My mother had a child out of wedlock prior to her marriage to my father. Never mentioned at all during her lifetime. Not a word.
Discovering I had a sister was a shock, to say the least!
You think you know your parents? Maybe not!

quote:

Discovering I had a sister was a shock, to say the least!

These modern day DNA tests are providing all sorts of family entertainment nowadays.

Just before my father passed, I found out he was underage when he enlisted in the Marines during WWII. The Corps discovered this after Boot Camp. He became a Drill instructor until they decided what to do with him. He was sent home and served in the reserves until 1950. They were probably waiting to find out if we were going to invade Japan. I need to request his service records.

Lock N Load

Michael
USMC Ret

My ex father in law told his boss and coworkers he was several years younger than he really was, starting about 10 years before retirement. Somewhere in the hr files it would have been correct, but nobody looks in there. His employer had a reputation for finding ways to get rid of people a year or two before they qualified for a full pension. He would just casually mention his fake younger age once in a while. When he reached his 65th birthday he walked into his boss’ office and turned in his retirement paperwork.

My Mom and Dad drove to Oklahoma to get married when she was 16 and he was twenty four. Her very proper and well-to-do parents were not amused. I missed being her eighteenth birthday present by twelve days.

That’s probably the only surprise I haven’t found while doing genealogical research. Out of wedlock children, teenage marriages, one forced marriage, suspicion that my grandfather who later abandoned my grandmother in 1929 was here illegally from Germany. One relative with a secret prior marriage, at that time he had assumed his stepfather’s surname and subsequent divorced and remarried again with that surname. Later he started using his correct surname until his death.

An adoption that most likely was outside of the court system, under the table, whatever you want to call it.


And that’s only the maternal side…….