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From: "Sandy & Phil Carneiro" <>
Subject: [HACKETT-L] How I got started
Date: Sat, 31 Oct 1998 16:36:04 -0500

I got started researching about 15 or so years ago when I decided to find my
real father. He had given me up for adoption to my step father when I was
3 and found out by mistake since my original birth cert was covered over by
my new one. My mother would not speak of my father but I did have one Aunt
who sent me a letter with my fathers name in it along with a town in Nevada
where my mother and father went to school.
I tried the historical society and things like that but no one could help so
I went to the local library and looked through every phone book they had on
central Nevada. There were some Smart's listed but not mind so I wrote a
letter to every Smart listed only saying I was researching this name and
wondered if anyone knew him. I wanted to give him a chance to say no if he
didn't want to meet me. As it turned out I got a reply from the a man who
was with the police department in Reno who started the letter by "Hello
Niece". He thought it was real funny that I had written every Smart in the
area and they had all forwarded their letters to him.
My father still lived in the same town but they did not have AT&T so their
phone book was not among the ones I searched. My family & I were invited
to come for a visit and they were all shocked that I didn't look like my 3
year old pictures. I found a wonderful step mother, 2 brothers and 2
sisters.
It was great and I have a good relationship with my father now. My mother
still does not like it but we agree just not to talk about it.
Since that time the genealogy bug has just stayed with me.

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• [HACKETT-L] How I got started by "Sandy & Phil Carneiro" <>