T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY Lillie Mae Chocolates owners Aimee Deimerly-Snyder and Tom Snyder display the military paperwork for James Ellis, who served in the Army over 100 years ago, that they discovered during the process of setting up their new expanded shop on 13th Street.

A routine day preparing “Thank You Bags” for the Iowa Veterans Home turned into an unforgettable Veterans Day weekend discovery for Tom and Aimee Snyder, owners of Lillie Mae Chocolates, a beloved Marshalltown candy store with an 85�’year history.

While organizing memorabilia for their newly expanded shop on 13th Street, Aimee came across an old, worn Lillie Mae chocolate box that she nearly tossed. When she gave it a shake, something unexpected rattled inside.

Inside were original discharge and service documents belonging to an Iowa Army soldier dating from the late 1800s to early 1900s. The papers, remarkably well�’preserved, appear to be authentic historical records detailing the soldier’s honorable service.

“It gave us goosebumps,” said co�’owner Aimee Snyder. “Here we were, preparing gifts to thank today’s veterans and we uncovered a direct connection to a veteran from more than a century ago. It felt like it was meant to happen.”

The timing made the discovery even more poignant. The box was opened on Nov. 10, the 250th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. Tom Snyder, a Marine Corps veteran himself, called the find “a reminder that service connects us to the past.”

“I’ve always said Marines have a special bond but this felt like a message from all veterans, across time,” Tom said. “To find something like this on the Marine Corps birthday, on the eve of Veterans Day, was incredible.”

The couple plans to share the documents with customers and local historians to identify the soldier and preserve the records appropriately. They invite the community to stop by the new location to view the documents and learn more, and they hope to connect with the family of the Army veteran in question, James Ellis.

“What’s really cool about it is this box is a 1941 box. His wife kept it, so he must have given her candy. And it was important to her. She put his important documents into it,” Aimee said. “We don’t know his family. We would love to find his family… It’s just kind of a cool Veterans Day thing, a meant to be kind of thing.”

Lillie Mae Chocolates has long honored local veterans, organizing annual “Thank You Bags” filled with chocolates and caramel for residents at the Iowa Veterans Home. This marks their fifth consecutive year supporting the initiative.