Many of us have sent in DNA samples in hopes of finding a 3rd cousin or breaking a brick wall. What if you were abandoned as a child and you just wanted to know where you came from and if you had any family out there? That’s the backdrop of the short documentary film “The…
Tag: Adoption Research
Missing Pieces in My Genealogy Research for Helen’s Adoptive Mother
Genealogy Research Journal #4, Entry #5 So Many Pieces and They Don’t Fit Together Normally, you start with a person’s adoptive parents but can’t find their birth parents. Helen’s adoptive parents turned out to be a pain in the butt to research. Jesuina or Jessie Fitkal appeared nowhere in the census. The surname Fitkal was…
Following Instincts to Find an Adoptive Mother’s Name
Research Journal #4, Entry #4 We Know the Birth Parents, But Not the Adoptive Parents Helen’s birth parents were now clear. She really was the last child of Joao and Joana. But, who adopted her? I hadn’t found any clues about her adoptive parents except the cryptic name Zuweena. I took a look at some…
Helen Correia’s Story
Genealogy Research Journal #4, Entry #2 Who is Helen Correia? Helen Correia’s name came up many times when talking to older cousins. She belonged to the Pacheco family, but because she was given away at a young age her story was murky. The names of both sets of parents were lost over time. Helen’s most…