{"id":27596,"date":"2021-10-30T12:15:09","date_gmt":"2021-10-30T12:15:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cmshub.wpengine.com\/?p=359405"},"modified":"2024-11-03T15:14:10","modified_gmt":"2024-11-03T15:14:10","slug":"man-spent-20-years-tracking-down-and-buying-his-late-mothers-oldsmobile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/man-spent-20-years-tracking-down-and-buying-his-late-mothers-oldsmobile\/","title":{"rendered":"Man Spent 20 Years Tracking Down And Buying His Late Mother\u2019s Oldsmobile"},"content":{"rendered":"

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How far would you go to track down the only memento of a loved one who has passed? For John Berry, that question was one that stuck with him for more than 20 years.<\/span><\/p>\n

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When he was just 15 years old, his mother, Janis Berry, passed away unexpectedly at the young age of 43. The year was 1975. \u201cWe never got to say goodbye. It was devastating for all of us,\u201d Berry told the Washington Post<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Her belongings were sold in an estate sale shortly after, and soon all that remained was her lime green 1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme convertible. The car\u2019s title had been in the name of her ex-husband, John\u2019s father, who held onto it until 1980 when he sold it to a collector.<\/span><\/p>\n

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PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS \/ GREG GJERDINGEN<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While he didn\u2019t realize it at first, Berry soon came to realize that the car had been a powerful connection to his mother. Some of his best memories had been riding in the back seat, his mother taking him, his brother and sister out for a ride, or to the grocery store. His mother had loved that car, and he had loved his mother.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The more time passed, the more the thought persisted. \u201cAs I grew older, I just longed for her to be in my life,\u201d he told the Washington Post. And so, in 1990, he began his quest to track down the car. It started with a name: Mike Hamilton, the car collector who had bought the vehicle in 1980.<\/span><\/p>\n

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PHOTO: FACEBOOK \/ ABC World News Tonight with David Muir<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Once he\u2019d tracked Hamilton down by email, however, he hit a roadblock: Hamilton didn\u2019t want to sell. He was enjoying the car, along with more than 20 others in his collection, and didn\u2019t want to let it go, even to someone with an emotional tie. But Berry persisted, emailing Hamilton about every six months to inquire about the car and let him know he was still interested. This email chain continued, unbroken, for more than 20 years. Until 2021, when Hamilton changed his mind.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am ready to sell the Olds,\u201d Hamilton wrote in a September email. \u201cI have another person that would like to purchase the car but have not encouraged him at all because of your longtime desire.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A six-hour road trip later, and John was in the presence of his mom\u2019s car once again. He hadn\u2019t seen it since 1980 and was overcome with emotion. At $27,500, it was no small purchase, but after 20 years, nothing could stop him from reclaiming a piece of his mother\u2019s legacy.<\/span><\/p>\n

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PHOTO: FACEBOOK \/ ABC World News Tonight with David Muir<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When he opened the glove box, he was astonished to find a pair of her signature aviator sunglasses, a map with handwritten notes, and a pair of her silver earrings. To make the whole thing even sweeter: The six hour road trip had been a long way from his home in Kentucky, but was close to his mother\u2019s grave; she had been buried with family in Michigan. With his brother Dave along for the ride, Berry drove the 1971 Oldsmobile to her grave.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, Berry drives the car only sparingly, to preserve it \u2014 but when he does, he\u2019s got his own kids in the back seat and he tells them stories of their grandma, Janis. After 20 years, a lot of persistence, and a great deal of money, he has finally reconnected with the past and shared that joy with his family.<\/span><\/p>\n

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