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Family reunited with relative’s treasures found in basement

Posted at 10:13 PM, Apr 15, 2015
and last updated 2015-04-15 22:47:51-04

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- After a tenant found a box of old family treasures in the basement of their southeast Grand Rapids home, the items have been returned to the owner.

The family is overjoyed to have the box filled with their family memories back.

"You are hereby notified of your selection is one of the contingent that this country has called upon to send to camp in the five day period beginning May 1st," Diana Vanrhee read aloud the WWI draft letter sent to her relative.

"The history of the Anderson family from my biological dad, his mom, his grandma and grandpa back from Sioux Falls, South Dakota where he grew up," said Vanrhee.

On Monday, FOX 17 told you how Elissa Marble found the boxin the home’s basement and reached out to us hoping to find the owner.

"I'm just very glad that memories got to go back to where they came from because I would be sad if I lost mine, so I'm very happy that they found theirs," said Marble.

Vanrhee said that her mother lived in the home a few years back and had accidentally left the box in the basement.

Inside the box also included Vanrhee’s wedding photo, pictures of her as a child and of course her father Roy Anderson.

"He wrote days and times and where on almost every photo he ever had, so he chronologically has a history on everything that he kept," said Vanrhee.

Vanrhee said that she is going to give the box to her mother, who is more than grateful to have the family keep-sakes back.

"I think for my mom because this is going directly to her house after this, she will be very amazed and happy to have it again," said Vanrhee.

Vanrhee said that with her father in the military, she grew up traveling all across the United States.