We found my mom’s birth mother!

Seriously, never thought we would find my mom’s birth mother and  family like this.

I checked my email this morning and I saw that I had a message sent to me through findagrave.com.  I didn’t think anything of it since I get emails like this all the time. I click through the link and find a message asking me how my William Blackwell connected to Joseph Ed Blackwell.  The sender of the message was Joseph’s granddaughter, Heather.  I had previously left flowers on his find a grave  digital memorial.

If you have been following along, you’ll know that Joseph Ed (Edgar) Blackwell has been a major brick wall for me.  Before now I had not been able to figure out who his wife was or if he had any kids.

I was able to fill in some family ancestry while Heather filled in some blanks for me.  I learned that he married a lady by the name Cloanah Lehr.  A name that I had previously been researching.  A name that I was VERY familiar with.

It took me by surprise and I was so stunned I was running around my living room in circles not knowing what to do next. haha

Anyways, I do the work and start tracing back Cloanah’s family tree and I find that I have already attached some records to another tree… ding ding ding – I’ve already built this tree from another DNA match! My mom has a 2nd cousin once removed with connections to Alpha Stigler and William Lehr.

So my mom now has DNA connections to Heather’s grandfather’s side and her grandmother’s side… OH MY GOODNESS

Heather’s mother had 2 brother – one born in 1942 and one born in 1954… um I think that’s pretty close to the non-ID – Did I mention that her mom was born in 1950?

I struggled with how to even bring up the idea that my mom and her might share the same mother.   I told her that I thought her and my mom were more closely related.. She responded by asking if I had figured out how.

My response… “Is it possible that your mother had a baby girl in 1968?” I know – my mom said I just put it right out there.. haha

It turned out that her mother had mentioned a baby girl given up for adoption in the 60’s but that was about it.  My mom’s half-sister did some basic searching on adoption sites but with such broad information, you can’t get much of anywhere.  She sent us some pictures and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this is right.  We found my mom’s birth mother & family.

My mom’s birth mother passed away in 2007.  But, my mom has gained another sister… so that’s pretty exciting.  She is pretty awesome.  I bet she never thought she would gain a sister by sending that little message looking for information on her grandfather.

Mary Sue Blackwell

1950-2007