A Virginia a woman who found a secret room in her home full of hundreds of old love letters from previous owners has now reunited them with the recipient’s family.
Anna Prilaman, 40, of Henrico County, was stunned when she found a hidden door to a blocked section of the attic while recently doing spring cleaning.
Inside, she came across hundreds of manuscripts addressed to a woman named Betty Sue McGee – some written by a man named Vance Herschel Long, who professes his love for Betty in them.
Excited by the couple’s fascinating love story, Anna was determined to find Betty and Vance – or their descendants – and she set out on a mission.
A Virginia woman who found a secret room in her home full of hundreds of old love letters from previous owners has now reunited them with the recipient’s family.
Anna Prilaman was stunned when she found a hidden door to a blocked section of the ceiling while she was doing a little cleaning recently. Part of the contents of the room is in the photo
Inside, she came across hundreds of manuscripts addressed to a woman named Betty Sue McGee.
Some of them were written by a man named Vance Herschel Long, who professes his love for Betty. Betty and Vance are in the picture together
Eventually, with the help of social media, she was able to contact their grandson and now send him the letters.
A look at Vance’s love letters to Betty
In one of the letters, Vance wrote: “Hello, darling. How is my baby understood?
“When we’re not together, I know the exact words I would use to tell you everything.
“But when we’re together, all I can think of is ‘I love you.’
According to Anna, she hoped to find a “treasure” in the hidden room, but instead found something very special.
“I understand there is a door.” This is not a door that had a key or anything, it was just locked from above, “she recalled to local news. WTVR.
“I’m a baby in the ’80s, so I watched Goonies. As I rummage through the ceiling, I think there may be treasure here, there may be a map, there may be gold coins.
In one of the letters, Vance wrote: “Hello, darling. How is my baby understood? When we are not together, I know the exact words I would use to tell you everything. But when we’re together, all I can think of is “I love you.”
Although Anna admitted that she found it a little “intrusive” to read the letters, which are more than 70 years old, she said she was left to want to know more.
“It really only raises a lot of questions out of curiosity about their love story. Because it sounds good, “she said.
Anna, who was thrilled by the couple’s fascinating love story, was determined to find Betty and Vance (pictured) – or their descendants – and she set out on a mission.
Eventually, with the help of social media, she was able to contact their grandson Dalton Long (pictured) and now send him the letters
Although Anna admitted that she was “intrusive” to read the letters, which are more than 70 years old, she said they left her eager to learn more. Pictured are Betty and Vance
In one of the letters, Vance wrote: “When we are not together, I know the exact words I would use to tell you everything. But when we’re together, all I can think of is “I love you.”
“I think the reason I feel intrusive is that the letter was written only between two people and two people.
Anna (pictured with the letters) went on Facebook to try to find the rightful owners, posting to local community groups and everyone in town getting involved in the story.
“I thought I wasn’t sure I had to be the third party to put my head and eyes on it because it wasn’t meant for me to read.
“But when I looked at those, it became clear.” [they] I had to be in the right hands and I had to figure out how to find it.
She went on Facebook to try to find the rightful owners by posting to local community groups and everyone in town was invested in the story.
“People love history. Wherever I go in the city, people stop me like, “Hey, you wrote this post about the letters, have you found the family yet?” She said.
“I think a lot of people put on Sherlock Holmes hats and got to work.”
After much detective work, Anna came across a man named Dalton, who turned out to be the grandson of Betty and Vance. He is depicted with Betty and Vance as a child
She turned to him and he revealed that Betty and Vance (pictured) – who were lovers from high school – eventually got married and were together for 50 years.
Now Dalton said he was excited to read the letters and “connect on a human level” with people who are “no longer here with us.” Betty and Vance are in the picture
After much detective work, Anna came across a man named Dalton Long, who turned out to be the grandson of Betty and Vance. But unfortunately he lived thousands of miles in Portland, Oregon.
She contacted him via Facebook and he responded quickly and said he would be “happy” to receive the letters.
He revealed that Betty and Vance – who were lovers in high school – eventually got married and were together for 50 years, until they both unfortunately died.
He is now excited to read the letters and “connect on a human level” with people who are “no longer here with us.”
“Adding words to this time in their lives will be amazing. I think it’s so beautiful to connect on a human level with people who are no longer here with us, you know? said Dalton, who grew up in the house Anna now owns.
He added that “adding words to this time in their lives” would be “amazing” that he was so grateful that Anna helped unite him with a small piece of his past.
Anna explained that if she found long-lost love letters from her own grandparents, she would not be able to hold back her tears. “I hope this family is able to do it,” she added
According to Anna, she hoped to find a “treasure” in the hidden room, but instead she found something very special.
“She managed to find something and find the other end. And I think it’s not only exciting for me, but I hope it’s exciting for her to be able to unite me with a little bit of my past.
Anna explained that if she found long-lost love letters from her own grandparents, she would not be able to hold back her tears.
“I know that if I found letters from my grandparents from my mother or father, I would sit there in a pool of tears, reading them and appreciating them. I hope this family will be able to do it, “she added.
“It’s interesting that this story has reached people who are interested in it. So everyone has that in them. Human connection matters. The past matters.
Dalton’s mother recently picked up the letter box and now plans to send it to Dalton soon.