Musician reunited with childhood guitar

Minnesota family finds Susan Shane-Linder's name in old guitar, tracks her down

BOCA RATON, Fla. – A South Florida musician was reunited with her childhood guitar after a Minnesota family who had owned it for years tracked her down.

Susan Shane-Linder, a singer/songwriter and children's recording artist based in Boca Raton, hadn't seen the guitar since the 1970s when she received it in the mail Thursday.

Originally a gift for her fifth or sixth birthday, Shane-Linder said she lost track of her first guitar during high school when she got a new one.

"It could have been donated to some place; it could have been put out to the trash," said Shane-Linder. "I really don't remember and neither do my parents."

Somehow the guitar ended up at an estate sale in Minnesota, where it was purchased about 10 years ago. Recently, the family who purchased it noticed Shane-Linder's name was marked inside of the instrument and decided to track her down. When the family found the musician's website, they thought for sure they had found the right person.

"It just took my breath away," Shane-Linder said. "I'd love to know the stories of its adventure in all those years because it must be a wonderful adventure. I had no idea when I owned this guitar that my future would be music."

Neither Shane-Linder nor the family who connected with her knows how it ended up for sale in Minnesota. A grandfather purchased it at the estate sale about a decade ago for his grandchildren to play with, but it largely sat unused until recently. The family told her the children were excited to track her down. When she received the package, it came with a photo of them and several drawings from the children.

Shane-Linder told Local 10 News she was so touched by the children's generosity, she sent them a few of her own CDs in return.

"I think we're going to be a part of each other's lives," Shane-Linder said.

Shane-Linder has not decided whether how much she'll restore the guitar for future use but plans to show the students she teaches.

"Hang onto the things that you love because you never know what's going to happen in the future for you or it," said Shane-Linder.

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