April 30, 2015 By Guest Blogger
During one of the many college vacations that I spent at my Grandma Vesa’s house, I walked into her office to find her sitting on the floor with an old faded box on her lap. She was sifting through several piles of old letters.
I asked her about what kind of letters they were. She smiled gently and told me they were letters that my Grandpa Matt had written to her while they were courting. Of course, I was immediately fascinated. I asked if I could read them. Even better, I wondered, could I take the letters and scan . . .
During one of the many college vacations that I spent at my Grandma Vesa’s house, I walked into her office to find her sitting on the floor with an old faded box on her lap. She was sifting through several piles of old letters.
I asked her about what kind of letters they were. She smiled gently and told me they were letters that my Grandpa Matt had written to her while they were courting. Of course, I was immediately fascinated. I asked if I could read them. Even better, I wondered, could I take the letters and scan . . .
them and create a book? At first Grandma was hesitant. She didn’t think anyone would want to read them. I assured her that her family would love to have them.
Slowly but surely, I have scanned all the letters and put them in chronological order. These letters tell a story--of faith, of hard work, of determination, and of love. Grandpa and Grandma had the courage to pursue their goal of a great marriage and having a family, even amid the uncertainty of army life.
Sixty-one years after Grandpa and Grandma’s courtship, I noticed many parallels between their dating experiences and my own. Courtship is filled with mostly excitement, a little nervousness, some intimidation, and a great deal of hope. Especially reading Grandpa Matt’s letters to Vesa, and his discussion of many details related to their marriage, reassured me that every couple goes through a process when deciding to marry. Grandpa and Grandma’s example proves that a marriage founded on good solid principles will not only endure, but will bless the lives of that couple’s posterity for years to come.
Slowly but surely, I have scanned all the letters and put them in chronological order. These letters tell a story--of faith, of hard work, of determination, and of love. Grandpa and Grandma had the courage to pursue their goal of a great marriage and having a family, even amid the uncertainty of army life.
Sixty-one years after Grandpa and Grandma’s courtship, I noticed many parallels between their dating experiences and my own. Courtship is filled with mostly excitement, a little nervousness, some intimidation, and a great deal of hope. Especially reading Grandpa Matt’s letters to Vesa, and his discussion of many details related to their marriage, reassured me that every couple goes through a process when deciding to marry. Grandpa and Grandma’s example proves that a marriage founded on good solid principles will not only endure, but will bless the lives of that couple’s posterity for years to come.
Meredith Cozzens So, as a granddaughter of Matt and Vesa Cozzens, I am grateful for them and for their goodness. I am grateful for their commitment to living a life of good principles. I am grateful to have these letters and to be able to preserve them so that our extended family might enjoy them.
I scanned a lot of these letters at home. My friend Courtney told me I could go to the Family History Library near my home and use the scanners there, so I did! It took me about 5-6 hours using those amazing Kodak scanners. I made two trips to the library to get the job done. Then I put their love letters in chronological order. My sister-in-law helped me reformat some of the pictures into a higher resolution. Then I used an online photo book publisher to make a book for family members.
It was pretty simple to digitize grandpa and grandma’s letters; the high speed scanner at the Family History Library was the key!
This story was submitted by Meredith Cozzens.
I scanned a lot of these letters at home. My friend Courtney told me I could go to the Family History Library near my home and use the scanners there, so I did! It took me about 5-6 hours using those amazing Kodak scanners. I made two trips to the library to get the job done. Then I put their love letters in chronological order. My sister-in-law helped me reformat some of the pictures into a higher resolution. Then I used an online photo book publisher to make a book for family members.
It was pretty simple to digitize grandpa and grandma’s letters; the high speed scanner at the Family History Library was the key!
This story was submitted by Meredith Cozzens.