Having a reunion after 75 years sounds incredible, but it’s not impossible!
Lena and Yolanda met each other on a 14-day voyage in the ship named Saturnia. They immediately became friends. Both of the girls were moving to the USA with their families in 1947.
Lena’s son – Steve – wanted to surprise his mom and find her friend. He spent several years looking for Yolanda.
Lena is 85 years old now. She never forgot the name of her friend from the ship.
Steve kept searching for his mom’s friend. If she was still alive, she should’ve been 84 years old. Fortunately, Yolanda was still alive. So Steve found Yolanda’s address and left her a message, saying that her childhood friend wanted to meet her.
Yolanda’s son – Rich – drove her from Weirton, West Virginia to Meadville, Pennsylvania, where Lena lived. They hugged each other right at the door and started crying from happiness.
“They were celebrating their instant bond that lasted a lifetime”, Lena’s son Tony said.
They went deep into the memories they had created in the Saturnia. And all this during a short lunch.
The 75-year-old reunion was so wonderful, they promised to repeat it in a few months. They hope to spend more time together.
Nowadays, it’s not so easy to make friends and keep the friendship for many years. And the National Archives can help you find your long-lost friends from your latest travels.
