Arnold married Ilene Turpin (1922-2005) on 9 Dec 1942 in Decatur, Illinois
Their children are
1. Victor Kay (1943- )
2. Jerry Lynn (1944- )
3. Dennis Ray (1946- )
4. Nancy Gay (1949- )
5. Judith LuAn (1952- )
6. Arlana (1956- )
=====
Arnold Bangerter, 92, passed away on November 7, 2010, at the home of his daughter in Stockton, UT. Arnold was born on January 6, 1918, in Woods Cross, Utah. He was the fifth of nine children born to Gertrude and Alma Bangerter. His grandparents were immigrants from Lyss, Bern, Switzerland.
Arnold attended Utah State University and served a full-time mission to the Northern States Mission under President Leo J. Muir.
Arnold married Ilene Turpin on December 9, 1942. They remained in Illinois while Arnold served as President of the Decatur Branch.
Later they made their home in Bountiful, Utah, on the corner of Main Street and Pages Lane. Arnold then built their home on Main Street where they raised their six children. He continued to work on the family farm.
Then in 1955 Arnold started his career with Utah State Wildlife Resources as a Fisheries Biologist working in Fisheries Research and Management. Prior to his retirement he held responsibility for the State of Utah fish hatcheries. In 1977 Arnold received the Outstanding Public Employee of Utah Award.
As a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Arnold loved missionary work and fulfilled four missions: Northern States Mission 1940-1942; South Davis Stake Mission 1943-1946, South Davis Stake Mission 1951-1953 and South Davis Stake Mission 1953-1955 where he served as a counselor in the mission presidency under President Earl Sessions. In 1971-1978 Arnold served on the High Council in the Bountiful Utah East Stake under Presidents Rendell N. Mabey and Duane B. Welling.
Arnold is survived by his six children: Kay (Kellie) Bangerter of West Bountiful, UT; Lynn (Eileen) Bangerter of Tempe, AZ; Dennis (Leona) Bangerter of Honolulu, HI; Nancy Perry of Prescott, AZ; Judi (Dean) Rowley of University Place, WA; and Arlana (Randy) Patten of Stockton, UT; and 26 grandchildren, 41 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandson. He is also survived by two brothers, Leland and Neslin and a sister, LaRene Kimber.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Ilene; a great-grand daughter, Jessica; a great-grandson, Connor; parents, Alma and Gertrude and brothers, Lawrence and Alma and sisters, Thelma, Rhea and Eva. The family wishes to express their sincere gratitude to the many friends and members of the Bountiful 17th Ward and Stockton 2nd Ward and to the Inspiration Hospice staff who have willing and lovingly served Arnold.
A viewing will be held Friday evening, November 12, from 6 to 8 pm at Russon Brothers, 295 North Main, Bountiful, UT. Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, November 13, at 1 pm at the Bountiful Chapel Park Ward Building, 2285 South 200 West, where a viewing will be held from 11:30 am-12:30 pm prior to the funeral services. Interment at Bountiful Cemetery.
===========
===========
BIG CASH DISCOVERY LEADS TO A LESSON IN HONESTY FOR NEW BOUNTIFUL HOMEOWNERS - May 18, 2011 , Deseret News
BOUNTIFUL — He hit the mother lode, but not once did Josh Ferrin even think of laying claim on the more than $45,000 cash that he found in his garage.
In fact, he gave it all back.
"You can't make plans for money like this that's found in a situation like this," Ferrin said. "It just doesn't feel right to do anything but give it back."
Within an hour of closing on his first home, Josh Ferrin, an artist for the Deseret News, used the keys to take his first official look inside.
Lincoln and his father, Josh Ferrin, who recently closed on a new home, unloads bags of money and ammo boxes to turn over to Dennis and Kay Bangerter (not pictured), sons of the former owner at the home in Bountiful Wednesday, May 18, 2011. Ferrin found the stash of money in the attic over the garage, two hours after he took ownership of the home.
While taking it all in, he noticed a tiny scrap of carpet peeking out of a small door in the ceiling of a workshop at the back of the garage. He got a ladder and climbed up to explore the unseen space. It was dark and musty, but Ferrin could see a black metal box sitting there.
It was a heavy metal box — the kind used to haul ammunition during World War II — and it was filled with cash, old stamps, bond certificates and other random memorabilia.
"I immediately closed it, locked it in my truck and called my wife. 'You won't believe what I just found,'" he said. Tara Ferrin immediately knew the couple had to return the money to its rightful owners.
However, Arnold Bangerter, the former homeowner, passed away in November 2010 and his youngest son, Dennis Bangerter, the executor of Bangerter's estate, had just signed the 1950s red-brick rambler away.
"When we were thinking about selling the house, I thought that now was a good time and we needed to get it ready," he said. "I had the feeling that it could be hard, but if the right family came along, it would sell quickly."
He said he knew the Ferrins were "a good family" from the moment he met them. Dennis Bangerter said he wished they could have met his father.
"Going through those boxes, I felt like I had a peek into his life," Josh Ferrin said about the man who left the surprising find. "This is a beautiful outcome and it feels good to be a part of it. It's a rare opportunity to be able to do something extraordinarily honest."
Arnold Bangerter, an fisheries biologist for the former Utah Department of Fish and Game, had purchased the home in 1966 and lived there with his wife, who died in 2005.
The Ferrins felt right about buying the home from the moment they walked inside, and a giant sequoia redwood tree in the backyard sealed the deal. Little did they know they'd be getting so much more.
"It's a story that will outlast our generation and probably yours as well," Kay Bangerter, the oldest of the Bangerter's six children, said Wednesday. He wasn't all that surprised at the money, as he had previously found cash taped to the bottom of a chest of drawers left in his father's home, albeit in much smaller amounts.
He grew up in hard times and people that survived that era didn't have anything when they came out of it unless they saved it themselves," he said. "He was a saver, not a spender."
No one knows when Arnold Bangerter started stashing the cash, but the bills and coins found in the garage are dated back to the 1970s and 1980s.
One-, five-, 10- and 20-dollar bills had been meticulously coiled in bundles of hundreds and five-hundreds. Nearly every roll was wrapped with a tiny bit of twine. Ferrin hauled eight ammo boxes out of the crawl space. The boxes also contained a plastic bag of large bullets and a hand-written note that reads: "I was born on a lousy day."
.
It took at least three hours for the Ferrins to sort and count the new-found cash, all the while teaching a lesson of honesty to their two young sons, who wanted to keep "just one" of the bundles and kept trying to slip coins into their pockets.
"The house needs some work," Josh Ferrin said. "I could use the $45,000 for remodeling, but he didn't save that money for us. He saved it for his family."
Josh Ferrin said he "felt guided" to the house, which was one of at least two others they considered buying in the area. He also felt guided to that money.
They'll be fixing up the home before they officially move in and in the meantime, life will go on just as it did before discovering a small fortune.
"I never considered the money mine," Josh Ferrin said. "You can't allow yourself to think like that."
==============
==============
Their children are
1. Victor Kay (1943- )
2. Jerry Lynn (1944- )
3. Dennis Ray (1946- )
4. Nancy Gay (1949- )
5. Judith LuAn (1952- )
6. Arlana (1956- )
=====
Arnold Bangerter, 92, passed away on November 7, 2010, at the home of his daughter in Stockton, UT. Arnold was born on January 6, 1918, in Woods Cross, Utah. He was the fifth of nine children born to Gertrude and Alma Bangerter. His grandparents were immigrants from Lyss, Bern, Switzerland.
Arnold attended Utah State University and served a full-time mission to the Northern States Mission under President Leo J. Muir.
Arnold married Ilene Turpin on December 9, 1942. They remained in Illinois while Arnold served as President of the Decatur Branch.
Later they made their home in Bountiful, Utah, on the corner of Main Street and Pages Lane. Arnold then built their home on Main Street where they raised their six children. He continued to work on the family farm.
Then in 1955 Arnold started his career with Utah State Wildlife Resources as a Fisheries Biologist working in Fisheries Research and Management. Prior to his retirement he held responsibility for the State of Utah fish hatcheries. In 1977 Arnold received the Outstanding Public Employee of Utah Award.
As a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Arnold loved missionary work and fulfilled four missions: Northern States Mission 1940-1942; South Davis Stake Mission 1943-1946, South Davis Stake Mission 1951-1953 and South Davis Stake Mission 1953-1955 where he served as a counselor in the mission presidency under President Earl Sessions. In 1971-1978 Arnold served on the High Council in the Bountiful Utah East Stake under Presidents Rendell N. Mabey and Duane B. Welling.
Arnold is survived by his six children: Kay (Kellie) Bangerter of West Bountiful, UT; Lynn (Eileen) Bangerter of Tempe, AZ; Dennis (Leona) Bangerter of Honolulu, HI; Nancy Perry of Prescott, AZ; Judi (Dean) Rowley of University Place, WA; and Arlana (Randy) Patten of Stockton, UT; and 26 grandchildren, 41 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandson. He is also survived by two brothers, Leland and Neslin and a sister, LaRene Kimber.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Ilene; a great-grand daughter, Jessica; a great-grandson, Connor; parents, Alma and Gertrude and brothers, Lawrence and Alma and sisters, Thelma, Rhea and Eva. The family wishes to express their sincere gratitude to the many friends and members of the Bountiful 17th Ward and Stockton 2nd Ward and to the Inspiration Hospice staff who have willing and lovingly served Arnold.
A viewing will be held Friday evening, November 12, from 6 to 8 pm at Russon Brothers, 295 North Main, Bountiful, UT. Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, November 13, at 1 pm at the Bountiful Chapel Park Ward Building, 2285 South 200 West, where a viewing will be held from 11:30 am-12:30 pm prior to the funeral services. Interment at Bountiful Cemetery.
===========
===========
BIG CASH DISCOVERY LEADS TO A LESSON IN HONESTY FOR NEW BOUNTIFUL HOMEOWNERS - May 18, 2011 , Deseret News
BOUNTIFUL — He hit the mother lode, but not once did Josh Ferrin even think of laying claim on the more than $45,000 cash that he found in his garage.
In fact, he gave it all back.
"You can't make plans for money like this that's found in a situation like this," Ferrin said. "It just doesn't feel right to do anything but give it back."
Within an hour of closing on his first home, Josh Ferrin, an artist for the Deseret News, used the keys to take his first official look inside.
Lincoln and his father, Josh Ferrin, who recently closed on a new home, unloads bags of money and ammo boxes to turn over to Dennis and Kay Bangerter (not pictured), sons of the former owner at the home in Bountiful Wednesday, May 18, 2011. Ferrin found the stash of money in the attic over the garage, two hours after he took ownership of the home.
While taking it all in, he noticed a tiny scrap of carpet peeking out of a small door in the ceiling of a workshop at the back of the garage. He got a ladder and climbed up to explore the unseen space. It was dark and musty, but Ferrin could see a black metal box sitting there.
It was a heavy metal box — the kind used to haul ammunition during World War II — and it was filled with cash, old stamps, bond certificates and other random memorabilia.
"I immediately closed it, locked it in my truck and called my wife. 'You won't believe what I just found,'" he said. Tara Ferrin immediately knew the couple had to return the money to its rightful owners.
However, Arnold Bangerter, the former homeowner, passed away in November 2010 and his youngest son, Dennis Bangerter, the executor of Bangerter's estate, had just signed the 1950s red-brick rambler away.
"When we were thinking about selling the house, I thought that now was a good time and we needed to get it ready," he said. "I had the feeling that it could be hard, but if the right family came along, it would sell quickly."
He said he knew the Ferrins were "a good family" from the moment he met them. Dennis Bangerter said he wished they could have met his father.
"Going through those boxes, I felt like I had a peek into his life," Josh Ferrin said about the man who left the surprising find. "This is a beautiful outcome and it feels good to be a part of it. It's a rare opportunity to be able to do something extraordinarily honest."
Arnold Bangerter, an fisheries biologist for the former Utah Department of Fish and Game, had purchased the home in 1966 and lived there with his wife, who died in 2005.
The Ferrins felt right about buying the home from the moment they walked inside, and a giant sequoia redwood tree in the backyard sealed the deal. Little did they know they'd be getting so much more.
"It's a story that will outlast our generation and probably yours as well," Kay Bangerter, the oldest of the Bangerter's six children, said Wednesday. He wasn't all that surprised at the money, as he had previously found cash taped to the bottom of a chest of drawers left in his father's home, albeit in much smaller amounts.
He grew up in hard times and people that survived that era didn't have anything when they came out of it unless they saved it themselves," he said. "He was a saver, not a spender."
No one knows when Arnold Bangerter started stashing the cash, but the bills and coins found in the garage are dated back to the 1970s and 1980s.
One-, five-, 10- and 20-dollar bills had been meticulously coiled in bundles of hundreds and five-hundreds. Nearly every roll was wrapped with a tiny bit of twine. Ferrin hauled eight ammo boxes out of the crawl space. The boxes also contained a plastic bag of large bullets and a hand-written note that reads: "I was born on a lousy day."
.
It took at least three hours for the Ferrins to sort and count the new-found cash, all the while teaching a lesson of honesty to their two young sons, who wanted to keep "just one" of the bundles and kept trying to slip coins into their pockets.
"The house needs some work," Josh Ferrin said. "I could use the $45,000 for remodeling, but he didn't save that money for us. He saved it for his family."
Josh Ferrin said he "felt guided" to the house, which was one of at least two others they considered buying in the area. He also felt guided to that money.
They'll be fixing up the home before they officially move in and in the meantime, life will go on just as it did before discovering a small fortune.
"I never considered the money mine," Josh Ferrin said. "You can't allow yourself to think like that."
==============
==============
Arnold married Ilene Turpin (1922-2005) on 9 Dec 1942 in Decatur, Illinois
Their children are
1. Victor Kay (1943- )
2. Jerry Lynn (1944- )
3. Dennis Ray (1946- )
4. Nancy Gay (1949- )
5. Judith LuAn (1952- )
6. Arlana (1956- )
=====
Arnold Bangerter, 92, passed away on November 7, 2010, at the home of his daughter in Stockton, UT. Arnold was born on January 6, 1918, in Woods Cross, Utah. He was the fifth of nine children born to Gertrude and Alma Bangerter. His grandparents were immigrants from Lyss, Bern, Switzerland.
Arnold attended Utah State University and served a full-time mission to the Northern States Mission under President Leo J. Muir.
Arnold married Ilene Turpin on December 9, 1942. They remained in Illinois while Arnold served as President of the Decatur Branch.
Later they made their home in Bountiful, Utah, on the corner of Main Street and Pages Lane. Arnold then built their home on Main Street where they raised their six children. He continued to work on the family farm.
Then in 1955 Arnold started his career with Utah State Wildlife Resources as a Fisheries Biologist working in Fisheries Research and Management. Prior to his retirement he held responsibility for the State of Utah fish hatcheries. In 1977 Arnold received the Outstanding Public Employee of Utah Award.
As a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Arnold loved missionary work and fulfilled four missions: Northern States Mission 1940-1942; South Davis Stake Mission 1943-1946, South Davis Stake Mission 1951-1953 and South Davis Stake Mission 1953-1955 where he served as a counselor in the mission presidency under President Earl Sessions. In 1971-1978 Arnold served on the High Council in the Bountiful Utah East Stake under Presidents Rendell N. Mabey and Duane B. Welling.
Arnold is survived by his six children: Kay (Kellie) Bangerter of West Bountiful, UT; Lynn (Eileen) Bangerter of Tempe, AZ; Dennis (Leona) Bangerter of Honolulu, HI; Nancy Perry of Prescott, AZ; Judi (Dean) Rowley of University Place, WA; and Arlana (Randy) Patten of Stockton, UT; and 26 grandchildren, 41 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandson. He is also survived by two brothers, Leland and Neslin and a sister, LaRene Kimber.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Ilene; a great-grand daughter, Jessica; a great-grandson, Connor; parents, Alma and Gertrude and brothers, Lawrence and Alma and sisters, Thelma, Rhea and Eva. The family wishes to express their sincere gratitude to the many friends and members of the Bountiful 17th Ward and Stockton 2nd Ward and to the Inspiration Hospice staff who have willing and lovingly served Arnold.
A viewing will be held Friday evening, November 12, from 6 to 8 pm at Russon Brothers, 295 North Main, Bountiful, UT. Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, November 13, at 1 pm at the Bountiful Chapel Park Ward Building, 2285 South 200 West, where a viewing will be held from 11:30 am-12:30 pm prior to the funeral services. Interment at Bountiful Cemetery.
===========
===========
BIG CASH DISCOVERY LEADS TO A LESSON IN HONESTY FOR NEW BOUNTIFUL HOMEOWNERS - May 18, 2011 , Deseret News
BOUNTIFUL — He hit the mother lode, but not once did Josh Ferrin even think of laying claim on the more than $45,000 cash that he found in his garage.
In fact, he gave it all back.
"You can't make plans for money like this that's found in a situation like this," Ferrin said. "It just doesn't feel right to do anything but give it back."
Within an hour of closing on his first home, Josh Ferrin, an artist for the Deseret News, used the keys to take his first official look inside.
Lincoln and his father, Josh Ferrin, who recently closed on a new home, unloads bags of money and ammo boxes to turn over to Dennis and Kay Bangerter (not pictured), sons of the former owner at the home in Bountiful Wednesday, May 18, 2011. Ferrin found the stash of money in the attic over the garage, two hours after he took ownership of the home.
While taking it all in, he noticed a tiny scrap of carpet peeking out of a small door in the ceiling of a workshop at the back of the garage. He got a ladder and climbed up to explore the unseen space. It was dark and musty, but Ferrin could see a black metal box sitting there.
It was a heavy metal box — the kind used to haul ammunition during World War II — and it was filled with cash, old stamps, bond certificates and other random memorabilia.
"I immediately closed it, locked it in my truck and called my wife. 'You won't believe what I just found,'" he said. Tara Ferrin immediately knew the couple had to return the money to its rightful owners.
However, Arnold Bangerter, the former homeowner, passed away in November 2010 and his youngest son, Dennis Bangerter, the executor of Bangerter's estate, had just signed the 1950s red-brick rambler away.
"When we were thinking about selling the house, I thought that now was a good time and we needed to get it ready," he said. "I had the feeling that it could be hard, but if the right family came along, it would sell quickly."
He said he knew the Ferrins were "a good family" from the moment he met them. Dennis Bangerter said he wished they could have met his father.
"Going through those boxes, I felt like I had a peek into his life," Josh Ferrin said about the man who left the surprising find. "This is a beautiful outcome and it feels good to be a part of it. It's a rare opportunity to be able to do something extraordinarily honest."
Arnold Bangerter, an fisheries biologist for the former Utah Department of Fish and Game, had purchased the home in 1966 and lived there with his wife, who died in 2005.
The Ferrins felt right about buying the home from the moment they walked inside, and a giant sequoia redwood tree in the backyard sealed the deal. Little did they know they'd be getting so much more.
"It's a story that will outlast our generation and probably yours as well," Kay Bangerter, the oldest of the Bangerter's six children, said Wednesday. He wasn't all that surprised at the money, as he had previously found cash taped to the bottom of a chest of drawers left in his father's home, albeit in much smaller amounts.
He grew up in hard times and people that survived that era didn't have anything when they came out of it unless they saved it themselves," he said. "He was a saver, not a spender."
No one knows when Arnold Bangerter started stashing the cash, but the bills and coins found in the garage are dated back to the 1970s and 1980s.
One-, five-, 10- and 20-dollar bills had been meticulously coiled in bundles of hundreds and five-hundreds. Nearly every roll was wrapped with a tiny bit of twine. Ferrin hauled eight ammo boxes out of the crawl space. The boxes also contained a plastic bag of large bullets and a hand-written note that reads: "I was born on a lousy day."
.
It took at least three hours for the Ferrins to sort and count the new-found cash, all the while teaching a lesson of honesty to their two young sons, who wanted to keep "just one" of the bundles and kept trying to slip coins into their pockets.
"The house needs some work," Josh Ferrin said. "I could use the $45,000 for remodeling, but he didn't save that money for us. He saved it for his family."
Josh Ferrin said he "felt guided" to the house, which was one of at least two others they considered buying in the area. He also felt guided to that money.
They'll be fixing up the home before they officially move in and in the meantime, life will go on just as it did before discovering a small fortune.
"I never considered the money mine," Josh Ferrin said. "You can't allow yourself to think like that."
==============
==============
Their children are
1. Victor Kay (1943- )
2. Jerry Lynn (1944- )
3. Dennis Ray (1946- )
4. Nancy Gay (1949- )
5. Judith LuAn (1952- )
6. Arlana (1956- )
=====
Arnold Bangerter, 92, passed away on November 7, 2010, at the home of his daughter in Stockton, UT. Arnold was born on January 6, 1918, in Woods Cross, Utah. He was the fifth of nine children born to Gertrude and Alma Bangerter. His grandparents were immigrants from Lyss, Bern, Switzerland.
Arnold attended Utah State University and served a full-time mission to the Northern States Mission under President Leo J. Muir.
Arnold married Ilene Turpin on December 9, 1942. They remained in Illinois while Arnold served as President of the Decatur Branch.
Later they made their home in Bountiful, Utah, on the corner of Main Street and Pages Lane. Arnold then built their home on Main Street where they raised their six children. He continued to work on the family farm.
Then in 1955 Arnold started his career with Utah State Wildlife Resources as a Fisheries Biologist working in Fisheries Research and Management. Prior to his retirement he held responsibility for the State of Utah fish hatcheries. In 1977 Arnold received the Outstanding Public Employee of Utah Award.
As a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Arnold loved missionary work and fulfilled four missions: Northern States Mission 1940-1942; South Davis Stake Mission 1943-1946, South Davis Stake Mission 1951-1953 and South Davis Stake Mission 1953-1955 where he served as a counselor in the mission presidency under President Earl Sessions. In 1971-1978 Arnold served on the High Council in the Bountiful Utah East Stake under Presidents Rendell N. Mabey and Duane B. Welling.
Arnold is survived by his six children: Kay (Kellie) Bangerter of West Bountiful, UT; Lynn (Eileen) Bangerter of Tempe, AZ; Dennis (Leona) Bangerter of Honolulu, HI; Nancy Perry of Prescott, AZ; Judi (Dean) Rowley of University Place, WA; and Arlana (Randy) Patten of Stockton, UT; and 26 grandchildren, 41 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandson. He is also survived by two brothers, Leland and Neslin and a sister, LaRene Kimber.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Ilene; a great-grand daughter, Jessica; a great-grandson, Connor; parents, Alma and Gertrude and brothers, Lawrence and Alma and sisters, Thelma, Rhea and Eva. The family wishes to express their sincere gratitude to the many friends and members of the Bountiful 17th Ward and Stockton 2nd Ward and to the Inspiration Hospice staff who have willing and lovingly served Arnold.
A viewing will be held Friday evening, November 12, from 6 to 8 pm at Russon Brothers, 295 North Main, Bountiful, UT. Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, November 13, at 1 pm at the Bountiful Chapel Park Ward Building, 2285 South 200 West, where a viewing will be held from 11:30 am-12:30 pm prior to the funeral services. Interment at Bountiful Cemetery.
===========
===========
BIG CASH DISCOVERY LEADS TO A LESSON IN HONESTY FOR NEW BOUNTIFUL HOMEOWNERS - May 18, 2011 , Deseret News
BOUNTIFUL — He hit the mother lode, but not once did Josh Ferrin even think of laying claim on the more than $45,000 cash that he found in his garage.
In fact, he gave it all back.
"You can't make plans for money like this that's found in a situation like this," Ferrin said. "It just doesn't feel right to do anything but give it back."
Within an hour of closing on his first home, Josh Ferrin, an artist for the Deseret News, used the keys to take his first official look inside.
Lincoln and his father, Josh Ferrin, who recently closed on a new home, unloads bags of money and ammo boxes to turn over to Dennis and Kay Bangerter (not pictured), sons of the former owner at the home in Bountiful Wednesday, May 18, 2011. Ferrin found the stash of money in the attic over the garage, two hours after he took ownership of the home.
While taking it all in, he noticed a tiny scrap of carpet peeking out of a small door in the ceiling of a workshop at the back of the garage. He got a ladder and climbed up to explore the unseen space. It was dark and musty, but Ferrin could see a black metal box sitting there.
It was a heavy metal box — the kind used to haul ammunition during World War II — and it was filled with cash, old stamps, bond certificates and other random memorabilia.
"I immediately closed it, locked it in my truck and called my wife. 'You won't believe what I just found,'" he said. Tara Ferrin immediately knew the couple had to return the money to its rightful owners.
However, Arnold Bangerter, the former homeowner, passed away in November 2010 and his youngest son, Dennis Bangerter, the executor of Bangerter's estate, had just signed the 1950s red-brick rambler away.
"When we were thinking about selling the house, I thought that now was a good time and we needed to get it ready," he said. "I had the feeling that it could be hard, but if the right family came along, it would sell quickly."
He said he knew the Ferrins were "a good family" from the moment he met them. Dennis Bangerter said he wished they could have met his father.
"Going through those boxes, I felt like I had a peek into his life," Josh Ferrin said about the man who left the surprising find. "This is a beautiful outcome and it feels good to be a part of it. It's a rare opportunity to be able to do something extraordinarily honest."
Arnold Bangerter, an fisheries biologist for the former Utah Department of Fish and Game, had purchased the home in 1966 and lived there with his wife, who died in 2005.
The Ferrins felt right about buying the home from the moment they walked inside, and a giant sequoia redwood tree in the backyard sealed the deal. Little did they know they'd be getting so much more.
"It's a story that will outlast our generation and probably yours as well," Kay Bangerter, the oldest of the Bangerter's six children, said Wednesday. He wasn't all that surprised at the money, as he had previously found cash taped to the bottom of a chest of drawers left in his father's home, albeit in much smaller amounts.
He grew up in hard times and people that survived that era didn't have anything when they came out of it unless they saved it themselves," he said. "He was a saver, not a spender."
No one knows when Arnold Bangerter started stashing the cash, but the bills and coins found in the garage are dated back to the 1970s and 1980s.
One-, five-, 10- and 20-dollar bills had been meticulously coiled in bundles of hundreds and five-hundreds. Nearly every roll was wrapped with a tiny bit of twine. Ferrin hauled eight ammo boxes out of the crawl space. The boxes also contained a plastic bag of large bullets and a hand-written note that reads: "I was born on a lousy day."
.
It took at least three hours for the Ferrins to sort and count the new-found cash, all the while teaching a lesson of honesty to their two young sons, who wanted to keep "just one" of the bundles and kept trying to slip coins into their pockets.
"The house needs some work," Josh Ferrin said. "I could use the $45,000 for remodeling, but he didn't save that money for us. He saved it for his family."
Josh Ferrin said he "felt guided" to the house, which was one of at least two others they considered buying in the area. He also felt guided to that money.
They'll be fixing up the home before they officially move in and in the meantime, life will go on just as it did before discovering a small fortune.
"I never considered the money mine," Josh Ferrin said. "You can't allow yourself to think like that."
==============
==============
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