Kicker - Letters from the past

PAUL BUTLER, HOST: Anyone who’s moved into an old apartment or home has at one time or other wondered what the previous owners were like. Wishing for a sort of guest book that stays behind to fill us in on some of the history.

Well, a Nebraska couple was renovating a recently purchased home when they discovered that sometimes “these old walls can speak.”

They pulled back the bathroom mirror, and found two letters—both left behind by previous residents decades earlier.

One letter was written more than 25 years ago. The other, more than 50 years ago!

Jodi and Kendal Loseke said they bought the Columbus home with plans to fix it up and flip it.

The first letter was written by an 8-year-old in 1967. It read “I am Sue Marshall. I live here. Whoever finds this letter, good luck.”

The other letter was penned on the same sheet of paper in 1995 by 27-year-old Mike Gokie. He said “I found this letter while remodeling the bathroom. Perhaps you have found it doing the same.”

The Loseke’s were able to track down the writers of both notes and they recently met at the house to swap stories.

Sue Marshall wrote a new letter explaining the history of the home, and all of the notes will be placed back behind a new mirror for future residents.

MYRNA BROWN: That’s one hard guest book to find…

BUTLER: It’s The World and Everything in It.

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