Woman’s emotional appeal for family reunion with cousin after 40 years

Family member who now lives on the Isle of Bute wants to reconnect

A woman in poor health has made a lastditch appeal to reunite with her cousin after being estranged for at least four decades.

Anne Edmond, who now lives on the Isle of Bute, is trying to make contact with her cousin May Johnstone (nee Tennant) – who she believes lives in or near Crieff.

May moved to the Perthshire town with her late husband James some time in the 1980s, and the cousins fell out of touch with each other soon afterwards.

May and James have a daughter, Daisy-may Johnstone, who May would also like to contact.

Anne is now in ill health after a tumultuous decade – in 2010 she contracted swine flu and in 2015 she caught an ebola-related virus, which she thinks was passed on via someone on a train.

The 2015 illness left her bed-ridden for a year and the 62-year old now says she will not survive even one bout of flu.

Anne grew up in Stirling and described herself as the baby of the family. She was particularly close with May, who is about 10 years older and will now be in her mid-70s.

Anne and May gradually grew more estranged as they got older.

Anne moved to Glasgow for a job with BT, which she held from 1974 until 2002.

She commuted from Stirling to Glasgow every day until the early ’90s, when she moved there after the death of her mother, also called Anne.

Anne then moved to Bute in 2014 to live a quieter life and devote time to her artwork.

She said: “I had a busy life. I didn’t mean to lose touch with May, but as time went on that’s what happened.

“I have no family left. I do know a lot of people here, but it would mean the world to me if I could see or speak to May.

“She was a generous and beautiful soul. She always was, and I’m sure she still is.

“I want her to know that I often think about her and she has a place in my heart.”

She tried to track down either May or Daisy-may through the electoral register, but was told details could not be disclosed because of data protection laws.

Anne hopes that May, or someone who knows her, reads the appeal and contacts her on 07925596074.