Christmas comes early

My Thursday column featured a letter and reader question from Judy Kish of Munster, asking me to help her answer a burning question she has always wondered about connected with Frank Capra's terrific film, "It's a Wonderful Life."

I was stumped, so I printed her letter here and online at www.nwitimes.com to ask for some help and WOW ... what a response AND a quick fix!

Thank you to all who responded.

Today, I'll just print the portion of Judy's letter repeating her query, along with the reader's reply featuring the answer she has been seeking for so long.

Dear Mr. Potempa:

I needed to write to you as you may be the only person able to help me in my search for an answer surrounding the movie, "It's a Wonderful Life."

My husband, Kevin Kish, built a new funeral home in Munster, Ind., Kish Funeral Home, 10000 Calumet Ave., which opened in November 2007.

When we began getting ready to open our funeral home, I began searching for the words on the plaque George Bailey Sr. had on his office wall at the Bailey Building and Loan office. This plaque is what I desperately wanted to give to Kevin when we opened to put up in his new office. I cannot locate this information.

If you can, Mr. Potempa, would you please e-mail the words on this plaque to me so I can get them engraved for Kevin to put in his office?

I have stopped our own copy of the movie several times to take better looks with a magnifying glass, went online to try to find someone with this information, wrote e-mails to various companies that I thought would have it, but no one has come up with an answer.

Judy Kish, Munster, Ind.

Of all the responses I received, I think reader Linda Michael summed up the answer perfectly, so I'll let her answer Judy in her own words.

Hi Phil:

In the movie "It's a Wonderful Life," the sign hanging below George Bailey Sr.'s picture in his office at the Bailey Building & Loan office reads:

"All you can take with you

is that which you've given away"

It is clearly readable in the scene where there was a run on the bank and the loan office, and George had to forego his honeymoon in order to appease and calm down panicking clients. I hope this is the sign that Judy Kish was referring to in your column today.

I too LOVE that movie, and, ironically, my father, the late Art Olson, was also a funeral director. While Dad never had such a motto hanging in his office, he endeavored to live most of his life according to those very same sentiments.

Best Regards,

Linda (Olson) Michael

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at ppotempa@nwitimes.com or 219.852.4327.

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