Family to be Reunited with Kalamazoo Couple’s WW II Love Letter

Perhaps the only thing better than a love story is a happy ending.

Get our free mobile app

Earlier this week a woman who discovered a Kalamazoo area couple's love letter set out to find the couple's family. The letter was written in 1944 during World War II while the soldier, Richard Shafer, was away and before the couple was married.

Shawn said she was shopping at an Indiana antique store when she came across an old tin of recipes. She bought the tin for the recipes only to discover the lost love letter inside. She knew right away that the letter needed to be returned to the couple's family.

The letter documents when the relationship took a step toward marriage. The couple indeed married not long after the letter was sent. Through research, I discovered Richard was a graduate of Galesburg Schools and worked for Gibson Guitars for many years after returning from the war.

Richard was proceeded in death by his beloved Maxine. He passed away several years ago but his obituary noted he was survived by his two sons, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

In less than 24-hours after the original article was published, Richard and Maxine's family members were located.

Shawn spoke with one of the couple's grandchildren, Marcy, who was incredibly excited to be able to get the sweet memento back. Marcy said she had no idea how the tin and its contents made their way to Indiana but that the couple's home was close to an antique store in Galesburg. She also said that she and her spouse moved a few years back and that another relative was moving at the same time and that perhaps the letter got lost in the mix.

Shawn and Marcy are now in contact and plans to reunite the letter to the family of Richard and Maxine.

The original article misidentified the finder, Shawn, as a man. The article has since been corrected.

Having trouble feeling the love? This little shack might be just the place to get away...