THE CASE OF THE MISSING LETTERS
A few years ago, I got a box of family letters from Cousin Aylette in Charlotte. Included were letters from my father who was in the First World War.
I decided to take the unopened box to Wilson Library at UNC-Chapel Hill, find a big study table, and go through the letters. Imagine my shock when I opened the box and there was a stack of empty envelopes. Empty envelopes, no letters in them. They were right on top.
After re-gaining my composure, I took the box and told the librarian about my predicament. He mentioned that the envelopes would have value. I thought about that but then threw them away, considering them just clutter. I wanted to get to the "meat" of the box, the actual letters.
I tell this story to illustrate the importance of family letters to heirs. A bit of background...the box had been found in Roanoke in an attic. The person who found them knew that my cousin, Andy Stone, was the president of the SW Virginia Historical Society. She gave the box to him.
I just found out that he removed and kept the front page of an old newspaper, about the end of WWI. My father was in WWI, and trained as a pilot in France, where he crashed and recovered.
My brother and I are writing an article about our Father's WWI experiences. There are letters written by my father to his family from France, however, he seems not to have written much about his flying experiences.
I keep in mind that at least three pairs of hands handled the documents before I received them: the woman who found the box, Cousin Andy, Cousin Aylette, and finally, me. Were some of the letters removed, and kept, with just the envelopes saved? We do not know.
I do know as of last night, that Cousin Andy kept the old newspaper in the box, about the end of WWI. Turns out it is actually Petite Parisian....he'll send it to me.
