My Dad's birth record is a puzzle
Hello, It's Mike Darrah and yes, I am new here to the community chat forum but not for trying to find out about my father's earlier life and where he was born. As many parents, mine never spoke about their past. All I assumed is that he thought he might have been adopted and not certain where he was born. All I get back is mixed information and about three different possible matches to his birth place and parents.
His name was Edward Wilbert Darrah, born 22 July 1918 and passed away 29 Jun1986 in Brockton, Massachusetts. He was a WWII veteran, was wounded twice and a POW for 9 months in Stalag 2A in Germany. He moved from New York State to Brockton in about 1941 and lived there until he passed and buried in Calvary Cemetery in Brockton, MA
I have thought his parents were Charles W. Darrah and Norah Kennedy/Kennada, Darrah, but then noticed a two year difference and my mother said his parents were Elson Darrah and his mother Mary Ella Hawley/ Darrah but can't find proof without a birth record of either. His NY National Guard draft said born in Dorset, Vermont and his WWII draft registration said born in NEW YORK. I have many off his documents and even SSN #. You now can see why I am baffled. His supposed mother was born in Virginia and was Mary E. Hawley. Darrah and then Mary E. Foster in 1940's Yikes. Was his born name even Darrah? I will keep plugging.
Thank you all for your replies and I will keep plugging away to find his troubling beginning of his life, so it seems. I'm only 69 now and my brother is 75. That's it, we're the only two left from our original family besides the children. I was and still am the baby of the family. God bless and thank you.
Answers
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Oh my @MichaelDarrah2 That is quite the puzzle.. I shared a link in the Adoption group.. If he was born in the US you may find it and vital records does charge.
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Hi Sheila,
Thanks for responding and trying to help out about my Dad's early past and trying to help find his birth certificate. Pretty sure he was born in the United States. He spent most of his life in upstate NY in Saranac Lake and in a town called Jay. Don't know why his NY Guard registration form says he was born in Dorset, VT. I emailed the Town Office there and they had no record of a Darrah being born there. Then his Registration card for the draft for WWII into the army said he was born in NY. I have two possible parents for him and no idea how I would find his birth record. If he was adopted, he might have had a different birth name but can't find any other of that through his mother's name. I'll keep plugging along with my Dad's search. He was a POW for about 9 months and was shot twice. He was awarded the Purple Heart any other medals for his bravery and ended up ok and got a job working for the state for 36 years and he and my Mom raised all us kids. Only two of us left now.
Thanks, Mike Darrah
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Oh my @MichaelDarrah2 What a war hero was!!!
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