The $20 bill might not be worth as much, but the gesture is priceless – a Nova Scotia man had his wallet returned a couple of weeks ago, 39 years after losing it.
Cpl. Aaron Glode, from the Nova Scotia RCMP in Musquodoboit Harbour was handed the long-lost wallet when he stopped into an antique store in West Chezzetcook to chat with the owner, Dave Clark.
“During our conversation I mentioned I just transferred to Nova Scotia from PEI, his eyes lit up and he asked me to do him a favour,” Glode wrote in a Facebook post.
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The man pulled the brown leather wallet from a cupboard and told Glode that he’d found it the Lawrencetown Beach area back in 1976. When he found it, the wallet contained a $20 bill and an ID for a one Harold Parker.
Clark held on to the wallet for 40 years, not thinking he’d ever find its owner. At 76 years old, he thought this was the time to try to find the owner. He slipped another $20 bill in to replace the old one and asked Cpl. Glode to help him out.
The search for the rightful owner
When Glode inspected the wallet and its contents, he found a date of birth for Mr. Parker and a Prince Edward Island address. He also found receipts dated for February and May of 1976 and a photograph of a girl named Della.
Glode did some digging, found some phone numbers and left voicemails for a Della and Harold Parker, hoping one of them would call back.
“I knew if I ever heard back from someone it was going to be an interesting conversation to let someone I had their wallet and all its contents after losing it 39 years ago,” he said.
On December 30, Glode says the phone rang – Harold Parker was on the other end of the line knowing without a doubt that Glode had his wallet.
“Before I even got the chance to explain what it was that I had for him, Mr. Parker said, ‘you have my wallet,'” Glode said.
Parker explained to Glode that he’d been driving from Musquodoboit Harbour through Lawrencetown beach when he saw someone stuck in the sand. He stopped to help him, and believes he lost his wallet out of the breast pocked of his coveralls.
By the time he realized he’d lost his wallet and went back for it, it was gone.
“He was ecstatic that the wallet was making its way back to him after 39 years!” Glode said.
Glode and Parker met up in Dartmouth on Jan. 28 and Glode was able to finally return the long-lost wallet to its owner.
“Both he and Mr. Clark are happy the wallet is back where it belongs,” say the Nova Scotia RCMP.
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