Reese Burnett, Author at The Ring Finders | Page 5 of 6

While doing some detecting for fun in the water, I found a gold 1965 class ring from Central High School in Saint Paul, MN. with the initials of ‘JSL’ inside the band.

I did some searching on the internet and Classmates.com was where I learned the owner’s full name.  After ‘googling’ his name,  I was sad to see that he had passed away one year prior.  This news made me realize that it was very important that I find the next of kin. I knew that it would mean a lot to them.

The obituary listed several family members and I was able to contact both the man’s wife and one of his sons, who both live in Idaho.  They said that Jeff had enlisted to serve our country right after high school and moved to Idaho immediately after his service – so he must have lost the ring shortly after high school back in 1965!

I was thrilled to talk to Jeff’s wife and her son, Ty; and I mailed the ring to them immediately.  Here is what Janet wrote to me:

« Reese, Ty and I want to thank you for returning Jeff’s class ring.  Such a kind and wonderful thing you do.  Jeff was very athletic through high school and college.  He was your typical gym rat.  Jeff earned his college degrees in Special Education.  He was a teacher & administrator for 37 years.  We have 2 sons –  Ty and Brady.  I am so grateful to have them in my life.  Thank you so much for your time and research into the rings origin, it’s a reminder that there are great, kind people out there. – Janet Lang »

Below are some pictures that Janet and Ty sent to me.  The first picture is of Janet and Ty.  The other two are of the ring with Jeff’s actual 1965 Central High School year book and the ring next to Jeff’s yearbook picture.

It was very evident to me that Jeff was deeply loved, respected and missed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was doing some metal detecting for fun in a local lake swimming area last week when I found a big gold ring.  The ring said Oxygen Service on it and there were initials and a date inscribed inside the band.  I was pretty sure that I’d be able to find the owner, but I had no idea that this ring had such a tumultuous past.

I Googled ‘Oxygen Service’ to see what it meant and found that it was a local company that services the welding business.  That’s when I knew that the ring must have been someone’s service ring for working for the company.  So I called up the company, explained the situation and asked if there was anyone there with the same  initials that  engraved on the ring.  The person immediately knew who it was and put me right through to him.  That’s when I learned about how the owner lost the ring.

Steve’s home was burglarized some time in 2006 and several items were taken, including Steve’s gold company service ring.  Steve had long given up on ever getting the ring back because after the burglars were apprehended, they said that they sold the ring and there was no trace as to who had bought it.   But somehow, after 8 years, I found the ring in a roped off swimming area a few miles from Steve’s home.  We will never know how the ring ended up in 4 feet of water, but Steve and I were thrilled to see it back where it belongs.  On Steve’s finger!

 

Roy, who is 82, was swimming in the lake and his 18k gold wedding slipped off his finger.  I searched the water with my metal detector and in only a few minutes scooped up the beautiful ring!  I didn’t get a picture of Roy, but here is his wife smiling happily after getting the ring back.  They were married in 1963 and the ring has the date and their initials inscribed.  It felt great to get that ring back to them.