A WOMAN who has lived in Canada for most of her life has travelled to the Wee County to track down her long-lost half sister. 

Lynn Lonnkvist, from Vancouver, found out five years ago that her Scottish mother had a baby as a teenager and was forced to give her up for adoption by her family.

Her sibling, whose full name and address at birth was Andrene Syme Blackett of 19 Coblecrook Gardens, Alva, was born on July 20, 1945. 

Lynn spoke of her heartbreak that her mum, Hilda Mary Alice Blackett, didn’t get to meet Andrene before she died following a period of ill health. 

She told the Advertiser: “Before she passed away, she mentioned to my brother that she had a baby when she was young. That was all that we knew. Somewhere along the line Alva was in our memory. 

“So before I came over, I checked online to see what babies were born around Dunfermline between 1944 and ‘46 with my mum’s maiden name Blackett. I found about eight females and, lo and behold, one of them came up as Alva. That’s where we remembered the name Alva from.

“I don’t think my mum ever got over giving her up for adoption but her mother forced her to do that because she was so young.

“I’m doing it for my mum and for her (Andrene) to know that she has a family out there because there were seven of us and she would make it eight. She would probably look a lot like my mum.”

Having adopted her own daughter, Lynn admitted it would mean the world for her family to be reunited with someone in their immediate family who they have never had the chance to get to know. 

“My daughter always wished she had other siblings and other family to connect with,” she said. “So, she does have other family.

“When my mum was sick our family paid for her brother from Dunfermline to go over and see her. My family would do the same for my half sister so that she could come over and meet every one.”

When she was out looking for the house, Lynn bumped into Alva resident Morag Jackson, who was out walking her dog and offered to help her find more information. 

The pair spent the day together as they thought of the best way to try and get in touch with Andrene.

If anyone has any information that can help Lynn in her search, they can contact editorial@alloaadvertiser.co.uk