Heirloom Wedding Ring Lost & Found! - Big Cedar Lake, WI

A fun outing with friends on Saturday, July 22nd on Big Cedar Lake near Slinger, Wisconsin, turned to heartache for Miranda Schroeder when she suddenly realized her wedding ring was missing. But it wasn’t just any wedding ring. It had been passed down from her grandmother. Now, the heirloom gold and diamond ring lay somewhere on the bottom of Wisconsin’s 937-acre tourist hotspot.

I received a call from Miranda asking if I might help. The anguish in her voice betrayed the ring’s huge sentimental value. Obviously, it was more than a ring. Arrangements were made to meet Jeff Rollins, Miranda’s father, at the public boat launch Monday afternoon. Apart from the sadness of our mission, it was a glorious summer day. Jeff also happened to be the local Police Chief. His knowledge of the lake coupled with his forensic intuitiveness would prove helpful in the search.

On arrival, I couldn’t help but notice the name of the road leading to the boat launch, Gonring Road. Wouldn’t it be wonderful, I thought, if we could rename it, Foundring Road!

We spent nearly four hours searching that afternoon and into the evening but could not locate the precious love token. After examining photos and speaking further with Miranda, we decided to return the next afternoon and expand the search area.

A large pontoon boat was anchored in the vicinity when Jeff and I arrived. A group of ladies were huddled nearby, waist-deep in the water. Their outing, similar to Miranda’s, had likewise turned to sadness when one of the ladies lost her wedding ring. When the group spotted me with my metal detector it was as though their prayers were answered. Jeff and I took time out to assist and a few minutes later, the missing wedding ring lay in my scoop! I bunched together with the happy group for a photo, then Jeff and I quickly resumed our search for Miranda’s ring. The unexpected recovery boosted our hopes that we would likewise find Miranda’s precious heirloom.

Nearly two hours passed as I systematically scoured the lake bottom with my XP Deus ii detector. The sun was beginning to set. But then, as if by magic, Miranda’s cherished wedding ring lay glistening in my scoop! I breathed a silent prayer, “Thank you, God!”

At the same time, Jeff happened to be making his way over to me to show off a pair of gold-rimmed sunglasses he had found. He spotted a flash of gold in the water and dove down to retrieve it, hoping it was Miranda’s ring. What a joy it was to flash the actual gold we had been searching for, complete with all its diamonds! The smile on Jeff’s face once again reinforced the truth, “It’s more than a ring!”

What a great day! It was not only an amazing day for Jeff and for Miranda, but also for another unknown soul whose agony was turned to relief and joy! I don’t even know her name. As for me, finding and returning two rings on the same day warrants a name change, don’t you think? “Foundring Road” does have a nice ‘ring’ to it!