Forgotten Children: Genealogy and Lost Burial Grounds

Let us know what you think!Episode OverviewHittin' the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, exploring the records, places, and historical context that help families uncover difficult and forgotten stories.In this episode, Kathleen speaks with Mark Schindler, Rebba Omer, and Daniel Feldman about the Forgotten Children Initiative and what happens when historical research into youth prisons leads to the discovery of children buried in neglected and forgotten cemeteries.The conversation traces a path from Maryland to the Missouri Training School for Boys in Boonville, Missouri, where research uncovered another forgotten cemetery and raised difficult questions about race, institutional history, access, ethics, and how genealogists can help reconnect families with children whose stories were nearly lost.If you would like to help with this initiative, Contact: Rebba Omer at [email protected] This Episode, You'll LearnHow historical research into juvenile institutions can lead to forgotten burial groundsWhy death certificates are an essential starting point for forensic genealogyHow annual reports, institutional archives, and facility newspapers can identify individuals when names are missingWhat racial segregation and historical disparities reveal about institutional recordsHow genealogists can assist with family identification and restorative justiceWhy access, permissions, and family involvement matter when researching burial sitesTopics CoveredThe origins of the Forgotten Children Initiative at Georgetown's Center for Youth JusticeHistorical research into youth facilities and hidden burial sites in MarylandThe Missouri Training School for Boys in Boonville, MissouriResearch into Boonville's forgotten cemeteryJuvenile justice history and its connection to the presentRacial segregation and disparities in institutional historyDeath certificates as a starting point for forensic genealogyAnnual reports, archives, and institutional newspapersIdentifying individuals when names are incomplete or missingRestorative justice, memorials, and family-guided decisionsAccess and research permissions for burial grounds on Department of Corrections propertyEpisode Discussion & Key MomentsKathleen and her guests explore how a historical investigation can grow into a larger effort to identify forgotten children, locate burial sites, and reconnect families with relatives whose lives disappeared into institutional records.The discussion begins with the origins of the Forgotten Children Initiative and research into youth facilities in Maryland. That work uncovered evidence of neglected burial grounds and created a broader effort to identify the children buried there and locate their descendants.The conversation then turns to Boonville, Missouri, where research into the Missouri Training School for Boys led to the discovery of another forgotten cemetery. The guests discuss how a seemingly simple search can open a much larger investigation involving institutional records, death certificates, annual reports, newspapers, archives, and historical patterns of racial segregation.The episode also addresses the ethical responsibilities involved in forensic genealogy and cemetery research. Identifying a person is only one part of the work. Questions of access, permissions, memorialization, and family involvement remain essential—particularly when burial grounds are located on government or Department of Corrections property.Key questions examined include:How do genealogists begin identifying individuals buried in forgotten cemeteries?What records can help when a person's name is missing or incomplete?How does institutional history reveal patterns of racial inequality?What does restorative justice look like when families are finally connected with a forgotten relative?Who should make decisions about memorials and the treatment of historic burial grounds?Resources & Research Tools MentionedDeath certificatesInstitutional annual reportsJuvenile facility archivesInstitutional and facility newspapersCemetery and burial recordsHistorical records relating to racial segregationForensic genealogy research methodsDepartment of Corrections records and property access proceduresWhy This Episode MattersGenealogy is not limited to building family trees. It can also help restore names, identities, and histories to people who were marginalized, institutionalized, and forgotten.This episode demonstrates how genealogists, historians, archivists, and families can work together to investigate neglected cemeteries and recover the stories of children whose lives were often reduced to incomplete institutional records. It also asks an important question: once these individuals are identified, how do we respectfully return their stories to the families and communities connected to them?About the PodcastHittin' the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, helping listeners explore overlooked records, difficult family histories, and the historical context that shapes the stories we inherit.Support the showBe sure to bookmark linktr.ee/hittinthebricks  for your one stop access to Kathleen Brandt, the host of Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen. And, visit us on YouTube: @HTBKRB with Kathleen John and Chewey video recorded specials. Hittin' the Bricks is produced through the not-for-profit, 501c3 TracingAncestors.org.