KYMCCREA-L Archives

From: Margy Miles <>
Subject: [McCr] SPRADLIN LETTER -- 40 YEARS LATER
Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2000 12:08:49 -0500

The following appeared in the June 20, 2000 edition of the McCreary County
Record. I thought it very interesting and thought you all might agree.
__________________________________________________________________________

"Hello Darling!"
The words brought tears to many eyes as a letter, lost for nearly 40 years,
was delivered to remaining family members last week.

Richard "Eugene" Spradlin of Strunk wa a patient in the Louisville Veterans
Hospital in 1960 when he wrote a letter to his wife Della Mae. Della was
then a patient in a hospital in Danville, Ky. Eugene dropped the letter
with 4 cents in postage stamps in the mail chute on the 3rd floor of the
hospital where it remained for nearly 40 years until recent remodeling of
the hospital discovered the letter hung in the chute.

Judy Franklin, US Postal Service representative for the Veterans
Administration, spent several days and made numerous phone calls trying to
locate Eugene, Della or any family member. The search was made more
difficult since the letter was addressed to Danville -- not Strunk, Ky.

Eventually, Franklin discovered that several Spradlins live in McCreary
County and a couple of calls to postmasters here in McCreary County located
the family.

Eugene, born April 8, 1925, was a World War II veteran of the Army Air
Corps. The son of Henry and Matilda Stephens Spradlin, Eugene died May 22,
1977, at the Lexington Veterans Administration Hospital. He was just 52.
Della Mae later died at age 45 on September 13, 1980. Both are buried in
the Upper Cal Hill Cemetery. A son, Gary, still resides in McCreary County.

The Post Office delivered the letter on Thursday, June 8, to Eugene's
brother, Hobert Spradlin in Strunk.

The stained, yellowed letter, was opened by a nephew, Herman Roberts, who
read the faded penciled letter that had been dropped in the mail chute on
September 19, 1960. Roberts stated that his Uncle Eugene was the main
reason he had joined the Army as a young man.

The letter expressed concern over his wife's health and other family
issues. Eugene told his wife how his brother, Hobert, and others had come
to visit.

The letter closed with the words, "Stay sweet. All my love, Gene."

Franklin stated that this letter was one of 3 found stuck in the mail chute
in the Louisville Veterans Administration Hospital which is undergoing
renovation. Currently, work is limited to the third floor where this letter
was found. It is anticipated that other letters may be found as renovations
progress to the other two floors.

"Delivering this letter was a pleasure," stated Franklin. "I always worry
that the letter might be bad news until it is opened."

(END, Paula Vann, Record Staff Writer) The article is accompanied by a
photograph of Richard Eugene Spradlin with 2 neighborhood girls, Jeanette
Stephens and Lorene Murphy, while home on leave from the Army.
Margy

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• [McCr] SPRADLIN LETTER -- 40 YEARS LATER by Margy Miles <>