Posted by Admin on Tuesday, August 30th, 2011 at 11:42 pm
Finding long-lost family members can be quite an undertaking
When my family immigrated to the United States two generations ago, they left behind a lot of their old lives. Among the things lost were family connections. Today, with so much time passed, finding long-lost family members can be quite an undertaking!
I recently traveled to Italy, where my great-grandfather left behind two brothers and many cousins. On a whim, I checked the local phonebook in the area where they lived and found a whopping four full pages of listings with his last name. I don’t speak any Italian and I had no way to know whether they were related or if his last name is just that common in that region. Frustrated, I gave up and just enjoyed other aspects of my vacation, knowing there were connections I was missing.
Back at home I started my online search of my long lost relatives. Google results overwhelmed me and a track-back at Ancestry.com could only take me so far. Without knowing a lot of information about this extended family, I was totally lost. I had a few names but not much to go on, so I gave up again.
Two years later, a conversation with my mother spurred my interest once again. She knew a little bit more about them (still not much) and we decided together to try to track them down. We each did a little research about people search services online and both of us stumbled upon NetDetective.com.
We signed up for a three-year membership to NetDetective.com for just $2.95, which got us unlimited access to public records like birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates. My mother and I searched anonymously, thanks to NetDetective’s identity protection, and we came up with some surprising results. We found many of these long-lost relatives living right here in the USA, spread out in states close by to where we live!
Going back through the records, it was easy to draw a straight line to my great-grandfather’s family members, each connected to the next through public records. And with NetDetective’s thorough locator services, we could find contact information for many of them. Once we connected with those in the US, we were also able to find relatives back in Italy!
After years and years of wondering what happened to our long-lost relatives
After years and years of wondering what happened to our long-lost relatives, all the answers were uncovered almost instantly by this fantastic records search service. NetDetective was money well spent, since we were able to search and search until we uncovered each and every relative. Now, I’m happy to report how many familial “pen-pals” I have throughout the US and Italy. It also doesn’t hurt to have a place to stay the next time I want to go back to the “old country” and spend time with relatives I spent my whole life not knowing.
With this branch of my family uncovered, I hope to next explore the other sides as well. Who knows who else I’m related to?
Permalink |
If you are looking to find a lost friend, family member, adopted child/parent, classmate, roommate, or military buddy, please leave your message on the LOST FRIENDS BOARD. Any such messages left here will not be approved. Thank you!
My name is Kim and I am a freelance writer. I have over 30 years of experience in office management and administrative expertise. I specialize in handling customer service, training and writing for online businesses.
Writing has always been my passion. I am an avid animal lover who is combining my love of writing and animals together in the children’s books I am writing.
The Internet has opened up a whole new world for people of all ages. While most of us agree it’s changed our lives for the better, there are still precautions that you need to take. I want to help you navigate the Internet safely. However, being security conscious doesn’t stop with the Internet. This blog will be your source of information and education to keep you and your family safe online and offline.
While I wish the cost of maintaining a blog was free, it is not. The providers of some—though not all—of the sites mentioned are generous enough to provide compensation for my honest opinions about their products or services. I do not write about any product that I have not personally tried. Feel free to check out my full compensation disclosure.
Kim
I am looking for my daughter stephanie sager, last known to be in oakdale ct.
Hi Melissa:
Please post your request on the Lost Friends Board. Our volunteers will try to help you find her.
Warm regards,
Kim
LOOKING FOR EX NAVY BUDDIES..EX HIGH SCHOOL FRIENDS ,.. EX MERCHANT MARINE FRIENDS..
Hi Jim:
Net Detective has a great deal going on. $29.95 for unlimited searches for 3 years.
https://www.netdetective.net/
looking for william paper age 65 −67 was in the national guard from 1965-70 got a year off for mail strike. he grew up in brooklyn got married to a girl from south dakota but they were divorced within a year.his father was a bartender in manhattan,but i heard he passed away.thats all i can tell you
Hi Howard:
Please post your request on the Lost Friends Board. Our volunteers will try to help you find him.
Warm regards,
Kim
I just want you to know how VERY helpful this sight is. I’ve spent most of this morning looking for our lost son. He is very important to us. Now I’m going to the Lost Friends board, and then to NET DETECTIVE. God Bless You; and Thank You Very Much
IS THERE ANYONE THAT CAN HELP IN SEARCH OF THE LOST SISTERS 50 years ago? HER NAME IS KNEZ ADELA, was married to a man she met in Italy, his name: MIKE HAULCK, he’s American, she met him just after the second WORLD war in Italy.SHE wrote some time from Ohio, a sixties sent last letter in which she said that it will not QUIET ONE MORE TIME AND THAT WE DO NOT ASK FOR HER, no longer heard ABOUT HER..SEARCH THE many sites on the Internet, but NOTHING.MY mail is: snekisnk@gmail.com.
ITS DATA: Adela KNEZ, married HAULCK AND IS DIVORCED.She was born 09/10/1929, Crikvenica, Croatia
I’m thankful for on each help.
Hi Josip:
Please post this on the Lost Friends Board and our volunteers will try to assist you. However, we only have the ability to search in the USA.
Best wishes,
Kim
Am looking for my old friend from school at Lewis and clark Collage, in Godfrey, Ill. her name is Jackie
Hi Lynne:
Please post on the Lost Friends Board. We need a full name, age or date of birth and any other information you have. Our volunteers will try to locate her.
Kim
Hi, I am searching for my twin brother. I last saw him at our mothers funeral and the phone numbers I have since been changed. I would really like to stay connected, since we have neither of our parents alive. If anyone knows how and where to reach him , please contact me.
Hi Debra:
Please post your request on Lost Friend Board. We need his full name, date of birth and last known location.
Our Volunteers will try to help you locate him.
Thanks,
Kim
I am trying to find the brother of my father in law, no one has been able to contact him for a few years. His name is Lonnie dee hart, grew up in chebaygan michigan and last known was in goshen indiana. Any info would be so appreciated!
Hi Phyllis:
Please post your request on the Lost Friends Board. Our volunteers will try to locate him for you.
Good luck!
cell phone number lookup for doug kerr in jackson michigan
Hi Sam:
You can look up cell numbers through Net Detective:
https://www.netdetective.com/
Kim
Hi iam looking for my brother never met he was apoted at birth. I know a few things about him he was apodted thourgh DHS. my mother named him vencent wade stewart or my moms madien name stradley.
i dont know if his adopted partens told him anything about us he was born in the eightys i really dont remember him i didnt see him at all he has two sisters and alot of nieces and nepews. i wonderd alot about him. hope pray all is well with him. thank you and god bless
Hi Amber:
Please post your request on the Lost Friends Board and our volunteers will try to help you.
Good luck!
Hi My name is David and I’m searching for my only sister. I last seen her in 1974 in California at my mother’s house. Anyone knowing of her whereabouts please contact me. Her name was Barbara Ann {Horsley} Tolbert.
Hi David:
Please post this on our Lost Friends Board. Our volunteers will try to help you find her.
Thanks!