A missing WWII soldier from Denver was finally found thanks to niece’s resolve [Video]

ARVADA, Colo. – Growing up, Barb Bernhardt didn’t know much about her uncle Harold. The little that was known about this important piece of her family’s history was for years stored inside a basement closet in her home.

“When I was growing up, the whole family spoke about Uncle Harold in hushed tones,” said Barb. “Anything that I heard about him was mostly things that I overheard as a child.”

What she was able to piece together about Harold Schafer’s short life jumped off the pages of poignant letters stored inside that closet.

She spread them out across the kitchen island, picking up one Barb’s mom wrote to her big brother Harold almost 80 years ago

“We miss you so much. That’s all we talk about when we get together,” read Barb.

It was December 1, 1944.

Barb’s mom – Harold’s sister – wrote about Denver’s first snowstorm of that season and the empty spot …