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Lost letter Found


I love old hymns and have been collecting old hymn books for many years.

Recently, I bought a box of old books, including some songbooks, at an auction. Later, when I was going through these treasures at home, I found an old Cokesbury Hymnal. Inside, there was a letter written in pencil on fragile and discolored paper.

The letter is undated, unsigned, no address, or anything that would help me know who wrote it. I would love to return this to family members if I had a clue who they were. I'm attempting to copy it just as it was written.





I know not when my life on this earth will end, but if we are still
living near our Mt. Rainier Church I would ask our choir to sing.

Saved
by Grace.
and also
Beautiful Isle of Somewhere

if any time soon
I would like Rev. Banes assisted by Rev. Nevitt to preach my funeral

Herbert You will find my blue dinner dress in the cabinet in the front
room closet. you may have to have it pressed

My greatest desire as I
leave this earth is that you and my precious boys that we have loved so much may
meet me in heaven if I am so fortunate as to get there through the grace of God
and his shed blood for my sins. I have tried but know I have come far shy and
yet he knows the heart and I am leaving with the assurance that all is well





The letter was officially bought and paid for, but I felt like I was invading someone's privacy by reading it. I wonder if Herbert found the letter and the blue dress. If he did, why isn't it somewhere more important than stuck in a song book? Did she have a terminal disease or maybe just feeling worn out? Did someone love her enough to sing those songs for her service?




It sounds to me that she was worried about being laid to rest in a wrinkled dress, which lets me know that she probably had lived with Herbert long enough to know he wouldn't think about such things, and that he more than likely wouldn't be able to find the dress in the first place.

I'm wondering if her plea for them to meet again in heaven was heeded.


The hymnal was stamped 'Mt. Rainier M.E. Church' and it was published in 1923.



Any thoughts?


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