The newspaper articles are falling to pieces and the pictures have faded, but the memories that these newly discovered items stir in the minds of three siblings are more than a box full of fragile and yellowed scraps of paper and photographs.

They are the reunion of a family – separated by time, war and death. The three remaining Barretts have come together over poetry written by an older brother, newspaper clippings their mother saved and a book of columns that mentions the Barrett name here and there.

“The second World War separated us and has since,” 72-year-old Gerald Barrett said. “This is a chance to get us back together again.”

Althea Barrett Murphy and brother Paul Barrett both live in Vicksburg, but brother Gerald Barrett lives in North Carolina.

A 70th birthday celebration for Murphy’s husband, Newell, brought the three together this spring to remember and reconnect, not only with one another, but also with family members who have come back to life through black-and-white images – some slightly torn around the edges – and, of course, the memories that the photos create.

It’s like a family reunion of sorts as they remember their 10 siblings, who spanned in age 27 years, as well as their mother, grandmother and other relatives who have died.

Althea Barrett Murphy, 64, is the youngest of the 13. She has made it her duty to salvage the box of nostalgia that once belonged to their mother, Elise Carroll Barrett.

“What a great time we had – and just putting these pages, photographs, bits and pieces of information together has made me so cognizant of what my mother must have gone through,” Murphy said. “Wondering from one day to the next, worrying about a letter, a word, etc. – just some bit of information that would tell her that her boys were safe, well fed and just alive.”

Brother Paul Barrett, who served in the Navy during World War II, decided one day to pull out the old foot locker that contained the decades-spanning materials because he believes, at the onset of his 80th birthday, he should pass them along to someone else.

“I knew it was there, but didn’t ever look at it – I knew it was a mess,” he said. “I needed to get these things in the proper hands.”

“He knew somebody needed to have it, so he decided to give it to me,” Murphy said.

Murphy has been busy making photocopies of the deteriorating papers and photos so she can put them in an album with acid free paper, which will protect the images, she said.

“I had to save as much as I could as quick as I could.” she said. “I’m putting them all into folders and taking the pictures out. I plan to make one big scrapbook.”

Most of the clippings are about the four Barrett boys who were in different branches of the military at the same time during World War II.

The brothers were Ben Barrett Jr., born in 1920 and served in the Army in New Zealand and the Philippines; Billy Barrett, born in 1923 and originally served in the Navy, later joining the Army; Richard Barrett, born in 1927 and served in the Navy at the same time as brother Billy Barrett in the South Pacific; and Paul Barrett, born in 1925 and served in the Navy. Younger brother, Lawrence Barrett, born in 1930, went into the Army at the tail end of World War II – at the age of 16. Gerald Barrett, born in 1933, was called up with the 168th National Guard while he was in high school at Carr Central in Vicksburg. He was in the service during the Korean Conflict.

“(Our mother) saved everything during the war years,” Murphy said. “Anything that mentioned the war, she would tear it out and put the boys’ names on it.”

The Barrett family moved to Vicksburg from Rosedale in 1944 – after the four boys went into the service. There were only three siblings still living at home at the time – Gerald Barrett, Lawrence Barrett, and Murphy.

“Being the youngest and having 10 brothers, I never knew anything but boys – my brothers were my life,” she said.

Remembering everyone through the box full of mementos was an emotional thing for the siblings. The poetry written by their older brother, Ben Barrett Jr., is what came as a surprise. Murphy said she never knew he wrote poetry, which is something her mother did and a pastime she now calls her own.

“Just reading his poetry – to me – has been the thing,” Murphy said. “And, I’ve just cried and laughed.”

Murphy took several poems out of the box and read them aloud to her two brothers. The words seemed to wash over them with great emotion – as the poignant messages came through.

“This fighting and battle will end some day…to this we look forward and pray…” Murphy, reciting it for the second time, said through tears.

Ben Barrett Jr. came home safely from the war and died tragically by electrocution in 1947 at the age of 27 at his home in Natchez.

“He just died so young,” Paul Barrett said.

The pictures of their beloved brother show a young man in a crisp uniform, ageless except for the obvious wear on the photograph. The picture is how he has always been remembered by them.

“He would be 83 years old. I always think, ‘What would he look like now?’ Because I always picture him like this,” Murphy said.

Another walk through memories has come in the form of a book that was put together by the Daughters of the American Revolution in Rosedale. The book is a collection of columns written by Frances Ogden for the Rosedale newspaper.

“She did a column called, ‘My Dear Boys’ – she made sure every boy got a paper and she would mention all the boys and their parents,” Murphy said.

The “boys” were all in the service when she wrote her column during World War II. The book has columns that span from 1942-1944 and Murphy has placed Post-It notes where any of the Barretts are mentioned.

“My mother saved (the columns) and pasted them in the book, but then the book came along,” she said.

Other found items were letters, pictures and clippings – like a handwritten letter from their father asking their mother’s parents for her hand in marriage.

Murphy said looking through the collection was like going home.

“People always say you can’t go home, but believe me – you can,” Murphy said. “When you get your brothers together and start remembering.”