A Treasure Hunt

I do well with order. I like to keep a tidy house, with a place for everything and everything in its place. However, right now I am living in the “messy middle” as my friend calls it, because I am charged with going through many boxes of my late aunt’s possessions. “I’m going on a treasure hunt,” of sorts.

My aunt Ag & Florence – in 1984 I believe. Most photos lack dates and identification!

My aunt died is 2004, but her long-time friend and housemate lived in the house they owned together since 1968. The house was passed on to Florence when Auntie Ag died. Florence lived another 16 years in that house (after Ag’s death), and Florence died in their home at age 99.

So it was up to Florence’s family to clear out, and clean up, the house. They carefully put all the items that belonged to Aggie in boxes to be given to our family. I was chosen as the point person, so over a dozen hefty boxes were delivered last week, to my doorstep. Each individual box to be sorted, organized, and then distributed.

My house is a mess! I have tablecloths and linens on the dining room table…my grandma’s wedding dress hanging in the office,

My grandmother’s wedding dress.

my kitchen table and counter tops full of old photos, another room with a table set up and all kinds of Norwegian folk art and other miscellaneous items on top of it.  There is a large box of jewelry, and another large box of pictures off the walls, a box of books and a box of Christmas plates…and more boxes in the garage…

So for now, I am going through her stuff, one box at a time, and setting it out for her niece and nephews (my cousins) to pick out what they want from the collections. In my effort to declutter my own things I’m in the mindset to not keep much. I hope I don’t regret it but I think a few mementos, and some photos, will suffice.

A box and its lid full of jewelry.

That being said, I did succeed in finding a most valuable treasure within the boxes. I opened up an inconspicuous, old, Fanny Farmer candy box and discovered it was full of hand-written letters, from my father to his mother and father, and sister and brothers.

The “treasure chest”.

My father sent these letters back home from the army during WWII. I did not know the letters existed, all dated 1942 or 1943. I’ve been reading each one and learning a bit about this man, my father, who died at a young age (55 years old). I was 20.

I enjoyed that some letters were tied up with ribbon.

These letters are precious. They will be kept, read and reread, and cherished.

I set out on a treasure hunt, and found a fortune.

12 thoughts on “A Treasure Hunt”

  1. Oh, my, this is an overwhelming amount of “stuff” to sort through and decide what to do with.

    I agree that those letters written by your father are an absolute treasure. They mean more than anything material. What a blessing I expect these are to you.

  2. Wow Valerie😅 you have quite a job there. I could see some norwegian patterns on some table cloths on your dinnet table🇳🇴 I guess Ag had a few norwegian souvenirs that she bought on her trips to Norway🇳🇴 She had a heart for Norway and her relatives here❤️
    So special for you to find those letters your dad had written❤️ Bring back memories too🥰

    1. Yes, lots of Norwegian souvenirs…I kept a couple of the Hardanger table doilies. 😉
      I do have my own souvenirs…and will collect more…hopefully next summer!!!

      The letters were an extra-special gift, for sure.

      1. The Photo of Ag and Florence is taken outside the house at Kaldestad😁
        We shore hope to see you next summer🥰

        1. I knew the photo was taken in Norway!
          I hope we can get a photo in the same place this summer! 😉

      2. I remember when they visited Norway that year, Lisa was 6 months and they brought her a very cute dress from America🥰🥰

  3. You are such a gift to your family to do all that sorting!!
    I love the letters from your Dad to his parents! What a treasure and a blessing to you ❤️

    1. Thanks Mary Jane.
      I liked reading the letters – it was nice to feel the love he had for his parents.

  4. What a treasure trove. Just looking at everything that was in your aunt’s life and probably treasured by her. What an unexpected surprise it must have been to find your dad’s letters – a true blessing indeed! I’m sure it must be overwhelming for you to have everything of your aunt’s possessions in many places in your home. Hopefully your cousins will come relatively soon so you can return to your organization.

    1. It’s a good reminder…that even though it may not be thing’s I want, these items were important to my aunt at some point in her life!

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