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Here's a little backstory - My grandfather was born at, what he has listed as Lake Magdalene Home for Unwed Mothers, but all my searches come back as Salvation Army of the like on Lake Magdalene, so i assume these 2 to be one in the same. He was born January 4th, 1937. He was not given up for adoption at the facility, but abandoned by his mother 9 months after his birth with the neighbors of a family she kept house for. she was originally from Cleveland, OH and we don't know if she was sent away to the facility by family or if she was already in the area and had no where else to go. Almost 2 decades ago now, my grandfather found what he believed to be her name. This was in the very early days of the internet so resources were scant. Through ancestry DNA we have learned that the last name provided was accurate, but from who I've been able to get into contact with in the birth family, no one by that first name exists in their family. He was told her name was Rose or Rosa Neustedt. She was a housekeeper near the Livingston rd area of Hillsborough county/Tampa, FL in the mid 1930's. She was born in Germany, but settled with her family in Cleveland, OH sometime in the 20's we believe. She may have been in her early 20's. Through DNA i have also pinpointed a family line of 7 brothers, one of which i believe to be his birth father. They are the sons of William Henry Harrison Heldenbrand of Oklahoma. Most of them never left their home state, but 2 of them did from what i can see, and they'd be about the right age at that time, but i can't say one way or another because the records just aren't there. What i'd really like to know is if there is anyone i can't reach out to who might have the records i need to connect a few more dots. Since he was not adopted out of the facility, i don't imagine social services there would have any records and the facility no longer exists. Any help or direction is greatly appreciated.
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Here's a little backstory - My grandfather was born at, what he has listed as Lake Magdalene Home for Unwed Mothers, but all my searches come back as Salvation Army of the like on Lake Magdalene, so i assume these 2 to be one in the same. He was born January 4th, 1937. He was not given up for adoption at the facility, but abandoned by his mother 9 months after his birth with the neighbors of a family she kept house for. she was originally from Cleveland, OH and we don't know if she was sent away to the facility by family or if she was already in the area and had no where else to go. Almost 2 decades ago now, my grandfather found what he believed to be her name. This was in the very early days of the internet so resources were scant. Through ancestry DNA we have learned that the last name provided was accurate, but from who I've been able to get into contact with in the birth family, no one by that first name exists in their family. He was told her name was Rose or Rosa Neustedt. She was a housekeeper near the Livingston rd area of Hillsborough county/Tampa, FL in the mid 1930's. She was born in Germany, but settled with her family in Cleveland, OH sometime in the 20's we believe. She may have been in her early 20's. Through DNA i have also pinpointed a family line of 7 brothers, one of which i believe to be his birth father. They are the sons of William Henry Harrison Heldenbrand of Oklahoma. Most of them never left their home state, but 2 of them did from what i can see, and they'd be about the right age at that time, but i can't say one way or another because the records just aren't there. What i'd really like to know is if there is anyone i can't reach out to who might have the records i need to connect a few more dots. Since he was not adopted out of the facility, i don't imagine social services there would have any records and the facility no longer exists. Any help or direction is greatly appreciated.
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