Who is my biological father?

Question

I was born Dec. 31, 1951 in a little white house along rte. 7 between Wadestown and Burton, WV. My birth mother name was Patricia Ann Core and she was 18 years of age at my birth date. She attended ClayBetle school in Blacksville, Wv. My original birth records are sealed as I was adopted in 1968.

Comments

It seems outrageous that you can't access your own original birth certificate and I hope you're successful in your quest.

You probably know this already, but googling reveals that in WV you need a court order to unseal the record, but I would imagine that sympathies are more with the adoptee these days and that may not be an insurmountable obstacle.

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I have a cousin that is a family lawyer in WV so he is looking into it. I'm sure it'll just be another wall. What I don't understand is all the people that were involved with my birth and adoption have since passed away.

Answer 1

This record is a good possibility for your mother. Generally I start with what's "known" and go from there...

"United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K7Z8-63M : accessed 31 May 2016), Patricia Core in household of Russell Core, Battelle Magisterial District, Monongalia, West Virginia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 31-2, sheet 1B, family 17, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 4432.

Comments

Unfortunately, I don't see any clear marriage records for her. A lot of times the privacy laws intentionally make it difficult to locate records related to things of this nature. Not impossible, but difficult. We'll see if others can find some additional information.

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My mother married in 1954 to a Thomas R. Shrout who adopted me in 1968. I have the adoption papers and a birth certificate but was hoping to be able to get my original hand written birth certificate. It may have my biological fathers name on it or any one who might know the "rest of the story".

Answer 2

Do you have any interest in DNA testing?  

If so, there are some amazing people who work with people who have adoptions in their family trees.  They have had incredible success in using DNA evidence to track down ancestors.

For example, Ce Ce Moore is a leading genetic genealogist who specializes in using DNA genealogy in adoption cases:

http://www.yourgeneticgenealogist.com/2016/05/dont-miss-your-genetic-genealogist-on.html

Comments

No, as for DNA testing. I'm 99.999% sure I've found my brother that I didn't know existed until 3 months ago. We spent the past weekend together and I'm welcome with open arms with him and his wife and Aunts even though we're complete strangers(60+ years). I was hoping that someone would know some thing about the past(early 50's). I do know, I don't have my original birth records, the law suit that was filed, or the pay off my Mom got to keep quiet. She took all that info to the grave with her because she was sworn to privacy. I feel what is sealed in the WV vital statistics might give me the info that I'm looking for so I could be 100% sure.

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Well - I'm not familiar with the legal process involved with overturning a sealed birth certificate.

But - if the legal fees for this are costly, you might want to think about doing a $99 Ancestry DNA test for you and a $99 Ancestry DNA test for your brother.  The test results would show you that the exact amount of DNA that you share (i.e. it would definitively show that you are brothers vs. half-brothers), and, any close matches that you have in common could be relatives of your's through your birth parents.

Two Ancestry tests and a subscription (you only need one to fully access your test results) would cost less than $300.

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DNA test is totally out of the question. From where I was conceived and raised was a very small area and back then, I'd be related to everyone. We're talking about the early 50's/ late 40's. I want legal documents.