VIDEO: Sisters reunited after 67 years

A Shelton woman had a dream come true Thursday morning: She got to meet her sister -- a sister she had not seen in nearly 70 years.

The sisters talked online via Skype, and KIRO 7 cameras were there.

"There she is! Hi, Ann!” Mandy Eklund said from her Mason County home.

"Doing well,” her sister responded. “You look great!"

For Mandy Eklund, "great" is an understatement.  She said seeing her sister Ann was beyond words.

Mandy was adopted as an infant and taken across the country to Washington State.  She always knew she had a sister, but never had the details.

Mandy Eklund's daughter, Marjorie Lyon, spent many years searching records and working the Internet before she finally found what appeared to be her mother's biological family in Texas. That led to an initial phone call to Texas, and finally on Thursday, the two sisters saw each other for the first time in 67 years.

The sisters said they’ll continue Skype chats, but hope for a face-to-face visit.  Ann lives in west Texas and is eager to see the lush greenery of the Pacific Northwest.

Ann's relatives own the old family farm in the northeast corner of the Lone Star State, and they're hoping Mandy and her family can make it to a grand family reunion sometime in the future.

Want to talk about the news of the day? Watch free streaming video on the KIRO 7 mobile app and iPad app, and join us here on Facebook.

KIRO