79-Year-Old Man Pays Off A $14 Debt From 1958

Brian Barry owns a car dealership in Danbury, Iowa, and one day the dealership received an unusual letter.

Here’s what the letter says:

“September
10 – 2019

Dear Sir (Vincent, Robert, William) Barry

Back in the 1950’s I worked for you – getting cars ready, cleanup yard and stuff while in High School at Danbury.

You let me have an old Mercury to drive as part of my job. One day I was invited to sing at a solo contest at Westmar College in LeMars. Since I had only rags&worn out shoes you loaned me the money to buy a white shirt and a pair of shoes. I got you all paid off but I still owed you $14.00.

I’m 79 years now and ready to go out. I have heart(?), COPD and I just had a small stroke.

I should have done this earlier but being poor I just never had enough. I promised to the Lord I won’t have debts. Here is $20.00 – Hopefully I can be forgiven for not paying you back soon enough.

Thank you,
God Respects,

Bob Bradley”

Included in the envelope was a $20 bill. Brian and everyone at the dealership were in shock (and tears)

Brian then did a little detective work to find Bob on Facebook

He sent him a very nice thank you message

Bill and Bob Barry – men that lent Bob the money for the clothes back in the 1950s

The Barry building then and now

The world needs stories like this right now and we need people like Bob, Vincent, Robert, and William. We need to be inspired by goodness. We need unconditional kindness, respect, generosity, and gratitude. Thank you, Bob Bradley, and to everyone in this story for showing us all how to be good human beings. And thank you, Brian Barry, for sharing this story with us and providing all of these wonderful photos.

I own a company that illustrates people and their stories – both sad and happy, so it was a pure joy to do a little drawing of Bob and his $20