PETERSBURG, Ky. - A man’s lost love letters to his wife - written 70 years ago but only found last week – turned out to be a Christmas gift for the man’s daughter.
The handwritten letters are allowing Sahara Schumacher to reconnect with the dad she hardly knew.
A family rehabbing their 150-year-old house in Petersburg, Kentucky, found the letters - along with photos, old stamps and newspapers - in a crawl space.
Jen Warner, who has lived in the house for 21 years, said “old houses are usually full of surprises."
“Not usually good surprises," Warner noted. "We had lots of surprises for us. The letters were about the only good ones."
The letters – about a dozen - were written by Army veteran Ronnie Hamlin to his former wife. Warner said she immediately wanted to return the letters to Hamlin’s family, so she embarked on a search through Facebook.
After just one post, the search turned up Schumacher.
“I was just ecstatic,” Warner said.
"I'm like, ‘Oh my gosh,’ ” Schumacher said.
Schumacher said she doesn’t remember much about her dad. He died when she was 6.
"I remember him helping me with the Easy-Bake Oven making little cakes," she said.
She hoped the letters would tell her more.
“I remember my dad loved me, but I don't know how his feelings were, his emotions. I know the letters will bring some of that, will give me a little insight on what was going on in his life back then," Schumacher said.
She told Warner she had never seen her father's handwriting.
"Perfect handwriting with the loops. It's just beautiful," Warner said.
Warner was thrilled to have found the letter-writer's daughter.
"That's such a sweet thing to be able to give her. For Christmas, too," Warner said.
