One of the things I love most about this job is that no two days are ever the same. You never really know who’s going to walk through the door, or who might call or email with an unexpected question—or even a story.

That point was brought home yesterday during a conversation I had with David from Katy, Texas. (For those of you who would have to look it up like I did—don’t worry. Katy is a suburb of Houston, and it’s over 750 miles from the Lutheran Heritage Center in Altenburg. And yes, that distance does matter in this story.)

David told me he had recently bought a book on World War I history at a local antique store. The book itself wasn’t unusual—but what he found inside it was.

Tucked inside the front cover was a receipt, dated July 8, 1919, from the Palisch Store Co. in Frohna, MO. If that name sounds familiar, it should. That store once stood at the intersection of Highways A & C where the East Perry Pub’s parking lot is now located and has been mentioned several times in Warren’s blogs.

David had no idea where Frohna, Missouri was, but like I did in trying to figure out where Katy, TX is , he turned to the internet. Fortunately, his online search brought him to us. He called to ask if we might be interested in the old receipt he’d found. I assured him—without hesitation—that yes, we would definitely be interested!

Curious about how a receipt from a store in Frohna ended up tucked inside a book in an antique shop 750 miles away and over 100 years later, I asked a few more questions. Unfortunately, there was no name or inscription in the book to offer any clues about its past owner. But David wasn’t ready to give up. He said he planned to go back to the antique store to look through other books nearby—hoping they might hold additional pieces of the puzzle. It’s always fun to find someone who’s just as hooked on a historical mystery as you are.

We chatted a bit more, and I finally asked if he’d be willing to mail the receipt to us. Not only did he agree, but he surprised me by saying he might be able to do something even better. Since he hadn’t yet made his summer travel plans, he was considering a road trip—and thought he might be able to include a visit to Altenburg. He promised to call once he had a better idea of his plans.

Now, I’m just waiting for the phone to ring.