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A complete family Thanksgiving 66 years in the making

Posted 12/5/24

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Petra Heckendorn and five Gueltzow brothers had the same father. Still, they never knew each other after being separated more than 66 years ago when their father was ordered to …

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A complete family Thanksgiving 66 years in the making


Posted

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Petra Heckendorn and five Gueltzow brothers had the same father. Still, they never knew each other after being separated more than 66 years ago when their father was ordered to change bases from Germany to Fort Benning, Georgia. The entire family finally celebrated their first Thanksgiving last week, and for the first time in her life, she was one of many in a big family reunion. Petra was in the second row, sixth from the left. Petra was separated from her brothers when their father married a woman on the Army base in Germany, but it wasn’t recognized because it wasn’t performed by an ordained priest or minister off base. His wife delivered Petra, but the father’s name wasn’t listed on the birth certificate because it wasn’t considered a legitimate marriage. The father spent years trying to find his wife and child, but he eventually re-married in the United States and had five sons. One of his sons, Wayne Gueltzow, continued the search, and his daughter, Ashley, used 23andMe to find information on herself when the company said it uncovered a DNA connection with Petra. Five months, several phone calls and a definitive DNA test later, Petra was united with three of the five brothers last week for a Thanksgiving dinner that was 66 years in the making.