FAQs

The My daughter said to me about six months ago, have you seen the program, the Locator? It looks like what you do.

I had not seen it so I watched a few stories over the next few weeks. Actually I have been doing exactly that for years. The stories were good, but too short. Short meaning there is the beginning, the search and the end packed into a real short time. Nothing on birth parents or birth research is that simple. Of course I don’t fly around the country like the Locator Program and I don’t have an office staff to do my research, I do it myself and I would think I’m a lot cheaper.

How do you find someone?

All those on-line searches tell you they can find anyone, anywhere. Ask them to find John Smith or Lois Brown. They ask you for a date of birth and or a social security number, tell them you have neither and usually they will tell you they cannot help you or they provide you with a list that matches your request and it becomes a hit or miss trying to break it down to your missing person.

I only ask where that person was last known to be, where / whenever that was. Then I go looking for a paper trail. If it can be found I can follow it anywhere. If it is a relative, you already have the starting information, I just know where to look.

Do I travel?

Yes, I travel New England but only if there is enough information provided that allows me to start my research from Massachusetts. That doesn’t mean it has to start in Massachusetts, it means I go surfing on-line, in libraries, Ancestry.Com. and another dozen or so locations and if I can find a starting point, then I can tell whether I can do what you have asked and quote a cost.

Do I do adoption research?

Yes I do. Most of that has been done in Massachusetts, however, I have traveled to California, NYC, South Carolina and Florida. This type searching does require a meeting to discuss what is known, where it came from and have there already been others searching. The more I know the better to make a decision of whether I can help you or not. No matter how little you know, sometimes it’s enough.

The example would be in Willard’s story in a Boston Globe article.

Wanted information Mary Elizabeth Baker Floyd born 1913 Massachusetts.