The Mennonite Enquirer story of a Manitoba man who found $11,000.00 of cash, in a box that he purchased for $5.00 at an auction sale.
“This is the stuff that you just dream about”, says Jacob Driedger. “My mumtji always wonders what I want with all the stuff that I bring home from auctions. What can I say? I’m a collector and I like stuff. Last year I found an H.W. Reimer waffle iron in a box of old horseshoes. The waffle iron turned out to be worth $75 bucks!
Driedger eventually decided to go through the box of odds and ends that he’d bought at auction.“Right on the very bottom was a 1981 Sears catalog and under that were four envelopes with, what I thought were receipts”, says Driedger. “I thought I’d come across someone’s old income tax files. Then I opened the envelopes. I thought I was going to pass out! I called my mumtji to come and have a look. Suddenly, all my previous frivolous auction purchases were forgiven” he laughs. “The total came to $11,000 dollars in one hundred dollar bills!
The obvious question is, who put $11,000 dollars in this box? The Mennonite Enquirer has learned through sources that it could be “bootleg money” from running beer between Altona and Winkler during the prohibition years. Others speculate that it came from the proceeds of illegal cottage cheese revenue when the federal government outlawed the sale of unpasteurized farm milk.
Whatever the reason, it appears that the law sides with Driedger as to the money being lawfully his to keep. Apparently all auction sales are final and the owner of this “Mennonite Treasury” is the purchaser who bought this box for a mere $5 dollars!
Asked what he would do with the cash, Driedger replied, “You’d think I’d do something responsible, like pay off some debt or build a four season patio onto the deck of our house. But we’re not going to do that. No! My mumtji and me are going to take the honeymoon we never had. We’re going to Winkler and check into the finest hotel room available with ensuite jacuzzi and a fully stocked bar fridge and shoot the works! Finally my $5.00 auction boxes have paid off”, says Driedger.
So this advice from the Mennonite Enquirer; maybe the next auction holds your “Mennonite Treasury” of forgotten perogie money!? You just never know!
And now for those who’d like to have some other fun with their heritage, check out these designs from Oba Yo! Just click on the tweibach on the image below.
Be sure to follow The Menno Tribune to make sure you don't miss out on the Plautdietsch word of the day and other stories and articles.
You haven't done that yet? Na oba! Click on Leina and Hein below and it will take you to the Menno Tribune and hit the "follow" button. Daut es emm sonnst! And remember to forward the Menno Tribune facebook link to your friends and frintshoft!
Would you like to learn more Plautdietsch? The ultimate low German dictionary ever published is still available. This amazing dictionary is the most complete reference of a language that was only used verbally for almost 500 years. Professor Jack Thiessen undertook the immense project of putting together a definitive and comprehensive dictionary to preserve this unique language. It makes a great gift for the younger generation who would like to learn and understand the spoken low German language of their parents and grandparents. It also makes a great gift for those who have forgotten many of the unique words and Plautdietsch phrases that have been used by Mennonites in the past 5 centuries. Order your copy and enjoy Plautdietsch like never before!
