TAMPA, Fla — On Sunday, Bobbie Gambrell and Lois Rodgers got to experience a hug 65 years in the making.
"I ain't gon have no more water left in my body with all this crying," said Rodgers.
"Oh my god!" said Gambrell.
The two sisters were reunited in Tampa after being separated as kids.
In the midst of their reunion was also a first meeting for their brother Raymond Tate — who'd never met Gambrell. He'd only met Rodgers earlier this year.
Before that, Tate didn't know he had any sisters at all.
This special moment was made possible after Gambrell's daughter, Mary Butler, went searching on an online ancestry site two years ago.
"I was interested about my ethnicity because you know my mom; she's adopted," said Butler.
Earlier this year, she got a call from Tate.
"I answered it, and he's like, 'Um, I know you don't know who I am, but I found you on MyHeritage, we're matching, and I'm your mom's brother," said Butler.
According to the family, Tate, Gambrell, Rodger and other siblings were split up in the 1960s.
The family said some of the kids were put into the foster care system.
All of them eventually lost touch until now.
"You know I've been looking for many, many years for my siblings and my family. And this is a dream come true," said Tate.
As the family works to get to know each other and track down other siblings, one thing is clear.
Humor runs strong in the gene pool.
"I thought I might faint!" laughed Gambrell.
"I have cousins. Like older cousins and younger cousins. And they look like me," laughed Butler, "We all have the same nose!"
