records of this age (presumably we're talking 20+ years) may not be digital and to large extents may not exist.

I was concerned about this because the period I'm most interested in starts almost 40 years ago. I had no expectations of getting anything digital from that era and was definitely worried about records having been destroyed or lost. Either way, I now know that I was correct to temper my expectations in this context, so thanks for confirming that I should be doing so.

If you're determined to pursue this path you might contact a private investigator.

I actually meant to ask about this, but I am not sure how to find a good PI. It doesn't seem like the type of industry that is particularly well represented on Yelp, so I guess I've got some asking around to do.

Frankly the money spent on the PI may be better invested in someone to help you process the emotions of what you've learned.

I'm actually waiting to hear back from the therapist I saw after my mother passed, as we established a remarkably strong rapport almost immediately. Unless he thinks that trying to follow up on this is a bad idea, I'll be seeing him alongside the research outlined in this post.

Thanks for the response, it was very helpful.