JASPER, Ind. (AP) - Love letters from a World War I soldier to his sweetheart have been found stuffed in the attic wall of a southern Indiana home.
An electrician pulled the yellowed letters from inside insulation while doing remodeling work in the Jasper home of Phil Mathies.
The letters dated July 1918 were from Clement Berger to his future wife, Mary Borho, while he was in training before being sent to Europe in World War I.
Phil Mathies’ sister, Barbara Schrader, said Berger’s letters showed how much he wanted to be home.
“It’s just how he felt about her, and he wanted to be with her. But he knew he had his service to do,” Schrader told WFIE-TV (https://bit.ly/1gDlSHm ).
They were able to track down relatives of the couple who still live in Jasper, about 50 miles northeast of Evansville.
No one knows why the letters were hidden in the attic wall, but Nancy Teder said she was fascinated by the discovery of her uncle’s writings.
“Those letters really convey what he lived in his life, and how he felt about our Aunt Mary,” Teder said.
Mary and Clement married in 1920 - and his letters are being given to their grandchildren for safekeeping.
“We have to thank Barb and Phil for taking care of them the way they did,” Teder said. “It was just an amazing find.”
___
Information from: WFIE-TV, https://www.14wfie.com/
Please read our comment policy before commenting.