SHAMOKIN -- A Shamokin couple has reunited a woman with a letter to Santa written on her behalf -- in 1956.
Michael Nahodil and Alyssa Backes, owners of Dapper Tattoo in Shamokin, recently purchased the building where their business is located on Liberty Street, according to WNEP-TV.
While renovating the kitchen in one of the apartments above their business, they came across an envelope tucked behind one of the cabinets, WNEP reports. The envelope had a picture of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on it, and the letter inside began "Dear Santa, How are you? I've been a good girl."
Dated Dec. 2, 1956, it was a letter to Santa Claus -- one that had been hidden between kitchen cabinets for 61 years.
"Everyone hopes they find money in the wall, but I think this was a little more special," Nahodil told WNEP.
Nahodil and Backes posted a photo of the letter on social media, where John Krieger of Shamokin saw it. He recognized his mother on the letter.
"I couldn't really believe it at first, so I zoomed in on it, and I saw it said Susan Kleis, and I knew for sure," Krieger told WNEP.
Kleis is now in her 60s, and lives in Massachusetts.
Krieger said the letter belongs to his mother, but was written by his grandmother, who has since passed away.
He is thankful to Nahodil and Backes for going the extra mile to get the letter where it belongs.
"I mean, they got a lot going on here. They could have just swept it up, not ever looked at it," he told WNEP.
"I figure we can give a part of her mom back for Christmas," Alyssa said.
The Christmas list had a few things on it, including a learner's bike, a merry go round, a doll house, a set of horses, and a Robbie the rabbit.
John says his mother is still hoping to get that horse someday.
