Treasure Hunt Leads to Emotional Family Reunion

Dylan Mermis joined a unique treasure hunt in Russell, Kansas, exploring soon-to-be-demolished buildings. These structures contained antiques due for destruction because of safety risks. His friend Bobby arranged access by paying the owner, allowing them to collect any items before demolition.

Mermis and his girlfriend eagerly joined the search, spending nearly 19 hours over two days. During their exploration, Mermis focused on gathering magazines. Among the collected items, he discovered a box with numerous photographs. Sadly, most were beyond recovery. However, a postcard from 109 years ago was intact, depicting a soldier, Hugh H. Hoff.

Hoff’s postcard was addressed to his cousin in 1917 after he completed officer training. It revealed Hoff’s decision to serve as a second lieutenant in the active-duty Army during World War I, opting for this over a higher rank in the Reserves.

Mermis believed he could track Hoff’s family using the details on the postcard. Upon returning home, he researched Hoff online and found a detailed profile. Hoff, from Edmond, Oklahoma, survived World War I and lived until 1944. Importantly, Mermis discovered Hoff had children.

Though Hoff’s daughter had passed, Mermis found links to Hoff’s grandchildren, eventually contacting Hoff’s great-granddaughter through Facebook. She responded, surprised and intrigued by Mermis’ account. Connecting with her aunt, they received the treasured photograph.

This chance finding led to a meaningful family connection. While Mermis remains uncertain how the postcard ended up in those buildings, he is pleased it reached Hoff’s descendants. He felt it was important to save the photograph from the landfill, attributing his efforts to a sense of doing what was right.