An elderly Newfoundland woman made a surprising discovery about her family lineage, nearly a century after the fact.

Gertrude Ennis was born on Merasheen Island in 1924. Her short-term memory is starting to go and she needs to be placed in a care home.

One of the documents needed for that to happen is a birth certificate, and when Ennis’ son Tom Gruchy applied for the document, he learned that his mother’s name at birth was actually Cortona Hepditch.

Her birth father died before she was born, and she went to live with a family friend at the age of 5 or 6, adopting the name Gertrude Ennis. The name change was never legally recognized, and Ennis lived most of her life unaware of her family history.

Her name has now legally been changed to Gertrude, and she has even met members of the Hepditch family.

Gruchy, says it’s been amazing getting to know family members they never knew they had.

He says his mom got to meet a relative who was 85 years old, he says it was amazing to see the two embrace.