“Lost love letters— found at last!”
While helping a friend renovate an old house, Dario Trampus rescued some letters that had been found in the rubble and discovered the 80-year- old love story of Len and Mim Martin. Realizing the treasure that he possessed, Dario launched a quest to return them to the mystery couple’s family…and 13 years later, he finally succeeded
The crash of the sledgehammer stopped abruptly. “There’s something stuck in here!” the construction foreman called, reaching through the rubble of a partially demolished wall in the home he was renovating. “Oh, just some old papers,” he said, dismissively tossing them in the dumpster.
Curious, Dario Trampus, who had been helping with the project, grabbed what turned out to be a stack of envelopes from the trash.
These are personal letters, he realized, noticing they’d been addressed to a man named Len Martin in elegant script. And seeing the 1939 postmark, the Port Moody, British Columbia, history buff ’s interest was further piqued as he stowed the letters in his car.
That evening, Dario spread the letters out on his kitchen table. Choosing one, he carefully slid the letter from the envelope and began reading.
Seems like a miracle the way you appeared…i thought there was nothing left in life for me, then you wrote to me out of a clear blue sky, a woman named Mim had written to a man named Len. Love is a wondrous thing, a genuine gift. It stimulates us, revives us and makes us think that life is worth living.
Sounds straight out of an old movie, Dario thought. And as he read through more letters, he realized he was holding the precious story of a blossoming romance in his hands. Suddenly, something stirred deep inside him. I need to return these, Dario thought.
A heartfelt mission
Scouring the letters for clues, he learned Mim was short for Miriam, a secretary at a hatchery from Edmonton, Alberta. Len had been an X-ray technician who’d been doing wartime work at Vancouver’s Victor X-ray. But a Google search using the information yielded no hits.
Not sure where else to turn, Dario tucked the letters away. But he never forgot about them. Every few years, he’d take them out and try searching again without any luck. But last year, when he came across them while doing spring cleaning, Dario felt a pang of sadness as he realized Mim and Len had likely passed away. But if they married and had a family, their children would probably love to have the letters, he thought.
I know I would if they were my mom and dad.
So he got back on his computer, but instead of Google, he turned to Facebook for help.
Here’s what I know, Dario posted on his page, explaining how he’d found the letters. Please share this post— maybe someone knows someone who can help.
A friend suggested he also post on another Facebook page: Nostalgic/ Sentimental Vancouver, where people share old photos and stories— and it proved to be the key to unlocking the mystery.
He learned Mim and Len had indeed married and had two children. Unfortunately, the couple had passed away, but after a series of tips, Dario was amazed to find himself dialing the phone number of Jeanne Pennell, Mim and Len’s daughter— on, of all days, Father’s Day.
Jeanne had just sat down to a family dinner and almost didn’t answer. But something told her to go pick up the phone.
“I’ve been looking for you for 13 years!” Dario said. “I think I have your parents’ love letters.”
Is this some kind of scam? Jeanne wondered.
But then Dario texted her a picture of the letters, and Jeanne’s heart clenched.
“That’s my mom’s handwriting!” she sighed wistfully.
“Their love has never died, and now, it’s an inspiration to people all over the world!”
Back where they belong
Just days later, Jeanne made the trip from her home in Abbotsford to meet Dario.
“It’s just breathtaking,” she whispered as she read her mother’s passionate words.
“I never knew this side of them…that they were so romantic.”
Jeanne was able to fill in some of her parents’ story for Dario, telling him that they had met casually as teens. Years passed and after a four-year engagement, her mom had suffered a heart-shattering breakup. To get her mind off of it, she went on a vacation with a friend to Vancouver and ran into Len. “Mom said he swept her off her feet.”
They were married in 1940 and had two children, Jeanne and her late brother, Douglas. Her dad had been a successful businessman, and her mom was an accomplished pianist.
“They had a good life, and I just know they’re looking down on this. I’m so grateful!” Jeanne told Dario. “I’m just glad the letters are back where they belong,” he said.
Today, Jeanne still marvels at how— and when—the letters found their way to her.
“We’re going through dark times with COVID with people not able to see their families, but this shows love is powerful and conquers all,” shares Jeanne. “My parents’ love has never died, and now it’s an inspiration to people all over the world. Mom was right: Love is a genuine gift!”