For more than 16 years, Morgan Winkelmeier, junior, has felt as if something or someone was missing in her life. Winkelmeier knew from an early age that she and her biological sister, Nicole Jeffrey, whom she had never met, were adopted and separated.

Recently Jeffrey and Winkelmeier met each other for the first time.

“My adoptive parents informed me when I was old enough to understand that I was adopted. I was shocked at first. I was only 5 years old at the time, but I still wondered, ‘Why would my mother give me up for adoption?’ I got over it, but I still wondered, ‘Why,’” said Winkelmeier.

Winkelmeier and her sister, Jeffery, were born in Goodland, Kansas, but have a Hawaiin orgin. A day after they were born, they were adopted. Winkelmeier was adopted by the Winkelmeiers in St. Louis and Jeffrey was adopted by the Jeffrey’s in Ohio. Their birth mother could not afford to take care of both of the girls.

Jeffrey, who also felt incomplete, started looking for her biological sister. Through database searches and simply looking for a place to start her search, Jeffret finally found Winkelmeier’s contact information. Jeffrey went to the agency where they were adopted, and decided to write Winkelmeier a letter. In March, Winkelmeier received a notice that Jeffrey wanted to contact her.

“I was shocked at first when I read the letter, I mean, after 16 years I would finally get to meet my birth sister for the first time,” said Winkelmeier.

At first she was hestitant, but soon after decided to meet Jeffrey. On May 11, 2013, Morgan and her parents journyed to meet Jeffrey for the first time.

“I was excited to meet her but really scared,” said Winkelmeier.

Anxiety turned into excitment when Weinkelmeier finally decided to meet Jeffrey.

Morgan got out of the car and started towards the Jeffrey’s. When Weinkelmeier was finally close to enough to see Jeffrey, Weinkelmeier became excited. Jeffrey gave Weinkelmeier a much-anticipated passionate and affectionate hug.

“She’s really sweet, nice and funny,” said Morgan.

Since that day Weinkelmeier and Jeffrey have stayed in contact. Weinkelmeier has learned much about her biological family. Weinkelmeier and Jeffrey’s birth mother, Myra, who is 37 years old, did not just have two girls. She also had a son, named Marcus, who is 21 years old. Now it is up to Morgan and Nicole to find and connect with their biological brother.