Adopted siblings Phil Compson and Lydia Mae Carew reunited more than a year ago after 30 years of not seeing each other.
They now call Warsaw home.
Framed photos of the siblings taken 40 years ago when they were teenagers growing up in Michigan sit on a coffee table next to a couch in the living room of their Warsaw home.
Carew, 64, was born Feb. 16, 1944, in Grand Rapids, Mich., and was adopted when she was 6 months old.Compson, 52, was born March 20, 1956, in Port Huron, Mich., and was adopted when he was 5 days old.
They grew up in Port Huron, with their adoptive parents Ralph and Katherine Compson and the couple's biological son, Wes, who died in 1992.
Compson and Carew have memories of their adoptive father, who died in 1976, flying airplanes down the Lake Michigan coastline.
Their adoptive mother, Katherine Compson, lived at Grace Retirement Community in Winona Lake. She died in 1982.
The siblings have lived together in a home on West Market Street since Memorial Day 2007 after Carew discovered her brother's name and hometown online when she was living in Florida. They had not seen each other in 30 years before then.
She discovered Compson was employed at Ranger Materials, Warsaw, and called his work and spoke with him in January 2007.
She learned where he worked from her sister-in-law, Pam Compson, Warsaw.
"The minute I heard him speak on the phone, I knew it was him by his voice when he said hello," Carew said.
Compson said he had considered trying to find Carew, but did not take the initiative.
"Of course, I remember I had a sister, but I never tried to track her down," Compson said.
He said he was shocked when she called and almost didn't believe it was her.
The last time the siblings saw each other was in 1978 when Carew visited Compson and their parents in Winona Lake.
Both siblings were adopted into the same family as children. They lost connection after Compson moved to Winona Lake when he was 23 with his parents, and Carew moved to California to work as a nurse.
They both have favorite memories growing up.
Compson has memories going to church camp with his sister on Lake Michigan when they were growing up, and taking the train to visit his sister.
"I remember my mom would pack me a sack lunch and I would visit my sister," Compson said.
Carew said she remembers when Compson was adopted.
"I was in sixth grade when my family adopted Phil and it was one of our family's proudest moments when my dad, who was a pastor, introduced Phil to the congregation," Carew said.
In 1999, Carew moved from California to Florida to work as a nurse. Carew said she lost touch with her brother, who moved to Michigan and then back to Warsaw, and got a new phone number when he moved back to Warsaw.
Carew lived in Florida, where she retired from being a nurse, and moved to Warsaw last Memorial Day.
Carew took a bus from Florida to get to Warsaw.
The trip was supposed to take 24 hours, but took three days because the bus broke down.
"It was frustrating having the bus broken down, but I knew it was worth it to be able to see my brother after all of these years," Carew said.
Carew said she has enjoyed living in Warsaw.
"It's a quiet, country town," Carew said.
The siblings have enjoyed visiting local historical sites and shops, and taking drives by the lakes.
"I feel blessed we had the opportunity to reunite after all of these years because 30 years seems like a lifetime, but I still call him my baby brother," Carew said.
