All the while this man was struggling through a harsh winter on the streets of Chicago, a pawn shop owner was on a heartwarming mission to trace him.

Image: YouTube/Chicago Sun-Times / YouTube/Chicago Sun-Times

It was a bitter winter in Chicago, especially for those living on the streets. Among the homeless community was an Army veteran. But little did the former soldier know that there was someone looking for him. And they were about to give him something that would turn his life around.

This remarkable story begins in Kansas, way back in 1980. It involves two men, a pawn shop and some savings bonds. Nearly four decades later, the tale has finally reached a conclusion, and it’s a truly uplifting story to recount.

The first character to mention is Woodrow Wilson, Jr. In 1980 he was a 21-year-old serving in the U.S. Army. But when money became a bit tight, Wilson decided that he needed to make a quick buck. And he knew that he had a few savings bonds worth $100 each.

So, he strolled into Jack & Dick’s Pawn Shop not far from his military base in Fort Riley and handed them over. After that, he probably didn’t think much about the exchange. Until now, that is. You see, at the end of 2017, that trip to the pawn shop came back into focus once more, for the best reason.

A man named Chris Mathis took charge of the pawn shop back in 1991. Then, in the process of organizing the store recently, Mathis discovered some things that intrigued him. Sure enough, he came across Wilson’s old bonds, and they were no longer worth just $100 each.

In fact, they had increased in value to more than $3,000 in total. With this in mind, Mathis was keen to track down the original owner of the bonds. But that didn’t prove itself to be an easy feat, not by any means. In fact, Mathis spent a year trying to trace Wilson but without much luck.

In the end, the pawn shop owner enlisted the help of a private investigator. And through their endeavours, it was discovered that Wilson was African-American and in his late 50s. What’s more, although he used to reside in the neighborhood of Austin, it was probable that Wilson was now living on the streets of Chicago.

Being homeless made Wilson far more difficult to track down, but despite that, Mathis didn’t give up. In actual fact, the idea of Wilson sleeping on the streets during Chicago’s notoriously cold winter made Mathis even more determined to find him.

The pawn shop owner wanted to return the bonds to Wilson in the hope that they would help to turn the veteran’s life around. “It’s been so cold lately,” Mathis told Chicago Sun-Times on December 30, 2017. “This can help get him off the street.”

Technically, there would be nothing to stop Mathis from cashing in the bonds, thereby boosting his own bank account. But the good Samaritan had other ideas. He explained how it was “so much more fun” to return the bonds to their original owners and then see their reactions.

“I’ve done this so many times, and the guys just can’t believe that we still have them,” he said. And with more than 50 lucky people reunited with their bonds thanks to Mathis, Wilson would be just one of many to get such a pleasant surprise.

But first, of course, there was the small matter of finding Wilson. And although he had “proven so elusive” to use Mathis’ own words, with the help of people on the street and a Chicago Sun-Times reporter, Wilson was finally located. Initially, however, he didn’t believe what was going on.

In fact, the veteran thought he was being scammed. “Why would this guy [Mathis] want to help me?” he said, before being persuaded that Mathis was for real. Wilson was subsequently overwhelmed to think that the pawn shop owner had decided to return his bonds.

“This is huge for me,” the former soldier said. “I’m extremely grateful.” Unfortunately, Mathis couldn’t be there to see Wilson’s reaction at first hand, but the two men did get to speak on the phone a little later. Mathis also wrote Wilson a letter and described how he had worried about the dropping temperatures in Chicago.

In return, Wilson also had a chance to tell Mathis a little more about his life. He explained how he had been rejected from homeless shelters, and that he only had a couple of pairs of trousers and a single blanket to see him through the harsh winter.

Now, thanks to Mathis’ efforts to trace him, the homeless veteran could look forward to a brighter future. Wilson hadn’t given a moment’s thought to the bonds since he cashed them in all those years ago. It turns out his aunt had originally given them to him to help with his rent.

But after leaving the Army, Wilson ended up relocating a few times, before picking up a drug conviction. That made finding work difficult, and eventually he landed on the streets with little to his name. Now, the return of his savings bonds has provided the veteran with a chance to start over.

As a result, Wilson plans to find somewhere to live and then look for a job. But first of all, he took his girlfriend and daughter out for a meal to celebrate. Meanwhile, Mathis is delighted that it all worked out, especially since Wilson’s name was the last in his drawerful of bonds to return.

Now that all the bonds have found their way back to their original holders, Mathis’ job is complete. “Pawn shop owners aren’t generally known for being sentimental people,” he joked. But he can now sleep easy, knowing that he helped to get a homeless veteran off the streets.

In what is an incredible tale of kindness and determination, Wilson’s life has been changed immeasurably for the better, and by a total stranger no less. But Mathis couldn’t have done it without the help of the people of Chicago. Some of those good folk also had a hand in this happy ending.