Regular readers would know that I'm very interested in working on my family tree and to that end, a few years ago I did an Ancestry DNA test. It's the test that 'keeps on keeping on' as, when you least expect it, you find another relative you didn't know you had.
Last December I was contacted by a cousin whom I had no idea existed. We worked out that her grandmother and my great grandmother were sisters. Shirley lives in Melbourne but has family here in Queensland whom she visits. And so it was that she was visiting them a few weeks ago. It was arranged that DH and I would pick her up from Brisbane Airport and drive her to her niece's at Glasshouse Mountains. On the way we stopped at Redcliffe; we usually take visitors to The Bee Gees Walk in that city.
And time for lunch before heading north...
We had a lovely time catching up. And just like the other people I've met who are DNA matches with me, we felt we had known each other for years, despite only just meeting.
Now last year, thanks to DNA, DH discovered a whole new branch of his family. He found he had 8 half siblings. We've met one of his sisters and last month we met a niece, whose late mother was also DH's sister.
It was a wonderful meet up and both uncle and niece shared family photos. V saw family resemblances with her aunts/uncles/nieces and nephews and even her son, with DH and his children.
V had a beautiful portrait of her mother on the wall...
And V showed us a photo of DH's biological grandmother ( on the right) on her mother's wedding day...
All too soon our visit was over; it had been wonderful. V was able to give DH quite a bit of information about the family, filling in quite a few gaps and answering some questions but raising others, lol!
I commented on the patchwork table topper on V's table and enquired whether she had made it. She had, but not only that, she used to own a Quilt Shop and Gift Shop at nearby Dayboro.
3 comments:
It must be fun to find new family members and especially to meet them. I'm pretty sure I know all mine. I don't come from a very big family.
So exciting to meet relatives you didn't know you had.
God bless.
Wow, it is amazing what is turning up! There must be quite a story behind 8 unknown half-siblings.
It is great that you have got along well with all the rellies you have found.
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