I never got into any of the family-tree stuff, although I did find my name once in a local ancestry site. I was trying to find info on my biological father to see if I was still listed in that family tree. Turns out I was. That site was something a bunch of older members of a very large (locally) family started years ago and someone kept it up online.

I was adopted at 7yo when my mom married my new dad. I had to go to court and sign my name during the adoption, and my bio dad didn't show to contest (he couldn't anyway - he was wanted). The judge told me I couldn't contact my old family and I actually told him no. I continued to visit my grandmother and aunt from that side for decades. My kids still go see my aunt. My mom told the judge she wanted me to continue seeing them and that my grandmother (my bio-dad's mom) would make sure he wasn't there whenever I was. I saw the back of his head one time when he was walking out the back yard when I got there.

The last time I ever saw him was when my grandmother died, and neither of us spoke to each other, with the exception of me saying I was sorry for his loss, and him saying the same back to me. He died a few months later.

Because of that website I was actually listed on both of their obituaries as a surviving son and grandson.