Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Rick recently discovered a 70-year-old love letter in a toolbox he won at an auction, and he’s trying to find the relatives of its sender, who asked a woman named Mary Cribbs to marry him


A Michigan man recently discovered an Air Force veteran's love letter from more than seven decades ago inside a toolbox he purchased years prior.

It was 2017 when Rick Trojanowski, of Grand Rapids, purchased an old toolbox at a farm auction, according to FOX affiliate WXMI.

Trojanowski waited a few years to open the box and was astonished by what he found inside: a 70-year-old love letter.

The letter was addressed to Mary Lee Cribbs in Grand Rapids, WXMI reported. It came from Corporal Irvin G. Fleming in San Francisco — more than 2,200 miles away.

https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/70-year-old-love-letter-from-army-veteran-found-in-grand-rapids-mans-toolbox

Just in time for Valentines news, the news channel that had this story was able to find a relative of Mary Cribbs, and ran the following follow up:

 a place Cpl. Irvin G. Fleming mentioned in his letter to Mary Lee Cribbs, Johnson Park in Grand Rapids, was where the reporter met Abby Cribbs.

 “Mary Lee was technically my great aunt,” Abby told FOX 17. “So, she was one of seven, and my grandpa was her older brother.”

However, Abby never got to meet her great aunt. Mary passed away in 2004 at the age of 73.

Mary would have been 22 when the letter was written. Abby says she doesn’t recall hearing any stories about Cpl. Fleming and isn’t sure if the two ever reconnected or if her great aunt ever even received the letter.

She did move on and marry. She did end up moving out to San Jose, California, with her husband,” Abby explained. “And that’s…where she ended up passing.”

Mary never had any children, according to Abby.

As for Cpl. Fleming, records show he served in the United States Air Force before getting married and having children. He passed away in 2017 in Hudsonville, at the age of 87.

and that is your human interest WW2 tool box news! 

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