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Searching For Family
My name is Pat Schirmang. I was born at the University of Iowa hospital on October 16 1951. According to the county records in Iowa City, my birth parents were Harold & Helen Wield, and they listed their home address as Daytona Beach Florida. The doctor that arranged my private adoption was Dr Cal Stark, Cedar Rapids Ia. The doctor told my adoptive parents that the birth parents felt they could not afford another child. Apparently I have 5 siblings. My birth name was Terry Lynn Wield. My adoption was finalized in Cedar Rapids, in November 1952. My legal name was changed to Patricia Catherine Fleming.
How did I get to see my "sealed" records? When I went to the county Records office in Iowa City, I was shown this huge tome for 1951. When my friend and I found the page that should have had me listed. All the births were handwritten. One of them was covered over with a small piece of paper, taped down by two old yellowed pieces of tape. When I asked if I could remove the paper, I was told no. So I handed my friend my penlight flashlight, and she held up this huge page and shown the light behind it. It was so very simple to read everything that had been written down behind it. Not one of the clerks objected to what I was doing, and I actually believe they were hoping I would succeed.
A private investigator mad a couple of calls for me, to a woman named Helen Wield who lives in San Diego. He did not get very far. There was also a Harold Wield at the same address, but much younger - perhaps her son. I have found no other listing. I don't know if my siblings are men, women or a mixture. But I would really like to meet them. If they are not interested in a younger sister, I would just like to know any pertinent medical history from my "family".
How did I get to see my "sealed" records? When I went to the county Records office in Iowa City, I was shown this huge tome for 1951. When my friend and I found the page that should have had me listed. All the births were handwritten. One of them was covered over with a small piece of paper, taped down by two old yellowed pieces of tape. When I asked if I could remove the paper, I was told no. So I handed my friend my penlight flashlight, and she held up this huge page and shown the light behind it. It was so very simple to read everything that had been written down behind it. Not one of the clerks objected to what I was doing, and I actually believe they were hoping I would succeed.
A private investigator mad a couple of calls for me, to a woman named Helen Wield who lives in San Diego. He did not get very far. There was also a Harold Wield at the same address, but much younger - perhaps her son. I have found no other listing. I don't know if my siblings are men, women or a mixture. But I would really like to meet them. If they are not interested in a younger sister, I would just like to know any pertinent medical history from my "family".
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