A box containing various items such as a photograph from a telegraphers union meeting, an Italian restaurant menu from Toronto, and a newspaper clipping covering a graduating class of Royal Canadian Air Force engineers was donated to a Calgary genealogical society by a local thrift store in May. Researchers from the Alberta Family Histories Society have been diligently working to unravel the significance of the items, identify their connections, and possibly locate any rightful owners.
Among the items found in the box were personal letters, postcards, Christmas cards, and assorted memorabilia. The researchers have identified the box’s probable owner as Marion Gordon Atkinson, who passed away in Calgary in 2020, but many mysteries surrounding the box remain unsolved.
Sharon White, a director at the Alberta Family Histories Society, expressed the society’s desire to reunite any family photos or valuable historical items with their rightful owners or appropriate museums. One notable discovery in the box was a 1942 photo of members of the Royal Canadian Air Force 400 Squadron, some of whom hailed from Alberta. White, particularly intrigued by this photo, has been delving into the stories of the individuals depicted, including their wartime experiences and achievements.
The connection between the individuals featured in the photos and the box’s creator, likely distantly related to one of the pilots, remains unclear. The thrift store manager, Sarah Peters, highlighted the store’s commitment to preserving significant items and returning them to their rightful owners, indicating that the box’s contents were too precious to sell.
The Alberta Family Histories Society is dedicated to unraveling the mysteries within the box and tracing potential connections for the foreseeable future. White emphasized the thrill of solving genealogical puzzles and the meticulous process of piecing together information from various sources to uncover the stories behind the items in their possession.