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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Stories My Mother Told Me II


I read something like that, and I wonder: "How did I never hear that story?" Then almost instantly, I start to wonder if I had heard it, and merely forgotten it. Such is the richness of one's life, that there is no need to mention a stint as an eleven year old adman. Then I start wondering, "What would an eleven year old do with a savings bond...and where is that savings bond now?"

Several years ago, but not so long ago that my grandfather was still alive, my mother got a call from a man who held a savings bond (purchased by his father) in her name. (Or have I got this backwards, and it was the other way around?) Apparently, my grandfather was involved in some sort of pyramid scheme with US savings bonds; there are probably several more of these bonds out there somewhere.

In case you were interested: E series savings bonds (available from 1941 to 1980) earned interest for up to 40 years; a $25 bond purchased in 1952 (at a cost of $18.75) would be worth around $170 today.

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