Siegfried Family / United States - Adoption Quandary

[jshaw264]

I am looking for a Siegfried located in or around the New Castle Pennsylvania area around 1911.

I was told this person may have been doctor or lawyer, although I cannot confirm this.

Paul Lewis Shaw was his child (born 1911), but he was adopted by "James Luther Shaw" and "Lititia Bell Shaw". 1920 Census confirmed that Paul was adopted and born in PA.

I've called a few places and myself and other family members have tried to retrieve (something), but have not had any luck. So, anything would be appreciated!

-Jorden

[CaroleW]

Have you checked the 1910 census?

https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1727033

Presumably Siegfried was his christian name - where did you get that info from?  Does Paul's birth cert show his parentage?  Do you have his adoption papers?

[jshaw264]

Have you checked the 1910 census?

https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1727033

Presumably Siegfried was his christian name - where did you get that info from?  Does Paul's birth cert show his parentage?  Do you have his adoption papers?

We do not. What we were told was that his mother was "underage", and it was therefore not reported and Paul was dropped on a doorstep, essentially. I, along with several others, have tried for years to get a name of the mother to no avail. Paul told one of his kids that Siegfried was his father's last name.

I will look through that census, though. Thank you!

[shellyesq]

If there are direct descendants of Paul living and there was an actual adoption, the original birth record can be obtained for a fee here - https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/certificates/Pages/Adoptee.aspx 

If that doesn't pan out, if you haven't already done so, I would recommend any biological relatives of Paul doing DNA testing through Ancestry.com or similar company. 

Keep in mind that sometimes family stories are literally stories and not fact.  If he was actually abandoned, he wouldn't have known his father's name, so that doesn't seem to fit to me.  Don't be surprised if you find that he was actually a child of a relative (such as an older sister) or a neighbor, and the adoptive parents just wanted to cover it up.

[shellyesq]

If I am looking at the right family, the 1910, 1920, and 1940 census have Latissia/Letitia listed as James' sister-in-law, and she only is listed as his wife in 1930, so it seems unlikely that they would have adopted a child together around 1911.  In 1910, she appears to have daughters age 16 & 14 living with her, so I wouldn't be surprised if one of them was Paul's biological mother. 

[shanreagh]

Further to Shellyesq's response, James in the 1920 census has a niece (23)  and nephew (18) as members of the family along with his adopted son aged 8.  It is not beyond the bounds of possibility that the niece, Laura M Shaw could be the mother.   

Though Shellyesq is Laura one of the daughters from 1910?  In 1920 Letitia is shown as a widow so may have been the widow of a brother of James Luther Shaw? The other thought I had was that Paul was the son of Letitia and her husband Her husband died in 1903 and this would not be possible, and was adopted by James Luther Shaw to be his heir/carry the family name.  I 'wonder' if in fact Paul L was the son of James L & Letitia? or Letita and perhaps XXXXX Siegfried. 


https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6YH-H81

I will keep looking. 

ETA in the 1930 census Paul is still showing as age 10 but this cannot be correct if he was born in 1911.
ETA2 in 1940 census Laura is shown as a widow. 
ETA3 Looking at the 1900 census it seems that Letitia may have been married to John W? Shaw born 1870 and they had been married for 7 years in 1900 and had 2 living children (Sarah E 6yrs  & Laura 4 yrs ) at that stage.  They lived in a large extended family  group with John & James widowed mother and her brother and other siblings. 
ETA4 John W Shaw died in 1903 and was the husband of Laetitia who died in 1942.  They have a joint gravestone
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/139874241/john-w-shaw
ETA5 When looking at the Findagrave record of John Shaw and Letitia they are showing only one daughter Sarah Emma Shaw. 
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/139874241/john-w-shaw
No mention of Laura Shaw? 

[jshaw264]

If I am looking at the right family, the 1910, 1920, and 1940 census have Latissia/Letitia listed as James' sister-in-law, and she only is listed as his wife in 1930, so it seems unlikely that they would have adopted a child together around 1911.  In 1910, she appears to have daughters age 16 & 14 living with her, so I wouldn't be surprised if one of them was Paul's biological mother.

This is an interesting/ good theory, and a good basis for more research. Thank you. I will look into the birth cert to see if there is anything of substance there.

-Jorden

[jshaw264]

If there are direct descendants of Paul living and there was an actual adoption, the original birth record can be obtained for a fee here - https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/certificates/Pages/Adoptee.aspx 

If that doesn't pan out, if you haven't already done so, I would recommend any biological relatives of Paul doing DNA testing through Ancestry.com or similar company. 

Keep in mind that sometimes family stories are literally stories and not fact.  If he was actually abandoned, he wouldn't have known his father's name, so that doesn't seem to fit to me.  Don't be surprised if you find that he was actually a child of a relative (such as an older sister) or a neighbor, and the adoptive parents just wanted to cover it up.

I'm sorry, apparently he was a Foster child, born in Philadelphia and adopted by Letitia

From Obituary:

"Paul L. Shaw, 93, of Parkstown died the morning of Feb. 28, 2005, in Indian Creek Nursing Center.

Born April 8, 1911, in Philadelphia, he was the foster son of the late Letitia B. Angel Shaw.

He married the former Alice Margaret Kelso on April 5, 1939. She died Nov. 12, 2004. "

If he was a foster child, I would assume there has to be a "legal trail" showing who put him up for foster/ adoption.

[shellyesq]

In those days, there may not have been any paperwork involved if it was an unofficial fostering or adoption.  However, since Paul lived long enough to collect Social Security benefits, he would have had to prove his birth date to them.  Sometimes people got delayed birth certificates for that reason.  There are some delayed birth certificates for Lawrence Co., PA here - https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/443950?availability=Family%20History%20Library - but I didn't see him listed.  It looks like his Social Security number was issued between 1936 and 1950, so I would expect any delayed birth certificate to be obtained in that time frame.

If you don't already have them, it might be interesting to see who, if any, he listed as parents' names on his marriage record or Social Security application.