I was found abandoned, inside a parked car at the Meadows Race Track - Meadowlands PA, on or about the 26th of July 1965, by a couple from the local area returning to their car after patronizing this business. My actual birth date is not known and my name was also unknown. The Pennsylvania State Police were contacted and did an investigation with negative results as to whom the birth parents were. From the Race Track, I was taken to the Cannonsburg Hospital - Cannonsburg, PA, where the nurses named me Justin. From the hospital, I was placed by the Washington County CYS Agency - Washington, PA, in the adoption/foster home of Mr.& Mrs. Gaylord Danley, Washington PA. From there, I was placed up for adoption and around September 14 1967, the Family of John Allen and Marian Kay Barish (John Allen Barish Jr/Marian Kay Selmon) of Burgettstown, PA, finalized the adoption process. They had one natural daughter to them, Cynthia Kay prior to adopting me. Cynthia's birthdate is October 25, 1961. They also had two children after Cynthia, that were stillborn, Greg Allen and Lisa Marie, prior to adopting me. After my adoption, they adopted another child, a female that they named Yvonne Marie(Vonnie). She was in a foster care home, after Washington County CYS removed her from an abusive homelife. I am unsure of my age at the time she was adopted, but remember going to the foster care home when her adoption was finalized and she could be placed with us. I believe I was around 6 or 7 y.o.? Yvonne's birthdate is July 31 1964. There were newspaper articles about my abandonment, in the Washington Observer-Reporter and other local papers in the tri-state area. John attended Union High School-Burgettstown, PA - Waynesburg College-Waynesburg, PA (played on the Yellow Jackets football team) - played semi-pro football for the Wheeling Ironman-Wheeling, WV, along with the actor John Amos, from the T.V. show "Good Times" - played for the Washington Redskins and then worked for Stark/Atlas Van Lines-Burgettstown, PA where he retired from. He passed away in July of 1997. Marian (Selmon)Barish graduated from Weir High School-Weirton WV. John and Marian married and lived briefly in Weirton, WV, before moving to Paris, PA, where Marian still resides. She worked briefly, for Stark/Atlas Van Lines before having Cynthia and then returned to work later, as a secretary for Hanover Township Washington County, Hanover(Florence/Burgettstown) PA. My information is very limited and all other options have been exhausted, as to finding out whom my natural birth parents were. I am hoping to find out my family health history (hereditary diseases). I am married now and have 4 grown children.

© Dave Barish®©™2006

Credits: Dave Barish