Letters from World War II

Daron and Sandy Caswell brought a bucket-full of World-War II vintage letters (literally) to my house on Monday, in hopes that I would be able to find a home for them.

Five years ago they purchased a house on Grand Avenue, and these letters were hidden away in the garage attic. Ever since, they have wondered what to do with the letters, which remain in pristine condition.

Last night I garnered enough information from them to determine that they belonged to Richard W. (Red) and Mary Hulse Trower of Hannibal, a childless couple, the last of which died in 1999. Richard served in the U.S. Navy during the war.

So what becomes of a lifetime of letters and cards when the last of the pair is gone? That's always a difficult call, because they mean more to the original owners that to anyone else.

I told Sandy I would sort through the letters, in search of historic details to share with others. I'm tickled that Sandy thought of sharing them with readers of this history blog.

If you know of a permanent home for these letters, click here to send me an email.