Finding a Missing Relative

When I was 3 months old my father left my mother to fend for herself and the new born, me. He told my mother he was going back to the state he was born in to go help my great grandmother with my great grandfather because he had fallen ill. A few weeks passed and my mother finally got the nerve to call my grandmother due to the fact my mother had never met any of my father's family because they all lived in different states. His dad lived in Florida, his mom in Illinois, and his grandparents were there too.

Anyways when she called, his grandmother said no her husband was fine and he had never came to her house. My mother tried to find him using his Social Security number, but failed. 15 years later I'm finally old enough to know what is going on. Now she says she doesn't know what this social security number is or anything. I found a old birthday card he sent when I was two, with an old PO box number on it.

She doesn't remember most things when I ask her, like what did he look like. I have a feeling she isn't telling everything to me and my mother doesn't keep things from me.

He's done this once before. I have an older sister by him whom I have never met either. All I know is his name. If you have any ideas on how to find him please let me know.

Thank you it would mean the world to me if I could meet my father at least once before I turn 18, but it would be nicer if I could before 16. :)

By "hollywoodundead" from Akron, OH

Best Answers: Finding a Missing Relative

These are the best answers for this question.

Genforum

By 12/06/2011

Try genforum, a genealogy site that helps in finding family members, alive and not. You can google search by typing genforum and your last name. Also can be searched by state and sometimes county. Hope you find who you are looking for.

More Answers

By 12/06/2011

Well actually, you are entitled to support from this man and if you petition the courts with his SS number for that support they may find him. Understand even at your young age that this man is missing something in characture if he would abandon his two children, and you may not like what you find if you do locate him. Sometimes these reunions work out. Sometimes the person who gets found turns out to be a leach and can't be got rid of and causes all kinds of trouble. There are people who know all kinds of ways to find people on the net. If you know the town where your grandparents lived and if they are still alive, contact them. If they are not still living look for an obituary on line, in the town where they died, and many times the survivors are named and the town where they live is listed, You might want to find someone who loves to do genealogy who will do it for a favor. They love puzzles like this.

By 12/06/2011

I don't think it is possible to locate anyone by the SS#. You can try to 'google' his name, to see if you can find any thing, but if he has a common name, you may spend much time looking.

You can also try the Salvation Army. They do help find missing relatives, usually if the person you are looking for is homeless, but they do try.
Just go to their site, and there is a link. You will have to provide some info.
I don't know your situation, but don't let this make you upset--sometimes you never know why people do or don't do things. You are your own person, regardless of what people around you do.

And don't feel badly towards your mom. There may be things she herself is not ready to admit, even to herself, about your dad, and may feel that you are not old enough or mature enough to handle it.

I hope that you do find what you are looking for. But if you are disappointed in what you find, or unsuccessful, just keep on being the person that you are, and don't let that situation define you.

God Bless you, and good luck to you!