First you have to have names.  In Ok go to the Co. in which you were adopted and try to get the records opened. Some Judges will open them and some will not. adoption .com has a site where you can get the information about the laws in each state.

Once you have the name check Rootsweb.com for the social security death index to see if they are deceased. If not check theultimates.com for a phone no.  If nothing there check USSearch.com for something.  ancestry.com used to be a good site but you have to pay for almost everything now so it’s not so good.  Familysearch.org is a good site too. This is the easy part.

If you placed a child Register, register everywhere so you can be found.

Now comes the hard part- the looking and digging.

If deceased find closest large town and see if you can find an obit. Obits will help track siblings. Also if you know where your parents were raised check for obits for their parents. This can give you names of Aunts and Uncles. Try school Annuals.  Check with Alumni associations. Sometimes you can find siblings of your parents there are cousins who will tell you where they went.  Check for a marriage licenses for your Mother at the Court house.  Check cemeteries.  Sometimes you can go backwards from there to the funeral home that did the service and get a list of next of kin that way. Unfortunately deceased people are easier tracked but that is not want we went to find.

For living people try theultimates.com and look in every phone book they search.  Not all of them give the same results.  Turn over every stone.  Some where there will be a clue and you can follow it to the next clue. Just like solving a big puzzle.  You may have to make some phone calls and some my be productive and many will not but keep trying. The answer is out there somewhere. Try the libraries, historical society, funeral homes, cemeteries.

Once you find them approach with care. Try to contact the person discretely.  Many still are hiding the “big” secret but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to know about you too!  Give them some time- they may need to come to terms with you finding them and also with the news and how it affects their current spouse.

Good Luck!

In Oklahoma register with the Reunion Registry to see if anyone is looking for you. This can also get your DHS records and information if it was a state adoption. If your was a private adoption go to the County your adoption took place and request your records be opened. Do this by filling out a form at the Court Clerk’s office. I did mine by phone.

If it was a Church adoption try that. Catholic Services, Mormon’s, and Baptist do have search help sometimes.

Try genealogy pages. Find someone tracing a family name and see if the have your parents listed.

The information is out there to be had and you can do your own research. It just takes time. Some one else will charge you for that time. Be prepared for lots of brick walls and when you do find something a dozen more questions come up. It is very frustrating but well worth the effort when you finally find some roots. And very rewarding if you have a happy reunion.

Good luck on your search.