NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It was the 1940s in Nashville.
Getting a handwritten letter was enough to make someone's day. It was even better if that letter was a love letter.
These letters often serve as family artifacts. We're hoping that's the case with some love letters we found between Raymond Whittaker and Jane Dean.
First, let me tell you how we got to this story.
I learned Metro Archives, which is housed within the Nashville Public Library, had about 10,000 unidentifiable photos of Nashville or Middle Tennessee. Meaning, there was little information about them. I went to Metro Archives to work on this story, but the staff presented me with something else.
Sarah Arntz with Metro Archives came back with a few boxes of old letters. She explained these had been found near a fireplace at a home close to what is now Music Row. Most of the letters were dated in 1942 and exchanged between Raymond and Jane.
“He seems a little bit more the romantic than she," Arntz said.
The letters show Raymond was in the U.S. Army and served in Arizona before he transferred to Alabama. Jane worked at Vanderbilt. Based on Arntz's research into the couple, they may have met at Meharry Medical College.
So how did the letters get to Metro Archives?
Most of Raymond's letters were addressed to Jane at 1023 15th Ave. S in Nashville. Based on Arntz's research, it appears Raymond passed away in 1989 and Jane about a decade later. Years later, the new homeowners found the letters tucked away and brought them to Metro Archives about a decade ago to keep them safe, but also to potentially find family members.
“Somebody will find love letters in a fireplace," Arntz said. "They’ll donate them to us if they don’t want to see them maybe get thrown away or they want to see them find a good home.”
We learned plenty about this couple. Raymond dug into what he could about serving in the military. Jane discussed her daily life living in Nashville.
“You know I never really could find like an outright proposal between the two of ‘em with the letters," Arntz said. "It was kind of just almost like they both knew that’s what they wanted?”
You get this by now: it writes almost like a romantic novel. Raymond and Jane expressed their love for one another. They got married in Alabama in 1942. Once Raymond was discharged, the two lived outside of New York City for a bit before relocating to Nashville.
We learn about what it was like for an African American soldier in World War II. In one of the letters, Jane urges Raymond to be careful when he was in Alabama.
You can see more contents of the letters by watching in the player above.
Arntz has written multiple blog posts about her findings in these letters.
“They talked to each other on the phone," she said. "But as opposed to the sort of constant contact we have with relationships these days, them – they didn’t see each other for so long.”
It has been close to a decade since these letters were brought to Metro Archives. We aren't sure if they had children or other distant relatives in the area. As for now, nobody has reached out claiming they were related to the couple.
“So far – no takers of interest but you just never know," Arntz said.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Austin.Pollack@newschannel5.com.
It takes a village! Hats off to the Wilson County Rotary clubs for investing in our kids in such a tangible way. Putting 100,000 books in the hands of little learners is something to celebrate. I love that they store the books in a bank vault — they truly are priceless!
-Carrie Sharp
