Published
Ursula John from Walenstadt SG has been looking for her unknown half-brother for decades. Now she is going public with her venture.
Ursula John with her mother. She was born out of wedlock and she never met her father.
Private
She grew up with her mother and her partner, whom she accepted as a father.
Private
Ursula John is looking for her half-brother.
He is said to be a few years younger and live in the canton of St. Gallen.
As an illegitimate child, John had never met her birth father.
The fact that she has a half-brother, but was never allowed to get to know, preoccupies her all her life.
Ursula John has been troubled by one thought for most of her life: “I have a half-brother somewhere.” Again and again she tries to find her brother in stages. So far without success. John was born out of wedlock in 1965 and grew up with her mother and her partner. She never met her birth father. It was only as a young adult that she learned from her mother that her father was remarried and had another son. “It was kept from me for years,” says the 56-year-old from Walenstadt SG to 20 minutes.
She did accept her mother’s partner as a father and cultivated a paternal relationship with him. Nevertheless, she was always curious about her real origin. “I’ve always been interested in which family I belong to,” says John. The fact that she was born out of wedlock also caused problems in later life. “When I was about to get married, it turned out that I had no birth certificate. I didn’t even exist in the files, ”says John.
“As long as I’m still alive, I’ll try”
Due to her efforts, she finally found out that her father, who was called Peter Hostettler, was a butcher by profession and lived in Wolfhalden AR. “When I went to meet him, he was already dead,” says John. All she could do was visit his grave. She could also meet his future wife, even if only fleetingly. «She gave me a picture of my father and told me about her son Stefan. But she didn’t want to say more, ”she says. She therefore suspects that her half-brother is called Stefan Hostettler and works in St. Gallen. “He’s probably a few years younger than me.”
Now she has started looking for her brother via social media. “I’ve already received some leads,” said John. A lifelong dream would come true for her if she met. “It just doesn’t leave me alone,” sighs John. If she could finally find him, she would just talk to him. «I want to chat with him and find out more about my father. Who knows, maybe we have something in common, ”says John. This would give her answers to questions that she has been asking herself for a lifetime. “As long as I still live, I’ll try to find him,” she says in conclusion.
Do you have a clue? Write to us [email protected]. We forward the news.
Do you have problems with your parents or children?
As a member, you become part of the 20-minute community and benefit from great benefits and exclusive competitions every day!