92-Year-Old Woman Adopts Her 76-Year-Old Cousin
92-year-old Muriel Clayton has recently decided to adopt her 76-year-old cousin, Mary Smith. The two have had an inseparable, loving relationship for more than 60 years. Muriel Clayton stated that when they were younger, Mary’s father passed away and her mother’s health was slowly failing. Mary’s mother was not able to take of her, and Muriel stepped in to take care of her younger cousin.
Muriel Clayton said that she always wanted Mary to be her child legally. She stated that out of respect for Mary’s mother, she decided to not adopt Mary. Mary’s mother has since passed and Muriel says that she felt like now is the right time to make things official before it’s too late. “I got to thinking, you know, I need to make her legally mine before I go.”
On Tuesday, June 9th in a Dallas County Court, Muriel Clayton and Mary Smith officially became mother and daughter, something Clayton has thought was the missing piece in her life. The two women couldn’t be happier. Clayton said her puzzle is now complete. “I’m a jigsaw puzzle person. And it’s so wonderful when you snap that last piece in place and have a beautiful picture. This is the last piece of my puzzle.”
