Reunion a real sister act

Dec 23 2008 by Eleanor Barlow, Chester Chronicle

Reunion a real sister act

TWO sisters who used to live in Chester are looking forward to spending their first Christmas together since 1948.

The sisters who used to be called Snowball are now looking for other Chester Snowball’s after a family reunion this week.

Barbara Shellcross, 63, of Bryn Coch Crescent, Mold, was fostered as a child and never met her family- whose surname was Snowball.

In March this year she decided to search for relatives and, with help from Flintshire County Council, discovered she had a sister living on the other side of the Atlantic.

Barbara said: “I have always wanted a sister so it is lovely to find one after all these years.”

After chatting on the phone for the first time about seven weeks ago the sisters decided to spend Christmas together.

Barbara said: “Our family name is Snowball and this whole experience has just snowballed.”

Barbara and her sister Jennifer Gibson, 59, were both born in Chester but Jennifer was adopted and moved to Cornwall and later London before emigrating to Canada 32 years ago.

Barbara was fostered and lived in Chester for 10 years before her foster mother died and she moved to Mold.

She said: “Jennifer and I have lived completely different lives. She has always lived in the city and I have lived in the country.

“We get on really well and I feel like I have known her more than just a few weeks. We have got a lot to catch up on.

“When I first spoke to her on the phone I was nervous but she sounded very nice and she said I did too. It feels really comfortable.”

Barbara has already taken her younger sister to Nercwys church, where she was married, and will spend Christmas filling her in on other key events in her life.”