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AlisonBorn6-1-52

HISTORY & UPDATE of Finding my Adopted Sister in Arkansas (DOB 6/1/52)  In 1952, my mom was put on a bus, at age 19, and sent to a home for unwed mothers because she was pregnant. When she arrived in Hot Springs, AR, she was told that a Jewish couple was interested in adopting a Gentile baby. (Mom is 100% German). She agreed to allow the Jewish couple to adopt, and in exchange she was given room and board at a Lake Hamilton resort, where she also worked until she was within two weeks of her due date.  Mom was told to use a fictitious name - her mother’s maiden name... Hoffmann, and her middle name... Jane, made her "Jane Hoffmann."  Within 2 weeks of her due date, she was moved to  Levi Hospital in Hot Springs, where she gave birth to a girl on June 1, 1952. She used the name Jane Hoffmann while she was in Hot Springs.  The assumption was that the birth certificate would have either the "fake" name or the name of the adopted family.  Last month I contacted the Melting Pot Genealogical Society.  They researched with the name of "Jane Hoffmann," and found no records. When we met with Barbara and Carolyn at MPGS and they helped us navigate our search. We began at the Garland County Probate Court Court and we were given a set of case numbers with no identifying information…all types of court cases between 1952 and 1955. Told to look in  giant book with thousands of case numbers, we began our search, eliminating docket #’s and looking for "adopted" in the subject, as we moved through the 25 pound book. A few hours later,  I found one adoption in the number system that said "adopted," with name was ALISON MARIE TILLEN! This was an unexpected entry, as we believed the court records would reflect the baby’s adopted name,  "infant." Years ago, when mom told me about the adoption, she called the baby "Alison," but did not recall that "Alison" was used on any birth certificate, and because she was using a fictitious name,  so mom’s name (Naomi Tillen) would not appear in any court documents.  All this time we never dreamed that there would be an adoption record with the name of "Tillen." But it makes sense that after a mother delivers a baby, there is a birth record with the baby’s name. No one was looking for a baby named Alison, because she was adopted in 1952. and all the circumstances were secret. We hired an attorney is filing the petition to open the sealed records, but because she could “not find case law to open petition the judge,” she did not file a petition. We left Hot Springs in 2013 with no resolution for finding Alison Marie Tillen, born 6/1/1952. Please help find Alison. Sadly, our mother passed away in 2015.