A remodeling project that turned into a rediscovery — an Indiana couple found love letters dating back to World War I tucked away in their attic.
"While renovating their house in Jasper, the couple found the letters in their attic insulation. The letters were written by a soldier preparing to fight in World War I." (Via WISH)
The contractor Phil Mathies, hired to begin work upstairs, had pulled the letters out of the couple's attic while he rewired the room. WFIE reports the letters peeked Phil, his wife, and his sister's interest and, of course, they started reading them.
"Clement Berger he had a sweetheart, Mary Borho, and he was writing her letters ... how he felt about her and he wanted to be with her."
Phil and his sister Barbara decided they had to find Clements' relatives. Since he was from Jasper, there was a small chance some of his family could still be living there.
The couple published some of the letters in their local paper. One read, "... you are closer than ever to me, for every day, I long for you more and more. Well darling it’s no use to write you of this for this is what I want and it’s you and you only and that thought will remain with me till the last." (Via The Herald)
And that small chance soon became a reality. Sisters Mary McCune and Nancy Teder are the soldier's nieces. They still live in Jasper and were extremely surprised to see the letters published in the paper.
"It was just an amazing find ... Those letters really convey what he lived in his life and how he felt about our aunt Mary." (Via WFIE)
No one knows how the letters wound up in the attic in the first place. McCune and Teder plan on passing them down to their grandchildren.
