How do you pose an adopted parents profile if DNA shows family tie but not specific parentage

Question

Hi All,

My name is James Andrew Wilson, or simply Jim. I've been a member of Ancestry since 2008, building my tree there. I have just recently using DNA to make a run at my mothers brick wall. My main goal is to identify my mothers birth family. Her Name was Arla Kathryn Hostettler WILSON b,18 Nov 1912 d, 14 May 1962 By Inserting my dna test results into DNA-Painter has indicated a very strong relationship with the children of Phillip Peter Robinson B.1818 d. 1889 and Sarah Price b. 1827 d. 1908 either as an unknown sibling or more likely as a half sibling.

My working hypothesis is that she was born and adopted out of Brewer, Maine, where several of the Robinson clan had settled from New Brunswick and was adopted out via some church or other organization and arrived in Cleveland Ohio ( she was raised there by the Hostettlers)  via one of the orphan trains. Much speculation at this point supported only with circumstantial historic activities but it’s a place to start.

Thank you for any help along the way. This looks like a great, fun place to continue the search

JW

Answer 1

Arla K Hostettler Wilson

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/117232197/arla-k-wilson

Answer 2

Good luck on your ongoing journey, Jim. I like the way you've been trying to put the pieces together from a combination of DNA, family trees and historical environment.

Answer 3

That’s very interesting, Jim, and may help me as well with my brick wall Henry Jasper Thompson who magically appears in the Census of 1860 at the age of 11. He was living in the home of a couple and referred to the woman as his mother, but wasn’t with her in 1850. He was born in 1848.  I didn’t know about the orphan trains. I’m sorry I cannot help you, but you have given me hope! Thank you and best wishes!