Man reunited with lost wallet after 37 years
Published: July 2, 2007
John “Buzz” Mitchell got his own version of a time capsule this week returned when a wallet he lost 37 years ago was returned.
“It was found in the Musical Arts building,” Mitchell said. “I was a welder up there in 1970.”
The Musical Arts Center building, on the Indiana University campus, was completed in 1971. Mitchell worked as a welder and remembers working on the large steel beams. He believes the wallet may have simply fallen out of his pocket while he was working.
About three weeks ago, workers were renovating the women’s restroom in the building when the wallet was found between two cinder block walls by Dave Jackson and Tom Floyd. The two contacted Bob McGlocklin, who works for the Physical Plant at IU.
Workers asked McGlocklin if he knew Mitchell. Initially he said no, but when he went over to investigate the wallet’s contents, McGlocklin recognized Buzz in some of the pictures found in the wallet.
“Yeah, there’s some stuff in there that’s got Buzz on it,” McGlocklin said.
In an attempt to find his old friend, McGlocklin called a John Mitchell in Owensburg, but it was the wrong one. Fortunately, that Mitchell put McGlocklin in touch with Buzz’s son.
“I was in bed asleep, and he said that they found your wallet,” Mitchell remembers. “Well, that just blew my mind, ’cause I didn’t remember losing one.”
Although he didn’t remember losing the wallet, Mitchell said he immediately recognized the wallet when he first saw it. Nothing was missing, from the wallet which included a $5 bill, his Mitchell driver’s license, credit cards, Moose membership card and pictures. He even found a layaway ticket for a $6 belt that he’d already paid $1 on.
“There was a bunch of stuff in there,” he said. “It was just plump, full of trash.”
Back in 1970, Mitchell worked for Arnold Construction Co. He said his ears were frostbitten one day when the temperatures dipped to 10 below zero.
“Back then, it was in the wintertime,” he said. “It was really cold that winter.”
With the wallet returned, Mitchell decided to keep it as it was found, unfolded with all the items still inside. He’s put it in a plastic bag and secured it with a rubber band.
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