GREAT-GRAN REUNITED WITH FAMILY
A TERMINALLY ill greatgrandmother has been reunited with her long lost family after they lost touch almost 50 years ago.
Linda Hutchinson, née Booth, grew up in Dowlais in Merthyr Tydfil in a family of five children – commonly known as the Boothy family.
Last month her granddaughter contacted us in a bid to help Linda, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer in August, find any surviving members of her family to give her the chance to reconcile with them.
When Linda was 16 years old she married Irishman John Hutchinson, but said her family disowned her because they did not approve of John, who came from a family of travellers.
After receiving the devastating diagnosis Linda said her last wish was to talk to her family to know how they were and “put things right”.
Her granddaughter, Crystal Woodward, 25, said: “We had a phone call one day and it was my granny’s nephew. We just couldn’t believe it.
“She has now spoken to all her brothers and sisters on the phone. She was absolutely over the moon.
“They were all devastated to hear she had terminal cancer and they spoke for a long time. She has spoken to one of her brothers almost every day since they made contact and she speaks to everyone else once a week.
“We never thought she would be able to find them and make contact again and my granny was shocked and is really excited.”
Crystal said 65-year-old Linda has since spoken about making plans to travel to Dowlais from Peterborough, where she now lives, to meet her siblings and their families in person.
“She’s really not well but she wants to go to Dowlais to see them,” Crystal added.
Linda’s parents were Freddy Booth, who worked as a coal miner, and Eileen, a secretary.
She had two sisters, Marcia and Annette, and three brothers, Adrian, Freddy and Andrew.
Around 10 years ago Linda returned to Dowlais for her father’s funeral – the only time she has seen her family since she was 16.
Linda has 11 children and more than 40 grandchildren while she is also a great-grandmother of four.
Her wish was to hear from anyone in the family to know they were OK and to talk after all the years they have spent without any contact.