An Iowa
man and his sister have reunited 65 years after being separated in foster care
thanks to a 7-year-old friend's Facebook search.
Clifford Boyson of Davenport
met his sibling, Betty Billadeau, in person Saturday. Billadeau drove up from
her home in Florissant, Mo.,
with her daughter and granddaughter for the reunion at a hotel in Davenport.
Boyson, 66, and Billadeau, 70, both tried to find each other for years
without success. They were placed in different foster homes in Chicago when they were children.
Then 7-year-old Eddie Hanzelin, who is the son of Boyson's landlord, got
involved.
Eddie managed to find Billadeau by searching his mom's Facebook account with
Billadeau's maiden name. He recognized the family resemblance when he saw her
picture.
"Oh, my God," Boyson said when he saw and hugged Billadeau.
"You do have a sister," Billadeau said.
"You're about the same height Mom was," Boyson said.
Billadeau's daughter, Sarah Billadeau, 42, and granddaughter, Megan
Billadeau, 27, both wiped away tears and smiled during the reunion.
"He didn't have any women in his life," Sarah said. "We're
going to get that straightened out real fast."
Boyson said he's looking forward to visiting Billadeau near St. Louis and meeting more family.
"I'm hoping I can go and spend a week or two," he said. "I
want to meet the whole congregation. I never knew I had a big family."
Eddie, who enjoys messing around with his family's iPad, said he's glad he
was able to assist in making the reunion happen and that he learned about
helping others at school.
"Clifford did not have any family, and family's important," the
boy said.
Near the end of their tearful reunion Boyson and Billadeau presented Eddie
with a $125 check in appreciation of his detective work.
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