'I had no idea that they even existed': Family reunites with 80-year-old letters hidden in Winnipeg home
The family of a soldier who fought during the Second World War has been reunited with letters written to him 80 years ago.
More than 20 letters were penned to John Buechler in the mid-1940s. At the time, Buechler was stationed at HMCS Cornwallis in Nova Scotia and was serving in the Royal Canadian Navy.
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Winnipeg newsletters
The letters were discovered in the walls of a Winnipeg home last summer when the homeowner, George Arcioni, was renovating his kitchen.
The find prompted his daughter Joelle to piece the past together with the present. She reached out to CTV News earlier this month in hopes of connecting with members of Buechler’s family.
“One lady in particular, named Allison, who is a genealogy enthusiast, she actually did a lot of digging into the family and found some names for me,” said Joelle. “So then I was able to look up the names and I was able to contact Bob.”
Bob Buechler turned out to be John’s son.
“I had no idea that they even existed,” Bob said about the letters.
“I said, ‘C’mon, are you serious?’ And he said, ‘Yeah I’m serious,’” said Kim Van Buren, John Buechler’s youngest daughter.
“It just brought back so many memories,” Bob echoed.
Buechler got married and had three children. He died after suffering from a heart attack when he was 40 years old.
“He was a loving father,” said Sue Buechler, Bob’s wife. “I mean, he had those pictures of him with all of the kids at some point or another.”
Bob said he didn’t realize his father kept the letters written to him during the war, and didn’t know why they were stashed in the wall.
“I’m sure he probably just forgot, I’m sure he wouldn’t have left them,” he said.
Now that the letters have been found and passed on to the family, Bob and Kim said they plan on giving them a new home in an archive or historical society.
“I mean, they’re begging to be preserved if they’ve lasted this long,” Bob said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Labour minister says Canada Post workers could soon be forced back to work
Canada Post workers began their strike four weeks ago, halting mail and package deliveries across the country. MacKinnon said he hopes work will resume as early as next week.
The biggest changes to Canada's mortgage rules, according to a broker
Canada's new federal mortgage rules are coming into effect Sunday. A broker says this is what would-be buyers need to know.
Top musician forced to cancel Toronto concert after Air Canada refused to give his priceless cello a seat on plane
Famed British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who became a household name after performing at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, has said he had to cancel a concert in Canada after the country’s largest airline denied his pre-booked seat for his cello.
Upcoming GST relief causes confusion for some small Canadian businesses
A tax break for the holiday season will start this weekend, giving some Canadians relief on year-end shopping. But for small businesses, confusion around what applies for GST relief has emerged.
Teen facing child porn charges after sending ex-boyfriend's photos to his parents
A teenager in Guelph is facing child pornography charges after sending nude photos of her ex-boyfriend to his parents.
B.C. Supreme Court certifies class-action lawsuit against Airbnb
The B.C. Supreme Court has certified a class-action lawsuit against Airbnb that alleges the short-term rental company has breached provincial consumer protection laws by offering unlicensed real estate brokerage and travel agent services.
Frank Stronach chooses jury trial in Toronto sexual assault case
Billionaire businessman Frank Stronach, who faces multiple sex assault charges, is opting for a preliminary inquiry and a jury trial in his Toronto case.
BREAKING Man charged with manslaughter in death of missing Cape Breton man
A man has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the disappearance and homicide of a man in Cape Breton this past summer.
Ontario mulls U.S. booze ban as Trump brushes off Ford's threat to cut electricity
Incoming U.S. president Donald Trump is brushing off Ontario's threat to restrict electricity exports in retaliation for sweeping tariffs on Canadian goods, as the province floats the idea of effectively barring sales of American alcohol.