[Helen Oster]

Originally Posted by hcgCali

Barbara's birthdate is June 22, 1932, close but still not a match. And she'd need a passport to get there, so there would still be a trail. If she used her own passport, Adrian would be looking for a Barbara, and if she had used yearbook Joan's passport, then he'd be looking for '36 not '32. But are we obsessing on the birthdate when it's possible Adrian has the wrong information on that? Is he remembering what he was told, or does he have some documentation?

Helen, I'm sending you Barbara's contact info. If this is the right family, regardless of which sister, then she's more likely to have the answers than Joan's husband.

Just had a long phone conversation with Adrian.

He has just been sent a copy of a document by the London Beth Din, which ratified his Jewish status when he was a baby, that his mother's birthday was 1st June 1932.

Now, looking at Anna's obit, she was an evangelical Christian. I suppose she could have been born Jewish but non-practicing. But this is worrying Adrian.

[hcgCali]

Yes, the religious difference concerned us, too. Now that you have a different birthdate for her, we'll start again and see what turns up.

[HelenOster]

A nugget has turned up!

Joan Bally was at one point living on the Littlefalls Trailer Park at Wappingers Falls - we've been sent an address which we know is 100% genuine - and it was c/o Parry.
We also now know for sure that Joan was Jewish & that her husband wasn't.

Bally was her married name, and she was divorced from her husband before Adrian was adopted.

Can anyone please help us pursue any other line of enquiry based on this new information?

Thank you

[HelenOster]

In 1961 Joan Bally was living on the Littlefalls Trailer Park at Wappingers Falls, New York when she became pregnant with a child she was unable to keep.

We are almost certain that Joan was divorced from her husband when she became pregnant, and that she already had at least one other child. She decided to have the child adopted. She was Jewish but her husband was not, and she arranged the adoption through Rabbi Irwin Zimit of Temple Beit-el, Phoukeepsie and Rabbi Rabinowitz Birmingham, England.

While in England she lodged initially at 53 Woodstock Lane, Birmingham. Possibly working as a nurse (or Nurse may have been her maiden name) she stayed until the birth of Adrian David on 13th September 1961 at St Chad's Hospital, Birmingham. He was immediately adopted by the Kriss family - Jack & Doris.

Both Adrian’s adoptive parents & one of his sisters have passed away
Between 1961 & 1967 she is believed to have been living at an address in Sutton Coldfield, North of Birmingham, England.

Nothing has been known of Joan Bally since.

No person alive in the Birmingham Jewish community has any knowledge of Joan Bally. There is nothing to be found on-line about this lady, and no libraries in Poughkeepsie have any information about her.

We are determined that this year we will finally find Adrian's blood family – or at least, some small nugget to help him understand a bit more about his family background.

If anyone can give any help or advice we would be extremely grateful.

Sincerely
Helen Oster / Adrian Kriss

[hcgCali]

What is the address? There was a Hugh J Parry on South Ave. with Richard C, Royal C(Anna) and Walter E (Cynthia) Parry. Royal and Hugh are brothers (parents Hugh & Maude), not sure about the others yet... still searching. Here is a picture of Royal.

[hcgCali]

So now it's Palmer, not Parry, and the birthdate is back to January, not June?

[katzenfreund]

I have combined your threads, ONE thread per search. Please read the rules at the top of the forum page.

[Helen Oster]

Is it possible to change the thread title in light of the new info, to:

Desperately Seeking Joan Bally c/o Palmer, Littlefalls Trailer Park born 6th January 2012