“...asked her to help manage the cash he and his late parents had hidden in hiding spots throughout the family home.”
My wife’s grandfather did this. Replacing an electrical outlet and he had $2,000 stashed in the wall.
When he died I was overseas. My mother-in-law sold the large property with the old farm-house to a developer. She grabbed a few photos and stuff from the house, but left the rest to the buyer. I’m guessing they just bulldozed the house, and the thousands of dollars hidden.
The barn was full of “junk” too - but I’m guessing some of that stuff was worth something too. Not to mention the probable wads of bills in the tackle box and old coffee can labeled “nails”. I tried to get her to hold off until I returned, but she “just wanted to be done with it.”
lots of people that lived through the depression would hide money like that.