At 92, Michigan woman raised an only child discovers she has 19 half-siblings

Mariann Jeffery just found out her family tree has more branches than she ever imagined.

Jeffery, 92, of Southgate, Michigan, was adopted as a baby and raised an only child. Her biological parents, Margaret Corwin and Thomas Dumas, were teenagers when she was born, and Jeffery had no idea that they separated after her birth. She certainly didn't know that both ended up getting married twice to other people, with Corwin ultimately having 11 additional children and Dumas having eight.

Earlier this year, Robert Dumas was doing genealogy research, and recent home DNA testing results showed that he had an aunt: Jeffery. He started digging around, and learned she had a total of 19 half-siblings, born between 1928 and 1948. After getting in touch with Jeffery, a big party was planned for her to meet her new relatives — including all 11 of her half-siblings who are still living.

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Jeffery was astounded when she learned about her family history, and quipped that her newfound relatives are "all good looking." Her half-brother Robert Corwin, 75, told The Detroit Free Press that the reunion made him emotional. "This is truly amazing to find out after eons that you have a living sibling," he said.