Long-lost sister of 99-year-old Kansas City woman found before funeral

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One week ago, FOX4 first told you about the search for a 99-year-old woman’s family.

She died but a local funeral home couldn’t find any relatives.

But after that story ran, the right person saw it and found Katherine Shirley’s half-sister.

“God works in mysterious ways. That I was found and I’m able to do this and put closure, and I’m just so thankful. Words can’t express how I feel, the gratitude with everything,” Shelia Johnson said.

Seven days ago, when our story aired it took on a life of its own.

Other stations around the country picked it up and aired it for their viewers. Thousands of people shared how Marcom-Harvey Funeral Home was searching for Katherine Shirley’s family—and time was of the essence.

“It has been overwhelming. Calls, texts, emails, people calling—not just from around the country—but around the world,” Aesha Humphrey, the Co-Owner of Marcom-Harvey Funeral Care said..

The clock was ticking they had just two weeks to find her surviving family before her funeral services.

“Oh gosh, wow, we’ve discovered the goodness of humanity first and foremost, but most importantly, we found Katherine Shirley’s only living relative,” Humphrey said.

Someone shared it with a genealogist in Nevada, who watched the story and got to work.

Only to find out that he not only knew, but was related to Katherine Shirley’s only living relative, her half-sister Shelia Johnson.

“I was devastated, I was heartbroken,”Johnson said.

Johnson had looked for her sister for more than 50 years.

“I couldn’t find her or anything and nobody knew anything about Katherine except that she went back to Kansas City, Missouri, and that was that was that. I gave up, I didn’t know if she was alive or dead or what” Johnson said.

The two lost contact after Shirley moved back to Kansas City from Los Angeles.

For thirty years, the 99-year-old woman had lived in a Grandview nursing facility and there was no record of an address.

Fast forward to now, Johnson’s grieving for her sister but grateful for closure and grateful that people cared enough to look for Shirley’s relatives.

“I’m so overwhelmed with joy and blessings knowing all that Kansas City, Missouri is doing for my sister,” Johnson said.

If you are one of the people who saw the story and shared it, we thank you, you helped make this happen.

Shelia will be flying into Kansas City on Aug. 8. Katherine Shirley will be laid to rest on Friday Aug. 9th at the Marcom-Harvey Funeral Home here in Kansas City.

The visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and the services will start at 11 a.m.

The funeral is open to the public and the funeral care directors encourage everyone who wants to attend to wear pink, Katherine Shirley’s favorite color.

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