Response

Within weeks of the article’s publication, Lynch received an email from Courtney Cresta living in Spring, Texas. The email suggested that she recognized the letters as those found by her grandmother Nancy Cramblit, who resides in Muskegon, MI.

Conversation

Lynch was soon able to speak with the 78-year-old on the phone. He was curious to know the origin of the letters. He assumed that the lady he was about to talk to was somewhere or the other related to the author of the letter. To his dismay, nothing of that sort happened.

The Collector 

While having a conversation over a call, Lynch was informed that Cramblit’s husband, Marvin, had been an avid collector. He’d often inquired antique stores and even yard sales in search of interesting historical artifacts and keepsakes. He wanted to preserve history by buying the artifacts and keeping it safe with himself.

Finding Out

When Marvin passed away in 1978, his wife, Cramblit found the letters among his collection. She never knew about the letters when Marvin was alive. She was perplexed as she had no idea where they had come from or who had sold them to him.

Sending It Back

After reading the letters, Cramblit thought of sending them to the respectful owner or the family of the owner. She figured that the correspondence would be placed with surviving members of the soldier’s family. Cramblit took a chance and sent the letter to the postmaster of the city so that the postmaster could find the authentic receiver of the letter.

Small Town

Newaygo is a town with a population of around only 2,000 people. Cramblit thought that the small town was tightly connected. She thought that locals surely would know a Shephard or two. Since the village was closely packed, the postmaster would definitely find the authentic owner of the letter.