Dean Sparks purchased a beat-up 1959 Chevy in a Nebraska auction intending to fix it up, but while working on the car he found something unexpected inside. It was a love letter from 1963 written by a young woman named Beverly Barber to her love, Ronnie Waterbury. With the help of social media, Sparks was able to find out that the couple had a son, Wade, and contacted him.
“I gave him a call and said, ‘I bought your dad’s car at a Pierce, Nebraska auction, but you’ll never believe what I found in the front seat. I found a letter from your mom to your dad before they got married.'”
Waterbury shared how surprised he was to receive that call: “I was floored. Who else would even think about returning it to me? Everybody would just say, ‘Oh, here’s a letter,’ and throw it in the trash.” Reading his mother’s letter from long ago deeply touched him: “It was very, very emotional for me. I lost my parents and it brought back so many memories. It was just like a flash.” He said his parents were still in high school when his mother wrote that letter in which she suggested they get married. And shortly after graduating, they eloped in that very car! Waterbury reflected, “You know, you think about things after your parents pass, if you had one more day or one more minute with your parents, and Dean provided me with that. He gave me another look into their life. That’s a very important minute to get back.”
By the way, Waterbury plans to frame and display the letter, and he’s also going to take a ride in the car that he said was his father’s “pride and joy” once Sparks completes restoring it.
Good for You, Dean Sparks for taking the time to make a positive difference in the life of someone you didn’t even know. Who would you like to send a Good for You Message to for their act of kindness? Share your story with us.
Leave a Comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *