History of St. Anthony's Home for Infants in Kansas City, MO

That is wonderful news. I know this is an exciting time now especially as you got a positive response. I hope you will be able to gleen all the information you need and that a friendship develops and I hope you find information on the natural father. I still have that wish but don't know how it will ever happen as there was not help from CC..they said he had a common Irish name and something about the address being complicated I think it may have been a military address on a base or something. Good luck with the rest of your journey and do keep us posted...

Hi, I was born in March 1956 and adopted from the St. Anthony's Home for Infants at 6-weeks. My adoptive brother was born in Feb 1958 and adopted from the same place at 3-months old. He is not interested in looking for his birth family at all. When I was 18, my adoptive parents asked if I wanted to do a search and I was offended and told them emphatically no ... because they WERE my family. Later, after both parents died, I sort of felt like an orphan and started playing with the idea of locating my b-mother. But, I really didn't want a replacement family, so I didn't pursue it. Later, my oldest child was doing a geneology project for school and that brought up some questions that I couldn't answer. Right now I am working becoming a certified geneolgist. I have been working on my husband's family as well as my own adoptive parents. The more I work, the more I get curious about my own heritage. I finally conacted Catholic Charities which holds all of my adoption records. I ordered my non-ID information and found it very interesting. I then paid about $350 for them to do a search for me. They very quickly found my b-mother and sent her a letter. It seems that she travels a lot (she will be 74 sometime this year) and didn't receive the letter right away. After she did, she contacted the searcher and asked that she be contacted by e-mail in the future because the letter caused a lot of questions. Her husband (and children) doesn't know about me and she feared his reaction. I don't know if her family knew about me because she was 10 years younger than her siblings and her father sent her to live with relatives after her mother died when she was 10. She was putting herself through school and seemed to be by herself. In fact, it appears that my b-father never knew about me and she refused to ID him. Anyway, after sporatic contact over a year without my-b-mother making a decision one way or another, the court closed the case. I have to wait 3 more years before I try again. I wish that I had requested that she sign the paper with the request that information not be released until after a certain date -- maybe her death or something. As it is, if she dies, the current MO lasw say that no one, not even her husband or children or any of my family can ever open those records. She will be 77 when I am next allowed to contact her and I hope that isn't too late. I am actually thinking of getting a PI to find her for me -- but once I get her information, I will not contact her without going thru the proper channels. I feel strongly about not invading her privacy, but still want to know my heritage for my childrens sake -- even if I don't get to know her personally. Do you have a name of a PI? Either you or someone who replied to you said that they had used one and were expecting the information any day. Thanks!

Check your private mail. I read your other post first and sent a note there. I did give you the name of the PI I used and I highly recommend her. I am not on her payroll nor receive any benefits from making recommendations.

I have looked for info on St. Anthony's as my birthmother stayed there and gave birth at St. Mary's Hospital. I was adopted through Catholic Charities. I am sitting here crying right now. I never knew where the maternity home had been. As a state of Missouri Probation & Parole Officer (for 10 years) I went to Welcome House MANY, MANY times to check on people. Little did I know that I was at the place where my young birthmother was sent until I was born. EMLA has searched for me to no avail. Coming up on my 40th birthday, I am now more committed than ever to finding some birth family. I still live in Kansas City, MO. I was born 7-14-68. Thank you for the info.

How do you know you were born at St. Mary's Hospital? I didn't see anything in my non-ID records or my revised birth certificate that said a hospital name. I've checked hospitals and St. Mary's is about 5 miles away (west), on the other side of Union Cemetery (though there is a St. Mary's Cemetery very close (east) to the old St. Anthony's Home. St. Anthony's was at 3220 E. 23rd street and there was a Hospital right next door at 3210 E. 23rd. St. Vincent's Maternity Hospital was built in 1899 and closed in 1955. It re-opened as Queen of the World Hospital in 1955 and closed permanently in the late 60s. I don't know if the building is still standing or not.

When St. Anthony's was moved to 27th & the Paseo, they had no maternity facilities so mothers went (by taxi!) to St. Mary's for labor and birth. No, the building is mostly gone - one part remains. I'll send you pictures if you want - I was born there in 1949, Bob

My parents say I was born there and the newborn record that came with my non-id says it also. I don't think it was even 5 miles from St. Anthony's. I wish St. Mary's was still standing.

check your private mail..I sent you information there. Cheers.,

I was a resident of St. Anthony's in 1973. It was only 5 months out of my life, but it was unforgettable. Thanks for all your research.

I would be curious to know what you recall of this place. I have been told by a counselor that as babies we do retain memories some of which make no sense to us, that it is hard to put a meaning to what we recall. I have another contact from this "uiversity" who relates a story his mother has told him about how he would hold his baby bottle and my mom told me about something I did which she found frustrating..I think these little habits or whatever were things we developed on our own because of circumstances. By the way, when you were finally placed, were you sent home with anything. I understand some kids were sent hope with a blue medal attached to their clothes. I was sent home with a baby dress, albiet not new, that my mom was told is what I wore when I was baptized. I have a hunch someone from the natural family left it for me...imagine that.

No, you misunderstand. I was 15 and pregnant. At the time I stayed there, there were no babies present, St. Anthony's in 1973 was a place for pregnant teenagers to stay until they delivered. Then they either went home with their child if they decided to keep the baby, or they went home without the child if they decided to go the adoption route.

Was this location always specifically for unwed mothers and adoptions? Is there a chance that you could have been born there (years 1946 - 1948) and not have been born out of wedlock or involved in an adoption? Did it ever operate as a "regular" (for lack of a better term) maternity hospital? Thanks in advance for your replies.

:drive: :drive: Well, after a long 20 hour drive from North Carolina to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, my husband and I met his birth family on July 5th. We had been talking with his aunt and one cousin since locating them in January. Needless to say, we were a little apprehensive, but His aunt and uncle were absolutely wonderful, and we loved every minute we spent with them. We didn't know if we would get to meet his half brother, as he had not willing to talk to us before our trip, (he had no idea he had a half-brother before the searchers told him) but within a half hour of arriving, he and his wife came to their aunt's home to meet us. They started talking and it was as if they had known each other forever. They are so much alike it is scary. We got to spend a lot of time with them, and they have been talking since we got back home. Now Mac is planning another trip back later this year to go hunting with his brother. I am still amazed when I look at the photos that the resemblence between them is so strong. We went through lots of old photos, and I could always pick his mother out of the photos...I just had to find the one that looks just like my step-daughter. She is the mirror image of Mac's mother. She now says that she can tell people that she looks like her grandmother. We also got to meet LOTS of cousins, (his mother was one of 10 children, and his aunt is the only one left of the 10..) several are actually planning a trip to NC to see us later in the year. I know that a lot of people don't have a happy outcome when searching, and I am so thankful that so far ours has been very good. We weren't able to get any more information on his birth father, but we are so happy to have what we do. I want to say thanks again for everyone on this forum that gave us advice and support during our search. And to those still searching, Don't give up. Joyce

Hi, I am new to all of this, and my older sister was adopted from St. Vincent's/St. Anthony's in 1950. We are just beginning her search for her birth-family. I am the one doing all the leg work, as she is not computer savay. But everytime I find something or read something I share it with her. I have high/positive hopes of finding her birth-family. Reading these posts gives me even more hope of finding them. When my parents adopted her, the nuns told them she had a lot of medical issues and thought they should pick a different child. But my dad INSISTED she was THE ONE he wanted. She was "his little girl"!! So 18 months later, it was finalized. My dad was the most wonderful man I ever knew! he passed away in 1981. "Thank you" to all for sharing.

Your father :clap: sounds indeed like he was a wonderful man. I hope you have good luck on your search. Your sister is lucky to have you to help her. I'm doing the same thing for my brother. He's very stubborn about getting a computer but maybe this will convince him about all the things that are possible with one. My brother and sister were both adopted from St. Anthony's orphanage my brother in 1941 and my sister in 1945. When my mother passed away ten years ago there were lots of papers she had collected over the years. In her hope chest tucked in an out-of-the-way place were copies of the final decree granting the adoption for both of them. My sister was already deceased but I gave it to my niece and she was able to find her birth grandmother really quickly. You see the two final adoptions from the Juvenile Court in Kansas City had both the natural parents and the adoptive parents names on it as well as the names they were given as children. I gave my brother's copy to him but he lost it as he really wasn't interested but now he needs it in order to get a passport on account of the new restrictions they do not want to accept his revised birth certificate they want the original one but its been hard to get. Anyway we are going to fill out the form with the Court and see what we can come up with that way. Depending on who you talk to at the Courts will make a difference what you find out. They told my brother they didn't know what he was looking for and they would have nothing but obviously they do because I had copies of it. So we will try again with the form filled out and that should help. Good luck again on your search.:flower: