Orphanages in Virginia - Family History & Genealogy Message Board

Re: orphanages in virginia

giampa42 — 2012-10-30 06:51:57Z

I, also looked for my father in orphanages in Richmond. I may have an answer for you. I did find my father. I looked for him and his 4 sisters in the 1910 and 1920 census. I found a sister at, The Children's Home Society of Richmond, Va 13 years after leaving home. My father came from Pulaski, Va, a Baptist preacher had written to the Children's Home about the family. By court order they were taken from Pulaski to Richmond by train. Children came from all over the state by recomendations of preachers to Richmond. The Home kept the kids for about 2 weeks, then sent them to families within the state. The Home is still open, you can call and they will tell you if your family member was there. You saying your father was a foster child sounds like he was probably there. Mine was there in 1907. nancygia@comcast.net

Catholic Orphanage in Virginia

ja54gober — 2012-09-11 23:52:24Z

I am trying to find information on my cousin. His name is/ was Patrick Gorman(?). He was born around 1920 - 1930 and placed in a, possibly Catholic orphanage in Richmond VA. His biological mother's name was Mary Gorman of Washington DC, but his biological father's name is unknown. From what I know, he was never adopted.
If possible, I would like to find him and bring him home to his family.

Virginia Orphanage Late 1800's Eugene A. Brown

tovincebyrd — 2012-05-20 21:30:53Z

I'm looking to find my Great-grandfather, Eugene A. Brown, dropped off at an orphanage in Richmond Va. D.O.B. around 1888. Does anyone know how to go about getting a roster or list of names of orphans? We think the orphanage named him.

Re: Lutheran Orphanages in Virginis

jwlapinski23 — 2012-05-04 00:51:40Z

The Lutheran Childrens Home of the South closed quite some time ago. I was there in 1950 - 1951, but I was only four years old. I have an older sister and several older contacts that actually graduated from there in the mid 60's. I do know that the have an annual reunion sometime in the fall (Sep -Oct). You can contact me if you wish me to get any further information. I can find out about the records source that is currently available.

Jimmy Wayne (Harrell) Lapinski

Looking for orphanages in west virginia and virginia

MichelleJM88 — 2011-04-26 23:28:58Z

I am looking for a list of orphanages in west virginia and virginia that was around during 1880 to about 1920.

Re: Searching for my brother Charlie (birth name)

countrymusic045 — 2010-11-13 17:19:30Z

No I do not have any information about St. Mary's Infant Home in Norfolk, Va. I was there around 1966-1967. The only thing I know about St. Mary's is that it is now a school for disable children. It is no longer an orphanage. Good Luck in your search. Thanks!

Re: Searching for my brother Charlie (birth name)

doreenw87 — 2010-11-12 23:21:48Z

Do you have any info on St. Mary's? My father, Wannis David Widner (b.1949), is my one roadblock in my genealogy and he spent his teen years (1960-1967?) in a St. Mary's in Virgina somewhere. (I know more about his first wife's genealogy than I do about him! haha) He carried the last name White until entering the orphanage where they found his last name was actually Widner (possibly Widener). He tried looking for his biological father in the early 1980's, but found he had died about 5 years prior. I am currently estranged from my father, but wanted to give the genealogy a shot.

Anyways, if you have any information on St. Mary's that would be appreciated. Was it the only St. Mary's orphanage/child's home in Virgina at the time? Have you gotten anywhere in your own search that might help me out? Thanks!

Richmond, VA May, 1944

kat06241 — 2010-04-27 19:53:33Z

My father-in-law was born in May 1944 in Richmond, VA. He was sent to an orphanage (assuming in Richmond) and adopted 10 months later by a couple in Surry County, NC. Would anyone be able to help me start our research? I have tried to see which orphanages were around in Richmond during that time frame and I am unable to locate anything. I really appreciate any experience you all may have. Thank you!

Searching for my brother Charlie (birth name)

countrymusic045 — 2009-12-18 02:22:18Z

I am presently searching for my brother Charles Henry Johnson (birth name he was born 11.4.1963 in Edenton, NC. These are the birth names of the children. Susan Gayle Johnson, Thomas Floyd Johnson and Charles Henry Johnson. They were placed in St. Mary's Infant Home in 1966. Charlie was the first one to be adopted. I believe he was 3 at the time. I believe he was adopted as soon as the children became award of the state. They were taken away because of abuse. I believe this may have been in the papers. I am Susan. My brother Tom and I are searching for our younger brother Charlie. If anybody has any information or can be of any help please email me at countrymusic045@verizon.net. Thank you very much!

Re: Foster Falls Virginia 1950 - 1965 ?

bunstar — 2009-07-25 14:58:42Z

Thank you so much I will try this. It is a good start. We live in Oklahoma and so most every thing needs to be done on the internet or phone. I am so glad I finally checked this sight. THANK YOU!

Re: Foster Falls Virginia 1950 - 1965 ?

robhunt5673 — 2009-07-23 21:37:49Z

YOU MAY BE ABLE TO GET YOUR RECORDS
THRU THE PRESBYTERIAN CHILDRENS HOME IN WYTHVILLE VIRGINIA
THAT'S WHAT THE NAME BECAME WHEN THEY CLOSED FOSTER FALL'S AND
BUILT THE PRESBYTERIAN HOME IN WYTHEVILLE.HOPE THIS HELP'S

Re: Foster Falls Virginia 1950 - 1965 ?

bunstar — 2009-07-22 22:13:32Z

Thank you for your reply. I am trying to find out how to get records from the orphanage. I can not seem to find a contact number. Every thing in google is about Foster Falls Park.
If any one can tell me how to get a hold of them I`d be very grateful. Thanks

Victoria Sayers

kanisu — 2009-04-13 23:15:49Z

My grandmother(Victoria Sayers) was put in an orphanage about 1907 in Virginia.She live around Tazewell or Buchanan,Va.Any info on orphanages in that area would be appreciated. I have Google,looked in the 1910 census and can not find her or an orphanage listed.

Thanks,
Connie

Sylvia Holley Grass

daniellelins — 2009-04-03 02:53:41Z

She placed her children in an orphanages in W.V about 1932. Need to find information on her and what happened. I have found 3 of the six children. My grandfather being one of them. Wanting information.

Thank you
Danielle
princessdan@msn.com

I'm looking ofr Cecil Robert Grass

daniellelins — 2009-02-17 20:57:00Z

I'm looking of information on Robert C. Grass jr.
He was dropped off at an orphange in Virgina. He was born 11-4-1929. There was thought to be sisters with names of "Flowers" . Not sure where to start.

Re: Foster Falls Virginia 1950 - 1965 ?

robhunt47 — 2008-12-03 03:19:34Z

My brothers and i lived at the home sometime during the years
mention. The name haskel neal rings a bell i can remember my older brother saying his name back years ago.I lost contact with anyone from the home except the cook that lived next to the home.

Re: 3 siblings in orphanage in or near Luray Va early 1900's

jenscott100 — 2008-11-22 01:57:13Z

Henry M. Wharton established an orphanage, "Whosoever Farm," near Luray around that time.

Re: Virginia orphanage

byrdhlth — 2008-08-19 02:50:20Z

Go to the NARA web site. Enter the state, city/county. Then click "institutions" and it will list all institutions that were in existence during the 1930 census. It is quite helpful.

3 siblings in orphanage in or near Luray Va early 1900's

crystald1156 — 2008-07-22 05:28:01Z

I am trying to track down info about my grandmother and her siblings. They were put into an orphanage in the early 1900's in or near luray VA. The siblings names are: Raymond Legg, Wesley Legg, and Mary Pearl Legg.

From what we have been told by my grandmother prior to her death, she went to the orphanage as a toddler and lived there off and on until 8 or 9 years old. She then went to live with a family with the last name of either Heslip or Easely. Her brothers were sent elsewhere to live(I think one went to Ohio and the other to Michigan maybe). I know that Raymond got married and resided in or near Richmond for most of his life.

When my grandmother was old enough to receive SS benefits, she could not prove her age due to no birth certificate, and the state had to pull information from census records. Supposedly the orphanage she had stayed in at or near Luray VA burned down, and all records were destroyed.

I am looking for any information about an orphanage name, anyone who may be able to help me with my efforts to track down information about her parents, information about her life and any other information that may be available. I have researched, but just cant seem to come up with anything.

Foster Falls Virginia 1950 - 1965 ?

bunbern1 — 2006-09-25 19:28:11Z

My husband, Haskel Leon Neal was sent here around 1950. He was only 5 at the time and memory has faded. We are trying to find any Family members. He had a sister and brother. His Mother name was Vonnie Slaughter. No father name given on birth certificate. He was in a couple of foster homes but never was adopted. He then joined the Navy at 17. Thank you for reading my post. Hopefully this may lead somewhere.

Re: Foster Falls Virginia 1950 - 1965 ?

RegNMINiles — 2006-10-09 01:42:38Z

Re: orphanages in virginia

2006-08-02 01:04:29Z

Just noticed the dates of all the other postings, hope someone is still interested. I just found out that my aunt did not work in the Richmond orphanage in the 60s but sometime in the 30s or 40s. Hope it helps.

Re: orphanages in virginia

2006-08-01 22:36:46Z

Am also looking for info on three aunts that in early 1900s who were put in an orphanage. I found the Miller home for girls in Lynchburg and a Miller home for boys in Albemarle County. In my searach I found that on of these aunts worked at an orphage in Richmond during the 60s. My mom says the name was either Heritage or Hermitage Orphanage.

Three siblings put into orphanage in VA after 1903

bab98 — 2006-07-14 01:30:37Z

I am looking for any information regarding three siblings , Wade (born abt 1901), Vilus (born abt 1903) and Margaret (not sure when she was born) but shortly thereafter their mother died and their father put them in an orphanage in Virginia (not sure exactly where) There birth surname was Powers. They were adopted by the Baileys. I have looked through the 1910 and 1920 census and have had no luck in located them. They do show up on the 1930 but it does not give too much information. The birth mother's maiden name may have been Hamilton, but that has not been verified. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated

Re: Three siblings put into orphanage in VA after 1903

bab98 — 2006-07-14 01:30:37Z

Hi Michelle:
I found out that they were actually put into the Holston Orphanage in TN since I posted that last message. Thank you for responding though.

Re: Three siblings put into orphanage in VA after 1903

2006-06-25 15:19:38Z

Oh okay,
Melissah

Re: Three siblings put into orphanage in VA after 1903

2006-06-24 18:41:34Z

hi,
any idea what area they were put up for adoption in???

Foundling sent to Norfolk City Home, 1923

cmovahed — 2005-11-23 01:06:09Z

From a Pittsburgh, PA newspaper article by George R. Plagenz c. 1980:

"The old lady who had brought the 7-week-old black infant to the hospital had found it abandoned in a circus ground in Norfolk, Va. The doctors first discovered that it had pneumonia. Then they learned it was blind. . . . The little foundling was sent to Norfolk City Home and was given the name of William Butts by the old people who brought the boy up for the first six years of his life.

They read the Bible to him at every opportunity so that by the time he left the home he knew the book of Revelation by heart.

But at the school for the blind, where he was taken when he was 6, they said he was uneducable. He was moved to a detention home for juvenile delinquents. The other boys there thought he was crazy because whenever things got bad, Billy would always say, "Let us pray."

William Butts persevered. He graduated from high school and then college. He became a Baptist minister. When he was 48, he received his doctorate from Columbia University.

He received a faculty appointment at Virginia State College in Norfolk where he taught philosophy, religion and the history of civilization. The campus was not far from the circus grounds where he was abandoned as a baby.

William Butts also became an accomplished bass baritone singer. He performed on more than one occasion at Carnegie Hall in New York.

He was now William Butts, Ph.D. Actually, the Rev. William Butts, Ph.D. Preaching was always his first love. "I want to inspire people with faith in themselves as creatures of God," he said. "When a man knows he is God's creature and that God is watching over his efforts, failure doesn't mean disillusion. Because of his faith, he gets and starts again."

Re: Lutheran Orphanages in Virginis

RegNMINiles — 2005-05-30 02:05:45Z

I checked the 1982 book titled, "Adoption Agencies, Orphanages and Maternity Home : An Historical Directory." There are 136 entries for Virginia, which I will not be reading, but one happened to catch my eye :

The Lutheran Children's Home of the South, in Salem, VA. Maybe a Google search will find this home. I don't know about a central Lutheran address. Try Google or the World Almanac or a good librarian. Or take a look at this series of books :

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Yearbook / Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. 1988-__. Minneapolis, MN: Publishing House of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 1988-__. __ vols. Annual.

Reg Niles

Re: Virginia orphanage

RegNMINiles — 2005-05-30 01:55:10Z

I am going to mention the "L" word, so stop reading this message if it would offend you. The "L" word is "Library," a place noone on the Internet wants to go.

But if someone went to a large library, he would do well to seek a book about institutions in the USA :

UNITED STATES. Census, Bureau of the. Benevolent Institutions, 1904. [Washington, D.C.: Govt. Print. Off.], 1905. 335 p. (Special Reports). A directory of 4,207 institutions (excluding 85), with their addresses and statistics: orphanages, hospitals, temporary homes for adults and children, etc. Includes a single alphabetical index to the institutions.

There may or may not be addresses for many of the entries in that publication and there certainly won't be the names of the inmates. But their names would be in the regular federal censuses of 1900, 1910, 1920, etc. Ancestry.com has all of them online for the benefit of its subscribers.

Ancestry.com also has message boards for the various counties in the various states. You can search for a county in the search window at the bottom of every page, where it says "Find a board." By reading the queries and responses on those boards, one might be able to identify a volunteer with experience in searching censuses.

Reg Niles

3 orphaned Caldwell children circa 1950

2005-04-19 22:05:07Z

Looking for anyone who may have info on the following Caldwell children who were orphaned in or near Virginia Beach, VA. around 1950. Their names are Joanne, Robert (Robbie, etc.) and Linda. Joanne would have been born abt. 1940, Robert, abt. 1942 and Linda abt. 1948. I am helping the youngest, Linda, to find her siblings. At some point in the 1940's they lived in Washington State, as well as Canada. Thank you for any leads!!!

Re: Virginia orphanage

JamesBarbaraPorterie — 2005-03-20 21:27:39Z

Michele, I found my mother on the 1930 census as an "inmate" at the Female Orphan Society of Norfolk at the age of 12. You might check this out. I wasn't expecting to find her there! I was searching the 1930 census with her name and found this information..I then went to a Google search for the orphanage and found some info there. Good luck
Barbara

Re: Virginia orphanage

2004-09-23 01:03:08Z

I noticed that the orphanage in Lynchburg,VA is not listed. It was the Presbyterian Home in Lynchburg (may be out of business now) but we have 3 relatives that were placed there when their mother died and father had deserted family. We know they were placed in the home by the Presbyterian Church in Covington, VA. around 1924. Maybe if you knew if they were placed in Orphanage by a church or family you might ck from there. Hope this helps. Gloria in MS

Re: orphanages in virginia

2004-09-19 10:15:39Z

My husbands 2 uncles and one aunt were put in orphanage in the Presbyterian Home for Children in Lynchburg, VA in the 1920's. Have tried to get info from home (no longer active). Was told no individual records were kept except only number accepted by the year (ie, 1928- 3 children; 1929- 2 children, etc). Sorry couldn't be of more help. Gloria

Lutheran Orphanages in Virginis

2004-09-01 03:53:23Z

Does anyone have any info on Lutheran Orphanages in Virginia, and old Lutheran churches that may not exist anymore? Is there a central address for Lutherans that handle this info?

Re: Virginia orphanage

2002-11-17 05:47:49Z

Sorry I haven't any information for you, but, if you come across the name of any orphanges, could you please share them with me? My grandmother was orphaned in the same area around the same time! I have searched everywhere for answers as to why and if I have any family on her side. Thank you for taking the time for reading this. Dawn.

Virginia orphanage

Michele_Eastman — 2001-12-31 17:42:23Z

My father and his sister & brother were orphaned at a young age somewhere in Virginia around Fairfax county. Does anyone know of any orphanages in that area around the 1900's?

orphanages in virginia

evans672 — 2001-08-16 23:16:16Z

looking for info on any orphanages in amherst co or richmond va. my father was in an orphanage in va he was never adopted but a foster child his foster parents were jessie lignian in ashland va.my father name Henry lee evans b.7-22-1933 his mother madian name was gladys evans.