Fantastic find in my late father in law's possessions

[Margaret in Burton]

My father in law died last week and we have been going through his paperwork, also checking drawers and cupboards etc. He was a heck of a hoarder, rates bills from the 1950's and 60's etc. Daughters were sorting out the dresser drawers and just dumped it all in a suitcase.
Sorted it this afternoon and what was in it???



Only his army pay book, all the dates where he served, innoculations etc. Even down to his train ticket home when he was demobbed.

I'm over the moon. I've only glanced at it so far. His medals were in the same drawer and he always told me he thought he had left them at his parents house as he couldn't find them.



If you're looking down at me Ron.......................thank you.XXXXX

[Tilly Mint]

O WOW.......its no wonder you're over the moon, Marg - Cracking find!!

[borobabs]

Oh Marg what a brilliant find good on Ron keeping them safe even if he didnt know where they where ;;

[Stella]

Thrilled for you Marg - what a find!

[Kit]

That's brilliant.

I'd say he knew where they were but didn't want them found, yet.

Although my Dad threw out my Grandad's war medals and another medal, I have yet to look into properly. Grandad had replacement medals (I'm guessing he forgot where the originals were) and Dad has those. I found the originals in a bag of rubbish.

[Jackie H]

My mother in law passed away on Saturday and OH and I have been doing a similar thing. I'm exhausted! Although there's no rush to clear her possessions, she was a hoarder as well and everything is so disorganised. We're having to look through everything because in the middle of a pile of 20 year old magazines, for example, we might find a really important document.

I've found tax statements from 1952, birth congrats cards for each of her children (now aged between 45 and 58) and even the original receipts for the catering at her wedding and her wedding dress and veil.

I've a feeling we haven't scratched the surface yet.

I'm pretty organised most of the time but when all this is sorted I'm going to have a clear out at home

[Kit]

Jackie sorry to hear about your MIL.

Do take care. My grandad had things all over the house. Photos in every room, books, between papers, information on his time in the army was in the bottom of an otherwisse empty set of drawers.

I had an idea where things were though as I had searched the house, before he died, from top to bottom trying to find something he had told Dad to find. I never did find that thing though.

Luckily I did search as Dad had no concept of sorting out a house and would have thrown out everything, except my precious suitcase full of documents, if I had not been there. He even threw out a silver jug which I had put aside but I didn't realise until after the rubbish had been taken to the tip.

[Jackie H]

Thanks Toni

What a shame about the jug.

We're being as methodical as we can be but because MIL was quite secretive about some things we don't know what we're looking for most of the time. If you know that, say, they banked at a certain place, you know to look for those documents. If you don't know where they banked or how many bank accounts there are its so much harder.

Its quite overwhelming really the amount of stuff there is to go through. My 16 year old son has taken it upon himself to itemise all her jewellery because she left a 3 page list of what pieces her daughter should have and we need to identify them all. Even that is all over the place. We're up to item 78 and that's probably half of what we've found. Its given him something constructive to do and is helping him to come to terms with things.

Margaret - great news about your FIL's medals etc. Its nice that there is someone who'll appreciate them and what they stood for.

[Kit]

Jacky I started writing things down as I went through the papers. Bank accts with X,Z etc, internet with Co., pension number was 123. I couldn't do anything officially but it helped Dad.

I'm not too worried about the jug. I got lots of photos and family history stuff and other things that are valuable, sentimentally, to me. I can't complain.

[Margaret in Burton]

Jackie

Sorry to hear about your mil. Look in everything, especially pockets of clothing.

FIL was very methodical about his essential papers, it's just everything else. It looks like he'd open the post, always slit open with a knife, file the letter or whatever in the right place but then kept the empty envelope in a drawer, cupboard or what ever.
It's the old stuff. They moved into their present house in 1967. They'd had the house for a year as MIL really didn't want to move but they needed to as my OH's secondary school was too far away from original house.

It looks like they tipped everything from the old house into a box when they moved and just emptied it into a piece of furniture in the new house. Never to be looked at again. Never heard of the word de-clutter.

All looked through at least once now though. Just mine and my elder daughters house cluttered now. :eek::eek:

[GenieDi]

When my Nan died almost 4 years ago, age 95, she had been in a home for about 10 years. When her room was cleared, apparently, there was only a photo of her sister.

When I started my research I had to start from scratch with certs, there was nothing. She was divorced in the 1940's, there were two marriages, all that history, yet nothing remained. So sad.

[Merry]

When OH's nan went into a home, aged 96, his brother and father sorted out her possessions and threw out everything. OH is left with a few photos (the only ones she hadn't labeled!) which hadn't reached the albums. All the albums went in the bin, plus hair brushes made by OH's gg-grandfather and probably quite a lot of other things. OH had asked them to save this and that, but they 'forgot'!

The moral of this story must be, don't trust anyone else to look through someone elses possessions unless you don't want to keep anything!

[Mandy in Wiltshire]

That's a fabulous find, Marg, and I hope it's given you a bit of cheer at this sad time.

Jackie, my condolences on your loss too x

[Sue from Southend]

So sorry to hear of your losses Marg and Jackie. I too, went through the same process last year. And I wonder now if I ever asked my Mum the right questions about her family history! She knew I was researching it and was quite interested in what I found but she never told me that she had the original marriage certificate for her Great Grandmother's second marriage from 1870 (and I thought I'd been really clever working that one out! lol) or that she had letters from cousin dated 1914 about his fathers Will which gave me all sorts of clues and let's not forget the 500 postcards dated 1905 - 1930 all to/from family members!
Perhaps as well as asking what our relatives remember we should ask what bits of paper they might have squirrelled away and then we could ask about them while we still have the chance! I know my Mum would have loved going over all these bits and pices and it would have jogged her memory for more info too but she obviously didn't realise how useful it all was.

[Jill]

It's always a bittersweet experience sorting things out after someone dies but glad to hear you have found some things to treasure.

[Nell]

It was interesting when my parents-in-law died as they were hoarders. Lots of photos, fil's flying record from the RAF, etc. The only things I didn't find - which says a lot about family secrets - were info about his first marriage and divorce and the birth and death certs for their first baby.

[Kit]

The moral of this story must be, don't trust anyone else to look through someone elses possessions unless you don't want to keep anything!

That is so true.

[Rosie Knees]

What a lovely find to be able to treasure Marg.

Jackie, so sorry for your loss.

Going through a loved ones 'stuff' is so hard. But I found it harder while dad was still alive and in the hospice because I felt I was rummaging through his privacy. Once he died I knew it HAD to be done. I found one or two sentimental things to keep, also some little bits of my mum's too which are precious to me. Thankfully dad had nothing of monetary value so there was no risk of getting rid of anything valuable.

I now feel, like someone said, that MY house is full of clutter that I have taken from dad's place. Some stuff no doubt will get chucked some time soon. I do think I need to declutter MY stuff though, and have thought so for some time! If I pop off tomorrow, OH will have to go through it all.

[Kit]

But I found it harder while dad was still alive and in the hospice because I felt I was rummaging through his privacy.

It's awful, isn't it. I had to do it twice. Once looking for a "red folder" and then doing it all again when it became obvious there was no red folder so I had to try to find the supposed contents, which meant looking everywhere and reading everything.

What I did that felt worse though was take some things when I left, before he had died. He had no intention of ever going home and there were too many people with keys to the house. I knew I'd have to return them should he have recovered but they were easy to pocket and were in a place that seemed like he valued them.

Little did I know the things he valued most he took to the hospital ie my great grandma's wedding ring, small portraits of what I'm guessing were my 2g grandparents. I would have told the hospital to toss that bag. Luckily Dad was given it. lol

If I pop off tomorrow, OH will have to go through it all.

That would save you the worry of having to sort things.:rolleyes:

[Jackie H]

Apologies Margaret for hi-jacking your thread, but could I just thank those who sent their condolences. Its much appreciated