There’s an art to writing a letter to someone. It takes time and thought – because once you mail that letter, there is no unsend button. It’s a lost art that few do these days. So when a Michigan man opened a dusty old toolbox he had purchased more than 7 years ago, he wasn’t expecting anything inside.
But, instead of an empty box, he found a treasure – a 70-year-old love letter dated 1953. Rick Trojanowski said he bought the old toolbox at a local farm auction in 2017, brought it home and promptly forgot about it. That is, until now.
It’s almost like a true love story. People just don’t write things like that nowadays; it’s almost like poetry,” remarked Trojanowski.
The letter was written by Corporal Irvin G. Fleming to Mary Lee Cribbs. In it, was a story of a love that had been tested by distance and time away from each other. Fleming wrote about the sadness he felt at not having heard from Mary in some time. At the time, he was stationed in California serving in the United States Air Force.
The lost letter. Photo by Fox 17
In the letter, Fleming wrote about a disagreement the two had, and how it had been more than five months since he had heard from her. He apologized and told her how much he cared for her. “Mary, I need you so very much … and I know that I’ll always love you.” Fleming told her that time moved too slowly when he didn’t hear from her. He talked about coming home in seven months and that would be the best day of his life.
He wrapped up the letter asking Mary something he’s asked before — and apparently something she previously agreed to — to marry him once he returned home, telling Mary he loves her with everything he’s got. Trojanowski said that he attempted to try and locate family members of the couple, but hadn’t found anyone.
But, he didn’t have to wait long – Abby Cribbs watched the story on Fox 17 and knew immediately that it was her great-aunt Mary Lee Cribs. “My phone was blowing up (that) night, like, every single aunt, uncle, extended family, their extended, you know, friends and family, reaching out about it. I was super excited and just curious,” she said.
Abby Cribbs looks at a letter that was for her great-aunt Mary. Photo by Fox 17
“Mary Lee was technically my great aunt,” Cribbs said. “So, she was one of seven, and my grandpa was her older brother.” Sadly, Abby never got to meet Mary. She died in 2004 at the age of 73. But Cribbs grew up hearing stories about her great aunt. “Mary was a spitfire, according to my grandpa,” she said.. “She had a lot of love for life and a lot of love for people. She was beautiful.”
Every family member that I spoke to about her said that she was gorgeous.”
Abby said she doesn’t remember hearing about Fleming, so she’s unsure if her aunt had even gotten the letter. But like life does, both Fleming and Mary had gone on to forge new paths for themselves. “She did move on and marry. She did end up moving out to San Jose, California, with her husband,” Cribbs and. “And that’s…where she ended up passing.” Mary never had any children, she said.
Fleming also got married and had children. He died in 2017 at age 87. But so far, there has been no luck in finding his family members. Despite all the time that has passed, Cribbs said the letter is still important. “This is extended family, right? But I’m still feeling emotional reading it,” Abby said. “Even though they did go on to meet other people, I think they still had love for each other because this was deep. This was special. It was very deep.”
