His death occurred in 1972, long before any of the children that had been adopted illegally through Dr. Hicks clinic had discovered the truth about their origins. "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGFJ-W52: accessed 10 April 2021), Thomas J Hicks in household of D Fleming Hicks, Civil District 10, Sullivan, Tennessee, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 162, sheet 7B, family 136, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9119259/thomas-jugarthy-hicks, See: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:McCaysville%2C_Georgia I have been advised by a man named Bill Miller from Cleveland Ohio that I was a Hicks baby but cannot find out if this is true. Mama had seven more babies after that(Im the youngest)she never stopped grieving for her oldest son. Absolutely horrifying!!!!! HIS BIO FAMILY DIDNT FIND OUT ABT HIM UNTIL 60 YEARS LATER AND TOO LATE BECAUAE HIS MOTHER WAS I ALREADY DEAD. Both of Dr. Hicks' parents were born in Tennessee. My mother remarried in 1969 in GA, I cannot locate any information about her daughter except a clipping cutout from the obituaries in michigan, NO GRAVE, BIRTH OR DEATH RECORDS can be found, can you help, The connections of Georgia and Michigan and Ohio seemed odd, we desperately desire to locate her, Do you know where she was born (which clinic or hospital)? I am watching the TV documentary on Dr. Hicks and do not believe he should be so vilified. 1910 - Civil District 10, Sullivan, Tennessee, USA, Lucy E Hicks, Carrie E Hicks, Laura A Hicks, David Fleming Hicks, Mary Louise Hicks (born Holt), Thomas Jugarthy Hicks Jr, Walter Lynn Hicks, Margaret Mary Brown (born Hicks), est Hicks, Lucy Elizabeth Ketron (born Hicks), John William Hicks, Hicks, Carrie Ellen Dickson (born Hicks), Anna Laura Bradley (born Hicks), Samuel Ernest Hicks, Lucy Elizabeth Ketron, John William Hicks, Unknown Hicks, Carrie Ellen Dickson, Anna Laura Bradley (born Hicks), Samuel Earnest Hicks, Lucy Elizabeth Hicks, John William Hicks, Unknown Hicks, Carrie Ellen Dickson (born Hicks), Annie Laurie Hicks, Lucy E Hicks, Carrie Ellen Hicks, Anna Laura Wisdom Bradley (born Hicks), Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Walter Lynn Hicks, Margaret Brown (born Hicks), Mary Edith Rogers Davis, Thomas J Jr Hicks, W Lynn Hicks, Margaret Hicks, Bloomingdale, Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States, Copperhill, Polk County, Tennessee, United States, Crestlawn, Polk County, Tennessee, United States. I think that you did well with pointing out that this is not on and well done. All in all, I cannot condemn him. He was born in April 1964 Sumner County TN from what he knows. Hicks was performing abortions long before Roe. I may have a couple brothers out there. He was arrested for performing illegal abortions in 1964. To give Sallie an answer. For over 50 years this small town has been hiding a shocking secret. Below is the list of best dr thomas hicks family tree website where you can find anything related to dr thomas hicks family tree. You are right, Dr Hicks was an evil man. Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email. IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE CAUTION WHEN DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION. They were all corrupt! Women came to give birth, and were told their babies were stillborn! John Stapleton, another one of the Hicks Babies, said he did not think Hicks started in the business for profit. Furthermore, over 200 babies! My Mama and Dad were married and biological parents to my brother. But many aspects of his clinic remain a mystery to this day. If you fully watched the documentary you would know that almost all the babies were 4lbs at birth weight or even SMALLER and he was doing this to hurry along the money. My thoughts exactly. My heart breaks for your mama and for your whole family. Enter a grandparent's name. Several of the Hicks Babies found the mausoleum was vandalized when they paid a visit in 2018. His Georgia clinic was located only a short distance away from his previous practice in Tennessee right across the border. All of Dr. Hicks grandparents were born in Tennessee, as were many of his great-grandparents. Looking for a DNA test that's accurate and can tell you about your health and heritage? That doesnt mean that my heart doesnt break for the pain that these people have gone through and continue to go through. Some of the ads and links on this website are affiliate links which pay me a commission if you purchase through them. Hicks lied, blatantly, to some of these women, hell probably 90% of them. Were it not for him encouraging these women to have their babies, these children would have never been given a chance at life. 1997. Then you missed the entirety of the story. Oh well for them, I was raised in those mountains and Im not afraid of them. Copyright 2023 The DNA Geek Ascension WordPress theme by, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), New TLC Special Taken At Birth Dives into Shocking Hicks Babies Black Market Adoption Scandal, Babies For Sale: The Secret Adoptions That Haunt One Georgia Town, Hicks Baby Adoptee Sold by Georgia Doctor 50 Years Ago Reunites With Birth Mother, Brother, Busted not for selling babies, but for the abortion clinic, 23andMe Introduces the Automated Family Tree , The Hicks Babies The DNA Geek | Ups and Downs of Family History V2.0, https://thednageek.com/how-to-transfer-your-ancestrydna-test-to-other-databases/, Book Review: I Know Who You Are, by Barbara Rae-Venter, Up Your DNA Game With New Courses in 2023, Verogen Increases Costs for Law Enforcement Again, A Board of Certification for Investigative Genetic Genealogy Is Announced. Dr. Thomas Hicks' Death: How Did the Doctor Die? | Heavy.com You have several options when it comes to learning about your DNA, KnowYourDNA is the best source for finding all things related to DNA. I owe my life to him, but he has also been the cause of so much pain and suffering. You really have no idea what you are talking about! When I told my parents about this documentary.. My dad said well back then they didnt have the equipment to deal with infants like they to do today my response was oh they didnt know to clear the air passage way and slap a baby on the bottom? Expand. Who was Thomas J. Hicks? Holy smokes! I have my ancestory DNA done and would love to try to match some names with my DNA relatives. Many are hoping DNA will link them to their birth families, and some of them have found biological parents, siblings and parents through DNA, according to WKYC. After watching this documentary I can see how he got away with it for so long. It was a horrible thing he did to my parents and the rest of us when he stole my oldest brother! Ideas for Getting Responses from DNA Matches. pic.twitter.com/aTH43ks3Co. Corinthios, Aurelie. We can tell ourselves stories, and they become our truths. Estimated reading time: 5 minutes From 1951 to 1965 Dr. Thomas Jugarthy Hicks began to quietly offer babies for adoption from his Hicks Community Clinic in McCaysville, GA. Can never know. Hicks beliefs did not fully mesh with abortions, and he would sometimes convince women that he would handle adoptions if they carried the babies to term, according to WKYC in Cleveland, Ohio. As I say, not perfect, but a good man, Doris Abernathy told WKYC. What Was the Immigration Process at Ellis Island Like? Hicks died at age 83 in 1972. She was 23. Instead of killing the children he delivered live infants, told the mothers their babies were dead, and gave the babies away to parents who wanted them. Jane Blasio, The Hicks Baby Who Broke the Black Market Baby Adoption Case: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know. Dr Thomas Hicks Family Tree With Complete Detail, Goler Clan Family Tree Check All Members List. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. What Does It Mean If You Have 1% Native American DNA? The pain these mothers felt I could never imagine and not to mention how many of these babies died from being delivered wayyyy too prematurely. Does it say where he was born or the name of the doctor? They wanted to be rid of their babies and were desperate. If you have any questions about something that you read in this post, please join in the discussion below. I agree totally with you.This all sounds awful. Originally from Tennessee, Thomas Hicks was educated at Tusculum College (now Tusculum University) and Carson-Newman College, both in Tennessee, and Emory University Medical School near Atlanta, Georgia. Still, she defends her late grandfathers actions. Instructions for how to transfer the raw data file to MyHeritage and FTDNA are here: https://thednageek.com/how-to-transfer-your-ancestrydna-test-to-other-databases/. More than 200 babies, known as the "Hicks Babies," were. What an awful tragedy. Dr. Hicks, who passed away at the age of 83, was born in 1888 in Picket County, Tennessee. Dr. Hicks served as a town doctor in McCaysville, Ga., and was known for performing abortions, which were illegal at the time. GOOD NIGHT DEAD DAD, GOOD NIGHT GOOD NIGHT. With that said, what we know, sounds evil, but that is based on times being much different. However, many people are able to discover closer relatives, like aunts and uncles or even half-siblings, through DNA testing. His wife was a Baptist Sunday school teacher, according to PEOPLE. He also has a granddaughter who is sympathetic to the efforts of the Hicks Babies. Melinda, of the Hicks Babies, I have a missing, supposedly deceased infant sister, born in supposedly michigan in 1967, 1968 or 1969. Who Are the Hicks Babies? - Who are You Made Of? Dr Thomas Hicks Family Tree Do You Know These Top Templates? $1000 was not a tremendous amount of money when you think about the birth mothers room and board for one month (they had no money, they paid nothing) prior to the birth, plus 24 hr a day Nursing care. Sims Family Tree View These Best Collection, Mishima Family Tree Find Best Design For You. His clinic, the Hicks Clinic, was in operation between about 1945-1965. The sentiments were echoed in other news stories. To push the boundaries of DNA science. In 2014, around 30 suspected Hicks Babies traveled to Tennessee to undergo DNA testing. In these cases, Hicks would forge a birth certificate and give the baby to adoptive parents in secret from his Georgia clinic. So yes he should be vilified! we do not know where these births occured most of our family is deceased. Learn how three Hicks babies were able to find biological family using DNA. Personally I hope that Dr Hicks is burning in hell! What he did has no merit. One twin has not been found yet but the one that was found was adopted into a horrible family and had a really sad childhood. He induced labor and delivered low birth weight babies that were in danger of dying. They did have several that admitted they went in for an abortion Im sure the guy was no saint, but i think he was saving these babies. Hicks faced legal trouble for illegal abortions, but not for the illegal adoptions. For perspective, $1000 in 1950 is equal to about $10,900 in todays dollars. Dr Hicks didnt keep records of the births and adoptions, so the only way to find your brother, if hes still alive, would be if he decided to look for you using DNA. Many of the Hicks babies were able to do DNA testing as part of the TV show. Bragg, Rick. Buying or selling A CHILDTHERE IS EVERYTHING WRONG WITH THAT! And he was more than happy to perform abortions. Blasio confirmed with the county birth records that she was likely one of the hundreds of babies sold between 1950 and 1965.2. Shameful + Sinful + Criminal + Evil!! And he gave the babies to equally desperate childless parents. With the judges help, she learned that the clinic sold babies while they were still open. Women came to have abortions and he told them it was a successful procedure, only to take that premature baby and sell it to someone. Town Secret Is Uncovered In Birth Quest - The New York Times There were cases where Hicks talked women out of abortion. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. Theres probably a lot of dead babies because of his practices. These closer relatives can provide important clues that can help determine exactly which child descended from the grandparents (identified through the 2nd-3rd cousins) was likely the biological mother or father. WIKITREE PROTECTS MOST SENSITIVE INFORMATION BUT ONLY TO THE EXTENT STATED IN THE TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICY. 2015. Aug 05, 2015 at 7:11 pm. Do you know how that can mentally affect a woman? Once they have grouped their DNA matches in to several groups, they can study the descendants of the ancestors to find where they connect to each other. His wife and son have both passed away. They adored Dr Hicks and were fiercely protective of his reputation and legacy. I used AncestryDNA to solve all of the Hicks cases I worked on. If he was truly compassionate and a good man he would not have lied to the mothers and told them they delivered a stillborn baby or that the baby died. Her name is Alana honey boo boo if you dont know who she is you can google her. I am from Tennessee before Dr Hicks moved across the state line to McCaysville Ga. Cristine Santander is a content writer for KnowYourDNA. His birth certificate when he ent into the service was different than the one his parents had, so all I know its June 19 or 20, 1941. He also has a living granddaughter named Sally Sompayrac. I wondering how far the rabbit hole goes with him. At the other end of the transaction, adoptive parents drove to a window in the alley behind the clinic, shelled out $1,000 or morebig money for the timeand were handed a newborn. Barbara, you clearly have no idea what you are talking about. Many had no idea they were adopted until well into adulthood. I would love to be able to find him or maybe some of his family. The cost is the same for you. She noted to the TV station many of them went to good homes and led successful lives. People, accessed 17 September 2019. "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZ6P-BJM: 23 February 2021), Thos J Hicks, 1917-1918. This was rural Appalachia in the 50s and 60s, a lot of poor families. What he did to all of those families was very wrong. His wife and son both passed away, and his daughter lives in North Carolina, according to Appalachian History. 2016. His daughter is living in North Carolina, according to Appalachian History. Some of Hicks Babies, as they are sometimes referred to as, have done DNA tests in order to identify relatives who might be able to help them learn who their birth parents were. These types of adoptions can cause extra hurt for families, since they were financial incentives, coercion is often a factor, documents dont exist to help adoptees locate their biological families, and lies are often told to protect the adults involved in the illegal adoption. View Ancestry DNA Matches By Ancestor With ThruLines. Stories of young girls dying from botched abortions in the early 50s still exist in the living memories of those from the region. He is buried in Crest Lawn Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia. If it wasnt Hicks, there was someone doing the same thing during the war years adopting babies out to Akron. If there was no demand for the service, Hicks would not have been doing it. What Happened to Dr. Thomas Hicks? I realize Dr. Hicks is not here to defend himself or answer questions, but I cannot imagine how you can defend him after what you heard. It is unknown whether Hicks paid the biological mothers for the babies. . He is monster!! There are about 200 people, now adults, who are among those who are sometimes referred to as Hicks Babies. The source for today's story was the book The Hicks Family Tree; The Magnificent Journey of Our Branch of the Hicks Family Tree, 1455 to 2011, and The Families That Made a Difference, written by Gale Hicks Thompson and Bob G. Hicks. Occupation: Dentist Spouse: Sallie Cobb Johnson Adopted children: Thomas J. III and Sallie Cobb Hicks Son of Chassie Copeland and Dr. Thomas Jugarthy Hicks Sr. who performed illegal late term abortions, sold infants on the black market and is the subject of the TLC documentary Taken At Birth.. And he was stealing babies telling mothers that they delivered a still born. Thank goodness your grandmother was there and knew what to do. A legacy linked to illegal adoptions in rural North Georgia, Woman illegally sold to couple by doctor as newborn speaks out with new book: 'story isn't just about me'. thank you so much for the information danny has 5 sisters and 1 brother looking for him, Should anyone believe or just want to be a part of the DNA registry for The Nicks Babies..please visit us on our webpage (Hicks Adoptees), Thank You Ignorance is a terrible thing smh!!!! He died in 1972 and it took three decades before Hicks' actions were brought to light. He was wrong and he did wrong so did the mayor and chief of police. Dr Thomas Jugarthy "Tommy" Hicks Jr. - Find a Grave In the 40s, 50s, and 60s, a doctor was selling babies from his small town abortion clinic in the heart of McCaysville, Georgia. The primary purpose of this post is to explain how those children who were adopted through the Hicks Clinic have been able to use their DNA to discover close relatives, and sometimes, the identities of their biological parents. Hopefully he got his comeuppance. The six-part, three-night special revisits the case of Dr. Thomas J. Hicks, who sold or gave away more than 200 infants from the '40s to the '60s By Jeff Truesdell Published on October 8, 2019 10: . In next week's column, this family's lineage will be continued with the family and history of Samuel Hicks (2). In the 1950s and 60s a small-town Georgia family doctor illegally sold hundreds of babies from the back door of his practice. Why dig up a grave when dna could have given these people the answer if they were siblings? He was a monster, a murderer, and a kidnapper, but he wasnt a good man doing a good thing for helpless women. "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JRRC-NPT: 9 January 2021), Thomas Hicks, Mar 1972; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing). Mama named my brother Von Gordon. We will never know the hell they have suffered. Would love to have help, Im mr.hicks grate grate grand daughter sadly, hes from my moms side of the family. He induced births, told mothers their babies died and sold them! I was waiting for one mother to come on and say that they were told that their baby had died, but nope. Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Sr (1888 - 1972) - geni family tree. He told women their babies had died when they hadnt. The illegal adoptions that were allegedly arranged by Dr. Hicks were not discovered until after his death. PS Ancestry DNA is a crook. You made your decision. Somehow I missed this Documentary the first time it aired. Dr. Hicks obviously cannot give his side of the story. What we have now is the mothers side of the story. She grieved her the rest of her life for her first born son. Thanks, My parents lived together for 62 years and went on to have seven more children but my Mama grieved the rest of her life for the son she lost! "Tennessee State Marriage Index, 1780-2002," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VNX9-1PS: 4 December 2014), Thos J Hicks and Chassie Copeland, 07 Jun 1917; from "Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: 2008); citing p. 222, Polk, Tennessee, United States, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee. Im disgusted that someone would think that this is ok. Busted not for selling babies, but for the abortion clinic In these cases, Hicks would forge a birth certificate and give the baby to adoptive parents in secret from his Georgia clinic. My parents were young and married and wanted their first son! The extra mouths to feed were simply too expensive. What he did was awful feel so bad for those mothers and children. His forged birth certificates did not list biological parents. Until Mother's Day 1997, when his adoptions were exposed. 23andMe is on sale right now, so its a good time to buy. ALL OF THOSE CHILDREN WERE MESSED UP FROM THIS. The story has been featured in many TV specials, including on TLCs, Taken At Birth, which originally aired in 2019. Starting in 1955 and running through the early 1960s, Hicks offered secretive abortions and adoptions here. She was present when authorities opened the mausoleum. Thomas Jugarthy Hicks in MyHeritage family trees (Sompayrac Web Site) Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Sr in 1940 United States Federal Census Thomas Hicks in U.S. Social Security Death Index (SSDI) view all Immediate Family Chassie Hicks wife Dr Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, Jr son Dr Walter Lynn Hicks son Private child Mary Louise Hicks mother Hicks died at age 83 in 1972. Hicks may not have been in Georgia during that time, but if he was in TN that might be a lead. We just were not there and will never know his thoughts. That seems to be a repetitive theme amongst the living relatives. Prior to that, he was practicing just across the state line in Copperhill, Tennessee, and could well have been selling babies then. Dr. Hicks was a town doctor who performed illegal abortions. This is how this group of babies, who are now all grown up, came to be called Hicks Babies. The motives of Hicks actions are unclear. Hed encourage them to put their babies up for adoption instead. Who is Jane Blasio, and what really went on with her adoption? - YourTango You saw it. Before Doctor Hicks opened his practice in Georgia he was just across the state line in Polk County Tennessee in the 1930s. I hope you guys can find what your looking for. There are always three sides to any story: One side, the other side, and the truth (which is usually somewhere in between). Women who wanted abortions would be talked into keeping the pregnancy so he could sell the baby once it arrived. According to the New York Post, Jane is just one of more than 200 newborns sold by Dr. Hicks, during the 1950s and '60s.. As part of his practice, Hicks performed abortions, which were illegal at the time. Sompayrac believes her grandfathers actions helped the birth mothers in need and gave the babies life. He delivered my oldest brother. Use your brain, IF good old dr hicks was such a good doctor then why did he need to tell the women that their baby died?? You are absolutely correct in your assumption. New TLC Special Taken At Birth Dives into Shocking Hicks Babies Black Market Adoption Scandal.