For National Cousins day we thought we’d share the story of Lisa Henry and Joyce Schur, who are are so close that they always felt like more than just friends. After using 23andme they learned that they had that right. They are actually cousins.
Friends Lisa, on the left, and Joyce. The photo on the right is from 2016.
Their story was recently covered by Inside Edition. The two Pennsylvania women shared their story with us earlier this year. It’s about two people grew up near each other, became friends, and crossed huge milestones in their life over 40 years – marriage, having children, and family struggles. Through it all they remained friends.
“We have been friend and neighbors since we where young girls, and so many times people have asked us if we were related because we do resemble one another and are very similar in our ways,” said Lisa. “We are now in our fifties and still best friends, but never would have known we are really related, if it weren’t for 23andMe.”
It took a bit to figure it all out. Lisa had been first to test, and it wasn’t until Joyce tired of hearing about all the neat things Lisa was learning from her 23andme results that she tested. Lisa was the first person Joyce called when she got her results. She wanted some help walking through her results. When she opened up her DNA Relatives, she immediately saw Lisa’s name.
“Oh my gosh, you are the sixth person on my list! I am looking at your picture!” Joyce said.
Recently they were at a function together and a man standing in line asked:
“Are you to related?”
Joyce turned to him and said, “Well, as a matter of fact – yes!”
Check out their story here.