Ian Harrison, a 66-year-old business coach from Alberta, Canada, recently achieved his late father’s life’s goal of finding his long-lost family.
Peter, Ian’s father, had been told that his father died during the Second World War, but at age 15, he found out that his father was alive, and his mother had lied to him to cover up her affair with a married man. Peter spent years searching for his family with the help of his son Ian, who continued the quest after his father died in 2003.
Ian and his father bought volumes of CDs of the census, hoping to find some clues about Peter’s father, Percy. Sadly, their search was cut short after Ian’s father passed away, but Ian continued the search, and after doing an Ancestry DNA test in 2021, he found a cousin.
Ian’s cousin, Lynda, turned out to be a deputy ward sister in the same hospital Ian’s dad was in, and she nursed him in his last days. Ian was shocked to discover that the person his cousin was nursing was, in fact, her long-lost uncle, his dad. Lynda knew of his dad but didn’t know that the person she was nursing was her long-lost uncle. It was an unbelievable discovery for Ian.
After exchanging emails for several months, Ian finally met his cousins in May 2022 at a pub and hit it off immediately. Ian’s uncle and his dad were both royal electrical mechanical engineers. Ian’s mum wept because his cousin reminded her so much of his dad at that age (they looked similar and had the same mannerisms.)
Ian was happy to have found his long-lost family, and they have kept in touch ever since. They’ve been exchanging stories and other pieces of information about their lives. Ian feels that the discovery has brought completeness, closure, and fulfilment to his life. He now knows his origins and has a greater connection to his extended family.
However, Ian couldn’t help but feel sad that his dad never got to meet his family or find out that Lynda was his relative. Ian thinks that his dad and his uncles would have been best friends, and it’s heartbreaking to think that they never got to meet each other. Ian believes that his dad would have loved to meet his new relatives and would have been delighted to know that Lynda was his niece.
Ian recommends Ancestry to anyone who wishes to find their long-lost relatives. Without Ancestry, Ian would never have been able to find his dad’s family and achieve his life’s goal. Ian thinks that his dad would be proud of him for continuing the search and finding their long-lost family.
Image Source:
- Family photo reunited: Mail online
