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Franklin man meets half-siblings for first time with website

PLAINFIELD, Ind. (WISH) – A 50-year-old Franklin man met his half-siblings Thursday for the first time in his life all thanks to a website.

The family met in Plainfield.

The story starts with a man named Edward Wilson. He had two kids with his first wife about 60 years ago.

Those children say their parents divorced when they were toddlers and they never heard from Edward again.

He had three more kids with his second wife, an Indiana native.

Thursday, all of Edward’s children exchanged hugs and flipped through old family photos.

Dave Wilson of Franklin said, two years ago, he logged onto myheritage.com and entered his family tree. Mike Wilson of Oregon did the same thing this year.

Mike found Dave’s profile, sent him a message and they realized they share a dad. Mike and his sister traveled to Indiana to meet Dave and Dave’s two brothers.

Their dad died in 2009 and is buried in Indiana.

All of Edward’s children plan to visit his grave tomorrow.

Dave said he always knew he had half-siblings and he always wanted to meet them.

“I was actually kind of nervous going up there but kind of natural. [Mike] looks a lot like my father did,” Dave said.

“I’ve been asked, what do you expect to gain out of this” Mike said. “More knowledge about my father, see how we’re alive and just the having of more family. The family bond.”

The Wilsons said they plan to keep in touch.