Viking senior in search of walking stick
Viking’s Grace Sutter has been losing a bit of sleep lately after her walking stick was taken three weeks ago from the New to You Shop, where she volunteers.
The stick was a gift from son Brent Sutter and his wife Connie, given around six years ago after she had an accident down the stairs while living on the family farm.
“It meant something to me, they had it made for me after I fell,” Grace says. “I used it a lot on the farm and now occasionally in town.”
The incident happened on Tuesday, Jan. 4. Because of the weather that day, Grace had decided to take the stick with her on her walk to New to You, which is very near where she lives.
“I took my walking stick downstairs and left it by the coat rack,” Grace says. She went upstairs to tend to some new inventory, before returning to move it.
“It was very obvious standing there, I thought I had better go hide it.”
She says she took the stick to the back near the racks of jeans, but around the corner by plastic containers full of hangers. She felt no one should have any reason to look there as the hangers were for the staff and away from other items for sale.
When she was done that day, she says the stick had completely slipped her mind.
“I came back on the Thursday and went to go get it, but by then it was gone. I shouted out, ‘my stick is gone!’”
Staff rushed to help her and found one standing by the door (pictured), but unfortunately it was not hers.
The staff working that day insisted Grace take the one left behind for now so that she’d still have something to walk with.
“’Take this one home,’ they told me, but I felt guilty and couldn’t sleep all that night because I didn’t pay for the thing.”
She says her stick, which she unfortunately didn’t have a picture of, has darker varnish, is a little narrower and taller, and doesn’t have a wrist strap.
It does have a compass on the handle, similar to the one that was left behind.
Grace says it’s possible the person who left the other stick behind may have either accidentally, or intentionally, taken hers while leaving theirs behind. But she can’t know for sure if they’re even related.
Either way, she just wants it returned, no questions asked.
“I don’t need to know what happened, just leave it at my door, or drop it off with the newspaper.”
If anyone recently left New To You with the wrong stick, or found Grace’s stick while at the store, please contact The Weekly Review 780-336-3422 (leave a voicemail if no answer), email vikingreview@gmail.com or drop it off during open hours.
