81-year old cashes in on late husband's tobacco crop

An 81-year-old woman in the east is finally getting paid for work her late husband did more than 40 years ago.  The U.S. Tobacco Cooperative is letting many tobacco farming families here in the east cash-in on money they're entitled to.
For nearly 50 years, Evelyn Evans helped her husband Charlie run their tobacco farm in Black Jack.  "It was our livelihood,” she said.
In 1968, buyers weren't matching Charlie’s price so he gave it to the tobacco Stabilization Corporation which paid him in cash and a certificate.
Now 44 years later and 15 years after Charlie died, the newly named Cooperative is redeeming certificates like Charlie’s.  Evelyn found out from a friend.
"This is way overdue,” she said.  “Yea I said this is unbelievable."
Evelyn's getting less than $300 for the crop.
"The value of a certificate is a finite amount and that's what you get,” said Tommy Bunn, President of the U.S. Tobacco Cooperative.
Bunn says the certificates weren't meant to earn interest.  But the bigger question-“Do you think that y'all waited too long to offer this redemption?” asked Nine on Your Side’s Andrea Blanford.
"I think the board was very deliberate in their actions,” he said.
The board of directors is redeeming certificates now because it's made enough money to pay them out without government assistance.
"All of this was done for the purpose of servicing the farmer and the farmers run the organization and they did what they felt was best at the time to do; to try to preserve the market for the flue-cured tobacco growers,” said Bunn.
Evelyn had this road named for Charlie only a few years ago.  He spent his whole life working this land to support her and their three children.   And she says now even after he's gone he's still finding a way to provide.
It might not be much, but it’s finally where it belongs.
"Well if it was a large amount it would be great but we'll accept whatever we can get and be thankful,” said Evans.
The U.S. Tobacco Cooperative is paying out certificates that were issued in 1967 and 1968.  The deadline to apply is June 30th.
To learn more about how to apply, just visit this website: http://www.tobaccocheck.com/Default.aspx

http://www2.wnct.com/news/2012/apr/19/81-year-old-cashes-late-husbands-tobacco-crop-ar-2184195/