More than 50 WWII letters discovered by Texas family in home

A family from Belton, Texas discovered more than 50 letters from the Second World War last week when they moved into their new home.

Hidden in a wooden shed in the backyard, the letters, dated between 1940 and 1942, were found covered in dust and almost completely faded in a green army tote.

“My first thought was this is really cool. Then my next thought was somebody is probably missing these,” Samantha Pimentel told KCEN, a NBC affiliate.

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "My first thought was this is really cool. Then my next thought was somebody is probably missing these," Samantha Pimentel told <a href="http://www.kcentv.com/news/local/belton-woman-finds-wwii-era-letters-from-local-soldier-killed-in-action/302044291">KCEN</a>, a NBC affiliate.

All the letters were written from, or to, Otha E. Sims, a private first class with the U.S. Army during the war.

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As Pimentel read through the faded letters, some coming from different areas in Texas, others from North Carolina and New York, she could sense that Sims was close to his family.

“I thought that he was definitely loved by his family,” said Pimentel. “They saved all of these letters, and they meant something,” she told KCEN.

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "I thought that he was definitely loved by his family," said Pimentel. "They saved all of these letters, and they meant something," she told KCEN.

In the tote, Pimentel also found Sims’ newspaper obituary. It reads: “KILLED IN ACTION – PFC Otha E. Sims, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.P. Sims of Nolanville, was killed in action in North Africa Sept. 18. He was a member of the former Belton National Guard Company.”

“It is amazing to me that somebody this young to be 20 had to go through that much in his life at such an early age,” Pimentel said. “I am thankful for him.”

Most of the letters were handwritten by Sims to his mother, father and siblings. There were also love letters sent to Sims by a woman named Pearl Brown who wrote that she “fell in love at first sight.”

Pimentel hopes to find Sims’ family members so she can pass along the memories.

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“This was part of history,” she said. “I’m hoping to get these to a family member that will appreciate and cherish their background so they can go through the letters and stories and share them with generation after generation,” she told KCEN.

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "This was part of history," she said. "I'm hoping to get these to a family member that will appreciate and cherish their background so they can go through the letters and stories and share them with generation after generation," she told KCEN.