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Bernard has a mission to find the brother he never knew existed; 'It blew me away to find out I had a sister, now we're tracing our brother'.


Byline: Lisa Jones

FOR years bus driver Bernard Jones believed he was the only child of his long-dead mother.

But six months ago the father of three, from Fairwater, Cardiff Fairwater (Welsh: 'Tyllgoed') is a village and district in north-west Cardiff. It is located a few miles from Culverhouse Cross which connects Cardiff to the M4 motorway. , discovered from a chance posting on family research website Genes Reunited that he had a half-sister and a host of cousins, nieces and nephews.

And, just three days ago, the 57-year-old found out he also has a brother Alun he has never met. He is now trying to trace him to make his family complete.

Bernard's wife Linda said: "He was absolutely over the moon.

"We don't know whether his brother is aware of his background.

It's quite a sad background but what a happy ending." Bernard traced his cousin, Eileen, through Genes Reunited, who dropped the bombshell that he had a half-sister, Margaret, 69, who lives in Swansea.

He said: "It blew me away to find out I had a sister and now I've got a brother.

"I was lucky that my cousin was on Genes Reunited and got in touch. You can imagine my amazement when I found out I had siblings." Bernard and Margaret have the same mother - Mabel Jones, whose maiden name maiden name
n.
A woman's family name before she is married. Used of a surname that is replaced by a woman when she marries. Also called birth name.
 was Britton.

An epilepsy sufferer, she killed herself at the age of 31, on February 18, 1954, and is buried in the David Lewis Epileptic epileptic /ep·i·lep·tic/ (ep?i-lep´tik)
1. pertaining to or affected with epilepsy.

2. a person affected with epilepsy.


ep·i·lep·tic
n.
One who has epilepsy.
 Colony in Knutsford.

Margaret was born when Mabel was just 16, and unmarried.

She was adopted and brought up by her grandparents, believing them to be her parents and her mother to be her sister.

It was not until she was 12 that she found out the truth.

Margaret told Bernard he also has a brother, Thomas Alun Jones, who they believe goes by the name of Alun.

Bernard was sent to Ely Children's Home, in Cardiff as a toddler and fostered when he was six to a family in the area.

He was only given scant information about his origins.

Half-sister Margaret, a carer carer
Noun

a person who looks after someone who is ill or old, often a relative: the group offers support for the carers of those with dementia

carer n
 and mother of three, said: "I knew I had a brother called Alun, but my grandparents were old-fashioned and wouldn't tell me anything.

"When Bernard phoned I didn't know what to say. I thought there had to be two of them.

"To find out Alun truly exists as well is wonderful. I can't wait to find him.

"I've always felt there were pieces missing from my life." At the age of 22, Mabel married 48-year-old Brynmor Joseph Jones on September 15, 1944.

They lived at 245 Bute Street, Cardiff, before they divorced and Mr Jones returned to Swansea.

Nobody knows if he took little Alun with him or whether he ended up in social services care.

Brynmor Jones, a pipe jointer for Cardiff Corporation, died from lung cancer lung cancer, cancer that originates in the tissues of the lungs. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States in both men and women. Like other cancers, lung cancer occurs after repeated insults to the genetic material of the cell.  aged 58, on March 7, 1959 at Marsden Street, Swansea.

If you can help reunite Bernard, Alun and Margaret, call Lisa Jones on 029 2024 3612..
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Publication:South Wales Echo (Cardiff, Wales)
Geographic Code:4EUUK
Date:Apr 18, 2009
Words:480
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