Passbooks

After his grandmother’s death, Shawn’s task was to go through the bedrooms and separate things: save for the family, donate, and toss.  In the top shelf of Sadie’s closet were several shoe boxes. And in those boxes were bank passbooks.  What an ordeal. Some of the banks were no longer in existence, some of the passbooks had been closed, and some could possibly be viable.  After hours of phone calls, Shawn and his brothers finally got things straight.  The total amount of money was not large though it was significant enough to warrant the time and effort needed to identify where the money was and to work with the lawyer to unravel the mystery.  With the help of Sadie’s attorney, the money was distributed to the rightful heirs.  What a hassle for a few hundred dollars! 

And how does this relate to my mission?  Sadie lived through the depression.  She probably was fearful of putting her money in one bank in case the bank failed as it did then.  Life events happened: babies are born, kids go to school, marriages and grandchildren.  Being the full time homemaker and eventual caretaker for her husband, Sadie forgot about all those Passbooks hiding out in the closet.  Don’t let this happen to your family.  They don’t need the aggravation.  Keep all of your important papers in one place- preferably in a fireproof box.  Review the box annually.  Use the Vital Information Form to remind you of your assets.

Image:  Tom Tolkein