Hi to All,
I am new to this news group and I am hoping someone can point me in the right
direction so that I can find my half-sister, who was adopted sometimes in
1930-or 1931.  My mother kept the baby until she was about 6 months old.
Times were very hard back then and my grandmother was a widow with 5 children
still at home.  My grandmother wanted to raise the baby as her own but for
reason unknown, my mother took the baby to a children's shelter in Shreveport
La. in Dec 1930.  My mother said that she doesn't remember signing any papers
or being asked any question.  My mother said that she couldn't remember the
date of birth, except that it was in the Spring of 1930. She told me the
baby didn't have a birth certificate because she was born at home. At first,
my mother told me the baby was never named, but later said that her name was
Janet.  But my grandmother said that the baby's name was Inez Irene. 
After my mother married my father in 1932, they tried to find her daughter
but was unsuccessful.  In the 1970's with the little information I had, I 
tried to find my sister. I had no luck and was afraid that there may not have 
been a legal adoption.  My mother died in 1984 and I resigned myself to the
fact that I would never find my sister, until this past week. 
Last week my Aunt mailed me a package of old papers and records that belonged
to my grandmother. I am the family genealogist and she wanted me to have 
these old records.  ( It's sad that I can trace my family back to the late
1600's but that I can't find my sister) In these old papers and records I 
found a Notification of Birth Registration that came from the Department of
Commerce, Bureau Of Census.  The certificate shows a file number,female born
1 June 1930, in Taylor, La. It shows my mother's name but the child's name
and the father's name were not on the certificate.  The notification certific
was in the original brown envelope post mark Nov 1930.  In the upper left
hand corner of the envelope just above the return address, written in black
ink were the numbers 7-J-061. Needless to say, I was elated and filled with
new hope that I could find my sister.  But, I don't have a clue as how to 
get started. Hopefully some of you can point me in the right direction and
give me some answers to the following question:
  1. How can I get a copy of the original birth certificate if I don't know
    what the child's first name is?  I have the file number.  
  2. If there was a legal adoption would the file number change?
  3. Could the number on the envelope written in ink also be a file number?
  4. Why would the Bureau of Census leave the name of the baby off the 
    notification of Birth Registration?
  5. Can I find out through 
  the Courts if there was an adoption?
  6. Are there any How To Books  that I could get to help me in my search?
I know the name of the chldrens home were my mother took my sister and I 
did find out that the children's shelter was under investigation in 1935 by
the Junior Chamber of Commerce of Shreveport. But I never got an answer
back as to why the children's  shelter was being investigated?
I know that this is a long message and I appreciate all who took the time
to read it. Any comments or suggestion would be appreciated.
Shirley Norton
98 Isaacks Rd. #612
Humble, Texas  77338
Email:   shirley.norton@psl-online.com
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