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flag A UK woman discovered she’s one of 27 heirs to a $1M estate after a reclusive NY man’s family was traced through his Finnish roots.

flag Pauliina Johnston, a 60-year-old woman in the UK, learned she is one of 27 distant relatives set to inherit a share of a $1 million estate after Charles Ventura, a reclusive New York man who died at 89 without known next of kin, was found to have a large extended family. flag Ventura, the only child of an Italian American father and a Finnish mother from the island of Seiskari, lived a solitary life but was cared for by neighbors. flag His mother’s family was displaced when Seiskari was ceded to the Soviet Union in 1940, scattering relatives worldwide. flag The UK-based genealogy firm Finders International, known for the BBC show Heir Hunters, traced the lineage through Ventura’s mother’s side, identifying 27 heirs. flag Johnston, a first cousin once removed, discovered her connection through her father. flag The heirs, many unaware of their kinship, recently reunited in Helsinki, sharing stories and family history. flag Each will receive an equal share of the estate, uniting a family separated by war, migration, and time.

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