Wisconsin Cousins Reunite in Florida After TV News Spot

When Tom Hokenson turned on the news in December 2008, he never expected to see a familiar name at the bottom of the screen that would change his life.

Hokenson had just moved to Highlands County, Florida that June with his wife Maryanne to care for his mother. Watching a report about a plane crash, he noticed the man being interviewed shared his cousin's unusual last name: Wied.

"I said to my wife, 'You know, I have a cousin named Wally Wied, but it can't be him,'" Hokenson recalled. The two Wisconsin natives had never actually met despite being family.

Hokenson, now 79, decided to take a chance and called. Within days, he was sitting in his cousin's living room, talking for three hours straight.

Wally Wied, now 87, had moved to the county in 2003 with his wife after volunteering at Highlands Hammock State Park. He happened to witness a plane crash near his home and ended up being interviewed by local media.

"A couple of days later, Tom called me," Wied said. "It was a big surprise for me."

After his 25-year Air Force career, Hokenson settled into Florida life near his mother. Wied, who had traveled to 20 countries installing equipment for Schreiber Foods, found his own retirement calling in 2009: handing out free popcorn at MidFlorida Credit Union every Friday.

Sunny's Take

The cousins turned their surprise discovery into a weekly tradition. Hokenson started visiting the credit union every Friday, timing his banking needs around popcorn and conversation with Wied.

For over a decade, Wied greeted customers with fresh popcorn and butter, handing out up to 125 bags on busy days. "Just because you're retired doesn't mean you have to give it all up," he said about the job that kept him connected to his community.

Now Wied is returning to Wisconsin to be closer to his five children, while Hokenson plans to stay in Florida. Their paths are diverging again, but this time with years of memories and a real relationship built from an unlikely television moment.

Sometimes family finds you in the most unexpected places, even when you've been neighbors all along.