my grandpa's obit. He died when my Mom was a year old and my >> uncle >> was four. My grandma worked at either Taylor's or Bailey's Dept. store >> in >> downtown Cleveland. The adopted sister watched my mom and uncle for >> free >> so my >> grandma could work. There was no welfare, food stamps, etc. back in >> 1915 >> so >> I wonder how in the heck she raised her kids without going crazy. >> >> Alice > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > OHLORAIN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >