Deleted
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May 18, 2024 11:04:40 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2014 5:32:29 GMT
Years ago my father found a box in an attic of a house he was doing electrical work on. The house was empty and being sold, and the current owners had no idea whose it could be or where it came from.
It was a dress pattern box full of old letters. I was visiting at the time, and after going through them I asked if I could have them.
It is a collection of personal letters, love letters, university acceptances, Christmas cards, etc of a woman named Alice Marsh, all from the 20s and 30s. I even have her social security card!
I did call the SS headquarters and got a sympathetic woman who told me, even though she wasn't supposed to, that the number isn't in their database as ever being used. No money in, no withdrawals later.
Now that the Internet is strong, I try to search for her every now and then. As much as I love and treasure this box, if she had children who would be thrilled to have them, I'd pass them on.
But what if she hid them in the attic? What if she never married the love letter man, but someone else instead and never got the teaching job she was training for? These all were written right before and during the Great Depression, though she doesn't mention it.
What I do know is that she was smart and witty, and her love interest was, too. She had a nice group of friends and they went through school, work, and marriages. I love Alice, and I kind of hope I never find her family.
But if anyone has a relative or knows an Alice Marsh who went to the University of Wisconsin for some internship type study, and who worked at (or was a patient at!) the tuberculosis sanitarium in Orlando, well.....
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Post by shanni on Jul 6, 2014 5:36:08 GMT
Wow- how cool is that? I love that you have kept them and are trying to locate her family. I wouldn't worry too much about the what-ifs of how her life turned out. At this point it's ancient history. I imagine any family member would be thrilled to have those letters, even if they revealed a few skeletons about grandma! Good luck on your search!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 18, 2024 11:04:40 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2014 5:40:19 GMT
How cool is that?! Wow. What an interesting find. It would be cool to find her family and be able to give them these treasures.
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Post by **Angie** on Jul 6, 2014 5:44:35 GMT
You should turn the letters into a book. It would be so neat to read and more likely to reach people. Or start a trail on Facebook.....
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smginaz Suzy
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Je suis desole.
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Jun 26, 2014 17:27:30 GMT
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Post by smginaz Suzy on Jul 6, 2014 5:45:43 GMT
That totally sounds like the beginning of a really interesting book! You should document your story of the search as you search.
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Mary Kay Lady
Pearl Clutcher
PeaNut 367,913 Refupea number 1,638
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Post by Mary Kay Lady on Jul 6, 2014 6:04:09 GMT
I agree, it would make for an interesting book. Do you have aspirations of being an author? It would be fun if you could find someone in her family so you could give them the letters.
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Post by FrozenPea on Jul 6, 2014 6:07:28 GMT
Post over on the fb page for ancestry.com or the genealogy fb page. You might find the family.
Can you tell us about when she was born? Anything else? Date of letters? I will do some searching.
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pixelated
Junior Member
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Post by pixelated on Jul 6, 2014 6:08:57 GMT
Would the University of Wisconsin help you?
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anniebygaslight
Drama Llama
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Location: Third Rock from the sun.
Jun 28, 2014 14:08:19 GMT
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Post by anniebygaslight on Jul 6, 2014 6:11:13 GMT
Wow. I love a mystery. What a fabulous resource. Start writing that book!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 18, 2024 11:04:40 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2014 6:11:51 GMT
Would the University of Wisconsin help you? I looked up all their alumni; she is not listed. I don't think she took classes, exactly. It was more like an internship. Maybe that's why she obtained the SS card, and maybe she never made it there. I suppose if I made a copy of their letterhead response to her they might! By the way, all professional correspondence was of course created with a typewriter and is so fun to look at. There's a Western Union telegram, too. |
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Post by psoccer on Jul 6, 2014 6:13:51 GMT
Could you work backwards. Maybe look for the person who wrote the letters. Best of luck!
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Post by FrozenPea on Jul 6, 2014 6:13:56 GMT
Can you tell us about when she was born? Anything else? Date of letters? Where in Wisconsin? I will do some searching.
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chendra
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Jun 27, 2014 16:58:50 GMT
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Post by chendra on Jul 6, 2014 6:16:02 GMT
Wouldn't it be wonderful to figure out her story? I have no suggestions, but good luck!
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Post by Linda on Jul 6, 2014 6:23:34 GMT
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Post by myboysnme on Jul 6, 2014 12:13:24 GMT
You are amazing! I hope this helps the OP find her family. |
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Post by I-95 on Jul 6, 2014 12:33:02 GMT
I have a whole box full of letters and documents like that too, except I bought it on eBay years ago. If I recall correctly the guy selling them had found them in the attic of a house he was renovating. He apparently had no romantic notions about them so he sold them to the highest bidder. They are a totally fascinating read of a huge chnck of this couple's lives. I feel like a voyeur every time I look at them.
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MizIndependent
Drama Llama
Quit your bullpoop.
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Jun 25, 2014 19:43:16 GMT
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Post by MizIndependent on Jul 6, 2014 13:12:20 GMT
Post over on the fb page for ancestry.com or the genealogy fb page. You might find the family. Can you tell us about when she was born? Anything else? Date of letters? I will do some searching. Reddit is also famous for their detective work...take some pics and post a plea there as well.  |
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purplebee
Drama Llama
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Post by purplebee on Jul 6, 2014 13:26:51 GMT
I always feel so sad when I come across old photo albums or family pictures at flea markets. Hope you find a connection to your letters.
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Post by snappinsami on Jul 6, 2014 17:39:50 GMT
How cool! I love things like that. I hope the links Linda found help in your search! I *just* finished a book with this kind of a premise. It was called One Lavender Ribbon, by Heather Burch. It was REALLY good! |
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Post by 1lear on Jul 6, 2014 17:47:47 GMT
Wow, how neat. I hope you have luck in finding out what happened to her-if you do, please be sure to update us!
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Post by rst on Jul 6, 2014 18:11:15 GMT
Have you checked death records? If she had TB, it's possible she didn't live long enough to use her SS card or leave much of a trace.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 18, 2024 11:04:40 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2014 18:18:35 GMT
How cool! I love things like that. I hope the links Linda found help in your search! I *just* finished a book with this kind of a premise. It was called One Lavender Ribbon, by Heather Burch. It was REALLY good! I just read this book, too! Kindle First program? |
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agent99
New Member
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Post by agent99 on Jul 6, 2014 18:45:29 GMT
This link from the University of Wisconsin shows she married a Dr. Lawrence Kingsbury from the Orlando TB sanitarium. It looks as though he graduated in 1932 and she in 1928. The alumni newsletter is dated 1938. digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/UW/UW-idx?type=div&did=UW.v40i1.i0014&isize=text 1928 Alice MARSH, Orlando, Fla., to Dr. 1932 Lawrence H. KINGSBURY, Orlando, in June. Dr. Kingsbury is chief resident physician at Woodsmere, the state tuber- culosis sanatorium, at Orlando. I love stuff like this! I just wish it were as easy researching my own family. |
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~Susan~
Pearl Clutcher
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Jul 6, 2014 17:25:32 GMT
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Post by ~Susan~ on Jul 6, 2014 19:19:20 GMT
What a great find! I hope you have lots of luck in your search.
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donnatk
Junior Member
Saturday night!
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Location: New Hampshire
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Post by donnatk on Jul 6, 2014 20:53:11 GMT
 How cool. I hope the information that has shown up in these threads help you find her family!
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Post by gillyp on Jul 6, 2014 20:57:00 GMT
I would be giddy with excitement if someone presented me with a box of letters that an ancestor had written. Good luck with your search.
There is a page on FaceBook started by a girl in Australia who has a photo album of people from Italy taken around WWII. She wanted to trace the descendants and by posting online, contacting newspapers etc. she has, iirc, tracked down people who know who the photos were of and she is now very close to reuniting the album with the descendants. I love that she cared enough to do this for them and that we have the technology that makes this sort of thing possible in a relatively short space of time.
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Post by my2apps2 on Jul 6, 2014 20:59:51 GMT
I just love things like this! Looks like some great detective work has been done by the peas already...keep us posted!
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Post by peasapie on Jul 6, 2014 21:06:26 GMT
That's so interesting. I hope you are able to find something -- and I hope you'll come back and share with us. My imagination is whirring with possibilities.
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Post by junebugz on Jul 6, 2014 21:12:43 GMT
I love things like this! I hope your search is successful.
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Post by snappinsami on Jul 6, 2014 21:18:58 GMT
How cool! I love things like that. I hope the links Linda found help in your search! I *just* finished a book with this kind of a premise. It was called One Lavender Ribbon, by Heather Burch. It was REALLY good! I just read this book, too! Kindle First program? Yep! First time I'd done it! |
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How cool. I hope the information that has shown up in these threads help you find her family!
