- Carly Butler, 28, found her grandparents' love letters from WWII
- English Irene and Canadian soldier Nick Weibe met and married in London but were separated when he returned to war in 1945
- Carly is spending six months in London re-creating her grandmother's life
- Each week opens seven new letters which will dictate her week
By Sara Malm
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Carly Butler has travelled from Canada to England to re-live her grandmother's life during WWII
A woman has put her life on hold and travelled 3,755 miles from Canada to London to re-create her grandmother's daily life during World War II, outlined in old love letters.
Carly Butler, 28, will follow in the footsteps of her late grandmother Irene Wiebe during the time she was separated from her husband, Carly's grandfather Nick.
Carly was inspired to move from Windsor, Canada, to London's Willesden Green after uncovering a pile of 104 letters and telegrams sent across the Atlantic between English Irene and Canadian soldier Nick.
Every week she will open seven new letters which dictates what she will be doing for the forthcoming week, recreating the life her grandmother lived 67 years ago.
Her grandmother Irene from West Hampstead, London, was a 26-year-old newlywed when she penned the letters to her husband after he was drafted back home.
The couple met at a dance in London in 1943 while Mr Wiebe was on leave, and had known each other for three days when he proposed.
After marrying, the couple spent six months apart as Irene, and hundreds of 'war wives' like her, waited to sail across the Atlantic.
Now, 67 years later to the day, bank teller Carly, who has left her own fiance behind in Canada, opens Irene's letters a week at a time and follows them as precisely as she can.
So far, she has visited her grandmother's birthplace in West Hampstead, recreated a day out to Oxford and watched a film at Marble Arch cinema.
Miss Butler also plans to see the place where her grandmother, who passed away in 1998, worked dismantling enemy aeroplanes.
She even hopes to journey back to Canada on the Queen Mary II - as Irene did all those years ago on the original RMS Queen Mary.
Miss Butler estimates that her six-month homage to her grandparents' love is going to cost her more than ?13,000.
Inspiration: Carly decided to leave Canada for London's Willesden Green after finding a trove of 104 letters in her grandparents' home
Correspondence of love: Some of the letters and telegrams uncovered by Carly which inspired her trip to uncover her grandmother Irene's past, right
Carly, pictured in front of London's Marble Arch, will spend six months away from her fiance, just like her grandmother during WWII
The letters were unearthed when Mr Wiebe, now 90, was moving into a care home and the family had to clear out the couple's house.
Miss Butler said: ?My mum found the letters stashed away in a cupboard and it was amazing as we realised it was grandma's letters.
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?I really think she tucked them away for us to find. I decided not to read all of the letters at once - I think it's fun to keep it a surprise.
?It's so exciting to think that I am standing in the exact same spot as her, 67 years to the day later.
?The idea came to me while I was on a leadership course last year, which asked us to think about what you want to do with your life. I wanted to keep my Grandma's memory alive.'
Love at first sight: Nick and Irene Weibe got engaged three days after they first met
Eternal love: The couple were married for more than 50 years, had two children and several grandchildren before Irene passed away
'I really feel when I read the letters that they bring her back to life for me. I can only imagine what she was thinking about the huge life-changing voyage she was about to make.
?She put all her faith in love and left all her family and friends. But her love for this stranger definitely overcame any fear she might have had.
?She talks about how excited she is about building a new life and I think it's thrilling what the had to overcome simply to be together.?
While she wrote the letters, Irene was living with her mother, sister and niece in West Hampstead, London.
The longing letters she sent to her new husband cover everything from loving notes to less exciting everyday domestic chores, like sewing elastic into knickers.
Revisiting: Carly Butler pictured in front of the house where her grandmother Irene's house in West Hampstead where she lived while Nick was in Canada
The happy couple: Carly's grandparents Nick and Irene Wiebe pictured as they return to the Queen Mary, the ship which reunited them in Canada
Following their trace: Carly pictured in front of Queen Mary cruise ship decades later
After the couple were reunited they were happily married for more than 50 years, working together in a post office and had a son and a daughter and several grandchildren before Irene passed away.
Miss Butler, who is writing a blog and book about her adventure, said: ?She talks a lot about her family in her letters, reading them is like Grandma is speaking to us from beyond the grave.
?I only knew her for 14 years and the letters remind me of her and make me giggle.
?It's really cool to see how similar we were. She's quite cheeky and talks about missing him in the bedroom.'
Miss Butler will leave England on July 19, the same date her grandmother emigrated, to be reunited with her fiance Adam, a teacher.
The modern-day couple are keeping in touch via Skype, email and text messaging.
Hero: Carly's grandfather Nick Wiebe during the war, left and now aged 90, holding up one of the telegrams sent to his late wife Irene
Soldier life: Nick Weibe, right, seen during his service in the 40s
She writes to him everyday to copy her grandparents' correspondence, as well as telling her 'Grama Irene' about what she's been up to on lifesletter.com.
A video of her story is available to watch via family history site Genes Reunited as part of their Every Family Has a Story campaign.
It has millions of records to help people learn more about their relatives.
Rhoda Breakell, Head of the Genes Reunited, said: ?We are really pleased Carly has shared her story as part of the Every Family Has a Story campaign.
?Her trip is inspiring, unusual and it is clear she is really enjoying retracing her grandmother's footsteps.?
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