Sisters 'Hugged and Cried' at Being Reunited After 50 Years, Through DNA Match: 'Putting a Puzzle Together'

Despite not knowing one another for decades, Karen Sandine and Jennifer Johnson already share a bond — and similar smiles

"Surreal, happy, emotional" is how Karen Sandine describes her recent reunion, after 50 years, with a half-sister she never knew but found through DNA testing.

Sandine, 55, and Jennifer Johnson, 52, share the same mom but never got to meet her or one another, they say. Sandine was raised by her paternal grandparents while Johnson became a ward of the state of Arkansas and was adopted at the age of 16.

"I was curious through the years about medical history and I always thought I probably had a half sibling out there somewhere," Sandine tells PEOPLE now.

Related: Friends Who Discovered They're Actually Sisters Reunite with Biological Dad: 'A Gift from God'

After her ex-husband died, Sandine says she was cleaning out the home they shared for nearly 25 years.

"I ran across all the pictures, letters, certificates that my grandmother kept and gave me. I thought, you know, it’s time to search for some answers and family. My mother may still be alive, I’m sure I have that sibling."

That then led Sandine to Ancestry.com.

Johnson told NBC affiliate KARK that she went on Ancestry.com five years ago. Sandine, who only joined at the beginning of 2024, instantly found the match, according to the report. They reconnected over Memorial Day weekend.

Sandine says she also found a new uncle through Ancestry.com. "He, too, had been looking for his sister, our mother," she shares. "[Connecting with him] has been a life changer for him as he has some mental disabilities, is very sweet and was so longing for family. He said, ‘You know who brought us together at this time? Jesus did!’ "

Related: Woman Reunites with 9 Long-Lost Sisters After 43 Years of Being Separated: 'I’m Home' (Exclusive)

Since the discovery, Sandine and Johnson have spoken by phone every evening because Johnson lives in Oklahoma and Sandine still lives in Arkansas, according to Sandine.

Both finally met in person for dinner with their uncle on May 26.

"I was anxious to see if we looked alike. I think we must favor our fathers — we do have a similar smile and cheekbones," Sandine says. "Our uncle says Jennifer favors our mother a lot! We hugged and cried."

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Besides appearances, Sandine adds that the pair also share a bond over Diet Coke, coffee, shopping and cherishing their friendships.

She says that the two plan to get to know each other more and spend more time and holidays together. "We hope to find our biological mother and spend time with our uncle and with some [third] cousins to learn more about our family," she says.

She says that the discovery has been like "putting a puzzle together" and finding "things about your family, like where they lived, how they lived ... . [It's] answering lots of questions."

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