After almost 80 years, an Indiana man will soon meet the big sister he never knew he had.

Ron Achtertof, of Chesterton, Indiana, said he found out he has a sister after his cousin began searching their family on a genealogy website a few months ago.

“I thought I did not have any siblings cause those younger than me passed away, so i thought I was the only one left,” Achtertof said.

Neither Ron nor his cousin had any idea that across the pond, there was a woman named Jillian Tarland in England doing similar research.

Tarland was looking to find her father, who she had been told died in war.

There was one common link to the searches: Ron Achtertof.

Achtertof said he came home one day to 15 messages on his phone telling him he has a sister.

"I could not believe it," he said.

Achtertof

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