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A letter arriving 73 years later brings back old memories for a Knightstown woman

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Posted at 11:49 AM, Jun 09, 2022
and last updated 2022-06-10 11:15:46-04

KNIGHTSTOWN — A letter lost in time, arriving 73 years late.

“I didn't remember that they had zip codes back then but they did,” Carol Renfro of Knightstown said.

Renfro said she was 7 and her brother Denney was 10 when they were visiting their aunt and uncle in Ohio. Her brother had decided to write home to their mom.

Carol Renfro reads letter

The letter never made it to Farmland in 1949 but it did in 2022.

Renfro said she believes her brother is trying to give her a shot at stardom.

“It was sealed when I got it, look at that 73-year-old,” Renfro said.

A letter from her brother was sent home to their mom in June of 1949.

“I would love to have teased him, but it was 10 years old,” Renfro said.

The letter is filled with misspellings, run-on sentences, and lacks punctuation.

“Mom was an English teacher and I know she would have gotten that kick out of it,” Renfro said.

Renfro’s brother Denney died in 2000, she said she thinks he’s trying to reach out to her now.

“He probably said, you got a chance to be a celebrity don't screw it up,” Renfro said.

Renfro said that even though the letter was meant for their mother 73 years ago, it made her day and is now making her a celebrity.

“It really made my day, that day it was just fun. I kind of like talking from above or something you know,” Renfro said.

Renfro is planning on mailing the letter to her brother’s son so he can have the keepsake from his dad.