June 20, 2013

Iowa man, sister reunite thanks to boy, Facebook

BY: AP Staff Writer JANUARY 13, 2013 | MODIFIED: JANUARY 14, 2013 AT 12:32 AM
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Photo -   CORRECTS TO FLORISSANT NOT ST. LOUIS Clifford Boyson hugs his sister, Betty Billadeau of Florissant, Mo. on Saturday at the Hotel Blackhawk in Davenport, Iowa, Jan. 12, 2013. The two have been estranged for 60 years. (AP Photo/The Des Moines Register, Bryon Houlgrave) MAGS OUT, TV OUT, NO SALES, MANDATORY CREDIT
CORRECTS TO FLORISSANT NOT ST. LOUIS Clifford Boyson hugs his sister, Betty Billadeau of Florissant, Mo. on Saturday at the Hotel Blackhawk in Davenport, Iowa, Jan. 12, 2013. The two have been estranged for 60 years. (AP Photo/The Des Moines Register, Bryon Houlgrave) MAGS OUT, TV OUT, NO SALES, MANDATORY CREDIT

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — 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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