Marilyn Roberts knew exactly what she would say in her first meeting in 12 years with her daughter, who still doesn't remember her because of amnesia. "I'm mom."
The reunion of Jim and Marilyn Roberts with their daughter happened Tuesday at the home she has lived at for years following her 1985 disappearance from Washington state.Now known as Jane Dee Williams, Jody Roberts got married and had four children in the 12 years she was missing and has no recollection of her former life, family said.
Family friend Coral Clark said the reunion, marked with tears and shouts of joy, was going well.
"I just saw happy people, hugging, kids running around and screaming, `Grandma, Grandma!' " she said.
The family planned to have a big dinner and look at old photographs.
The last time her parents saw her, Jody Roberts was working as a reporter for The News Tribune of Tacoma, Wash. She disappeared in May 1985 after failing to show up for a newspaper assignment.
She told investigators she has amnesia and does not remember her parents or anything prior to her disappearance.
In the years she was missing, Williams spent time in Colorado before moving to Sitka in 1989. She married Dan Williams and set up her own Web site design company.
A former co-worker who knew her as Williams saw her photograph in newspaper stories describing her disappearance and tipped off investigators.
As she prepared to leave for Alaska, Marilyn Roberts bought matching outfits for her four granddaughters - two sets of twin girls. She said she could not wait to see her daughter, who she thought was dead.
"I just want to hug her and hug her and hug her," Marilyn Roberts said.