Two sisters meet for first time after nearly 60 years apart

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two sisters met each other for the first time Sunday after nearly 60 years apart.

Neither even knew each other existed until a few weeks ago, but that all changed thanks to a DNA test.

Gail Bonefant has been waiting for this day for decades. She knew her mother had given up a baby for adoption, but she never had any luck finding her sister.

“Back then, we didn’t have the technology and such that we do today, so we weren’t able to find her,” said Bonefant.

That was true until this January when she got a message from her sister Carolyn Conery, who lives in Boston.

Conery flew to Charlotte on Sunday, and they got to wrap their arms around each other for the first time.

“She talks as much as me, as fast as me and as loud as me,” said Bonefant.

Conery spent years trying to find her birth family, but Catholic Charities sealed her adoption records.

“You feel like you’re solving the puzzle,” said Conery. “It was almost impossible. The records are still sealed.”

She turned to Ancestry DNA and 23 and Me to try and piece it all together. Through relatives and cousins, she was able to find Bonefant.

“I think God wanted us to meet each other,” said Conery.

Conery also found out that her mother died 20 years ago and she had a third sister, Donna, who died in December 2019.

“There’s such a big hole in my heart, and you stepped in and took some of that away,” said Bonefant.

The two sisters plan to spend the week catching up on a lifetime of memories. Bonefant said she also plans to take Conery to the home where they grew up and to meet one of their mom’s sisters.

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