Lena Pierce’s life was full of suffering and pain. Losing her father when she was still a child was the beginning of a difficult journey during which she moved around with her mother before finally settling in downtown New York.
Even if it takes a lifetime, they say the best things in life are worth the wait.
More than 80 years have passed since Lena Pierce last saw her daughter, but on a cold and snowy day in January 2016, she was finally reunited with the girl she was forced to give up in 1933 when she was just a teenager.
Born in 1919, Lena had a tragic life that began with the death of her father when she was still a small child. She and her mother traveled extensively before arriving in central New York.
When Lena was 13 years old, she became pregnant. She gave birth to a daughter, Eva Mae, in Utica, New York on February 11, 1933. Because of her state separation status, the child was eventually taken from her after six months.
A Long Island family adopted Eva Mae and raised her as Betty Morrell. As an only child, she longed for siblings. Little did she know that her mother had a large family that would be excited to see her in the future.
Before learning that she was adopted, Betty had no idea who her real family was. She admitted that she did not know the details of the adoption.
When she confronted her mother, she learned that she was adopted and that her real mother had died. Betty now understands why she said that – she didn’t want to be seen.
Betty ignored it for years until her mother died and some circumstantial evidence emerged. According to her aunt, Betty was Eva and was born in Utica. As a result, Betty embarked on a 50-year hunt for her biological mother.
She realized how much her family loved her. But she felt a piece was missing. She was just mad about it.
She started by calling every hospital in Utica. One, who had two children on February 11, 1933, one of whom was a daughter, Eva, answered her.
Betty received a letter from the adoption agency in 1983 but was unable to obtain any further information as her adoption was closed at that time. Despite the setback, Betty continued her life on Long Island before moving to Florida.
Betty put off finding her birth mother until Kimberly Miccio, one of her grandchildren, was 12 years old.
When Kimberly found her break in September 2015, she spent twenty years searching for her grandmother’s long-lost family. She found a distant cousin on Ancestry.com who introduced her to Millie Hawk, one of Lena’s daughters.
Not only do they learn that Betty has at least one more sister, but they also learn that her biological mother is still alive! Later in her childhood, she learned that she had two brothers and four sisters.
Lena was delighted to learn that her baby had been found and Betty was overjoyed to finally find her mom after all these years.
After talking to Betty, Millie went to her mother, who was about to play bingo at the fire station next to her apartment in Hallstead, Pennsylvania, and told her the good news.
She started crying and lost it. Millie explained that the woman was crying so hard she couldn’t attend bingo.
They decided to meet in person after being able to communicate over the phone. An emotional reunion between an 82-year-old daughter and a 96-year-old mother took place at the Greater Binghamton Airport one day in January 2016. It was extraordinary not only in how much time had passed but also in the fact that women for ages.
It was amazing. Kimberly noticed they were both sobbing.
After their reunion, the two stayed in touch and Betty became particularly close to her sister Millie. It’s an encounter that not many individuals her or her mother’s age have, Betty explained. The best possible outcome was achieved for her.
They got back together just in time for Lena to die a few months later in October 2016.
Despite being separated for over 80 years, Lena and Betty were able to form a close bond in the short time they had together. Betty even developed a strong relationship with her sister Millie, who played a key role in finding her biological family. For Lena, the reunion was a dream come true and she was grateful for the opportunity to finally meet the daughter she had to give up all those years ago.