Saturday, November 19, 2005

Lost and found 47 years later...

Strange thing happened today. I went outside to move my car since it was parked in a two hour spot and the neighbor clued me in he saw the dreaded meter maids snooping in the hood.  There was a letter wedged into the top of the driver’s side door.  It was very intentionally left there for me.  I take the letter and look at the address.  It is addressed to someone in Renton, WA and it says Air Mail all over it.  It has the super thin paper like letters from Europe have sometimes.  The name on it is Mrs. H.S. Eastman.


I think to myself, “That’s weird, it must have been on the ground and someone thought it belonged to me.”


Being the overly curious little kitty cat that I am, I could not help but take a look at the letter since it was already opened after all.  I start to skim over it and realize it is a letter to “Grandma” from a woman who is thanking her for watching her kids while they are traveling.  Mentions having dinner with friends in New York, one of whom writes for Life Magazine!  Then she is going over all sorts of day to day family things and then mentions how Thanksgiving went for them.  I went back to the first page and realized it was dated “Nov. 28th” I thought, “Wow, this must have sat in someone’s car for a year!


I then read more and it says, “For Thanksgiving they went on a club tour and went to a place called the Copacabana (a dinner theatre) The Village Barn and The Hawaiian Room of the Lexington Hotel.  She writes, “They were all different and very interesting!”


I start thinking this sounds all too Rat Pack and decide to look at the post mark.  This letter was mailed November 29th 1958!! It was mailed via Air Mail with a 7 cent stamp from NYC!


 


Some interesting facts from the letter:


It was written on stationary from the Hotel Algonquin on 59 West 44th Street, New York 36, NY


Click here for the very interesting hotel history.


 


It mentions two of their friends they are hanging out with; Paul O’Neill apparently a writer for Life Magazine and Chuck Garrett also some kind of writer. (Both of whom I have found online)


 


It was signed by Hazel & Steve.


 


1958 means they missed Martin and Lewis by a couple of years, but after a little google investigation seems Peggy Lee was playing there at the time as well as Tony Bennet!


 


She ended the letter by saying they were on their way to DC next. 


 


 


Now what to do with this very fascinating piece of history?  Why was it stuck in my car?  Was it meant for me? What are the chances that "Grandma" is still alive?

5 comments:

me, myself and I said...

Some freaky shit happens to you.
I know the post can be unreliable, but 47 years! I'm amazed that *anything* I've sent to you has ever arrived.

Michelle Auer said...

Read the history of the hotel. It gets more freaky when you do!

Anonymous said...

Postscript to your blog: Steve and Hazel Eastman were my grandparents..I was just surfing to look up some articles on Steve as he passed away Sunday May 20th at the age of 96. That New York trip sounds about right; they relished air flight, his hobby was restoring airplanes for the Boeing Museum of Flight, and they made sure they were on the inaugural commercial flights of the 707, 727 and 747. As of last month Grandpa was still campaigning for a seat on the first commercial flight of the new 787, and he also got a little press from his 94th birthday skydive out in Redmond a couple of years ago. He knew how to party! Grandma Hazel made it to 92 and passed on a few years ago, now Steve is with her again. Best Wishes, Steph F. Seattle.

Michelle Auer said...

Oh wow! I can't believe someone claimed it finally! I wonder how it ended up in my car? I will look around and see if I still have it, if I do, I shoudl find a way to get it to you since it is a part of your family history after all!

Anonymous said...

You know, that would be fabulous..if you can dig it up and would be able to send it to: Steph F. 7036 Mary Ave NW Seattle, WA 98117.. The letter was written while Hazel & Steve were on the first 707 Transatlantic flight from New York to Paris, so there were alot of luminaries and press mingling around! He was moving in November '05, so I bet he had the letter stashed in his car with boxes and it fell out. Even if you can't find it, it was soooo great to read about it in the blogosphere, crazy!

 

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