'I never talked about it for years': Christmas letter brings happy memories 69 years later

Sixty-nine years ago, a girl from Chatham, N.B., attached a Santa letter to a load of Christmas trees destined for Mississippi.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Villa Matchett was that 11-year-old girl, now an 80-year-old woman. She was poor, as she wrote in the letter, and was asking only for a doll and a few cents. She got a bit more after her letter was read on a Natchez, Mississippi, radio station.

"I got a lot of gifts that year," said Matchett.

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Not only did she receive lots of gifts from the southern community, she was even invited down for a trip. One she took in 1948.

While Matchett never forgot the generosity of the people of Natchez, she did forget being interviewed by CBC reporter Ian Sclanders on Dec 23, 1947. She didn't remember the interview until she heard it all these years later.

"You have no idea how I felt when I heard my 11-year-old voice. It was something else and my children and grandchildren were just fascinated," said Matchett.

A goal achieved

When Sclanders interview Matchett about all the gifts and money she had received, she said she had plans for the money.

"I'm going to save it for my education so I can be a nurse when I grow up," said Matchett in 1947.

Archives3:08No ordinary letter to Santa

In 1947, a New Brunswick girl becomes the toast of Natchez, Miss. after her letter to Santa was discovered in a Christmas tree.

Matchett had a plan, she stuck to it and accomplished her goal.

"I always as long as I could remember wanted to be a nurse and I did. I was a nurse for almost 40 years," said Matchett 69 years later.

A story kept dormant

Whenever Matchett tells her story, it fascinates her children and grandchildren. But her children didn't know about the story when they were growing up

"I never talked about it for years. I guess it's just because life was busy,"

It wasn't until after a face from her past came back that the story came out.

"The gentleman that flew me home from Houlton to Chatham had wondered what had become of that little girl," said Matchett.

'True meaning of Christmas'

"When he did get in contact with me it was going to be published in the paper the next day. I thought, 'I guess it's time I told the children.'"

Since then Matchett has continued to share the story ever since, even until she reached 80 years of age this year.

"It is the story of the true meaning of Christmas. It is a story about people, the good of people, the kindness, the caring. That was shown to me during that period."