Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Genealogy Mystery #1: Julia Fluur

Today's Genealogy Mystery:

My grandmother was born in 1917.  She and her twin sister Adeline were adopted and of course, it was right at the time that Minnesota started sealing adoption records.  If an adoption record is sealed, you have to wait 100 years from the date of the adoption before the record is available. 

I know bits and pieces.  Grandma thought her birth mother's name was Julia Fluur.  I've later discovered that it could also be Fluhr, Flohr, Fleur, or Fleury. I don't think she was from Minnesota because I can't find records on her anywhere.  Then again, we could be way off on the name. Who knows how much information was shared with Grandma growing up?  I know she always knew she was adopted, so it's possible Bill and Elsie (her adoptive parents), shared the information they knew.  Unfortunately, Grandma's gone now.  She passed away in 2005.

So, what does an amateur genealogist that doesn't want to wait 7 years for access to the information do?  She petitions the courts, of course.  I did that last month.  Well, Kandiyohi County anyway.  I could also petition Hennepin County since that's where Grandma and her family were living in 1920. It could make sense that the adoption took place there, although Grandma was raised in (and her adoptive family are all from) Kanidyohi County.  Spicer, to be exact.  Or Wilmar. Both, really.

So far I haven't heard anything back.  Which could mean that the adoption didn't take place in Kandiyohi County....and I may have to proceed with petitioning Hennepin County.  Which is okay - I've got the necessary paperwork already notarized.  I was just........waiting, for whatever reason.

Now as far as Grandma's adoptive family goes, I've gotten lots of information.  At least on her adoptive mother's side.  Unfortunately, her adoptive father Bill Stevens (also known as Charles Stevens, William Stevens, Charles William Stevens, William Charles Stevens) seems to be as big of a mystery as her birth family.  I think he was a preacher.  Or a businessman.  I've heard both.  Maybe he was both.

Grandma's adoptive mother, Elsie Masters, was a direct descendent of Silas Foot.  The Foot family were the first settlers in Wilmar, MN.  Several lakes in that area are named after them. Silas was also involved in the Sioux Uprising of 1862.  More information on that family can be found here.

6 comments:

Teena in Toronto said...

Isn't it fascinating but frustrating tracking your ancestors?

Dev said...

Teena ~ always. Especially when I can't find any information on them! I have lots of genealogy mysteries I'm trying to solve right now.

Isabel said...

My family, i'm stuck on great great grandparents on my mom's side and my grandfather on dad's side. (he left when dad was young).

Someone in joey's family already did his great great grandmother's side. She tracked it back to englad. I was amazed.

Dev said...

Izzy - I've got my Norwegian family tracked back to the 1500's; I do have one branch of my tree tracked back to very early times in England.

Aren't mysteries fun and exhausting and frustrating all at the same time?

Rowena said...

My sister is working on our family genealogy but how cool that you're tracking your family's history. I should really take an interest in my own family's background.

Dev said...

Wena ~ It's fun! Very time consuming. I tend to get carried away with it, though.