A feature story about a class ring lost, and found after 58 years at the bottom of a lake.

1. Unearthing the past
DAVID BOND • The Lima News
Colleen Bradley stands with her metal detector and shovel near where she found a 1951 Shawnee High School class
ring at Grand Lake. Bradley will return the ring to its owner, 76-year-old Nancy Goodenough.
Lost Shawnee High School class ring
resurfaces 58 years later
By HANNAH POTURALSKI “I was devastated after it
hpoturalski@limanews.com
419-993-2091 was gone. We searched to
no avail, and my friends
S
T. MARYS — Imagine
you’re 18 years old, about were able to save money to
to graduate high school,
and you’re celebrating get a replacement. It was
graduation with all your the same design, but it
friends at a lake party.
Now imagine your class ring, never felt the same.”
which your sweat and hard work
has earned you, slips off your fin- — Nancy Carter, 76
ger while swimming. Shawnee High School graduate,
It sinks to the bottom of the owner of the lost ring
murky water to hibernate for the
next 58 years. You are heartbro- May 31 she found something
ken. Colleen Bradley found this 1951 Shawnee High
near and dear to Nancy Carter, a School class ring at Grand Lake while cleaning
Enter Colleen Bradley, a 46- 1951 graduate of Shawnee High
year-old St. Marys woman. She’s the water and beach area.
School, who lives in Commerce
been an avid member of the Township, Mich.
Black Swamp Metal Detecting “I had just found a can and a
Club for six years. She does per- chain and was about to walk AT A GLANCE
mited-hunting through Grand away when my detector made a
Lake often with her underwater loud noise,” Bradley said. “I dug
Who: Colleen Bradley, St. Marys resident
metal detector, looking not for down 12 inches and found a What: Finds 58-year-old class ring and returns
jewels and treasures, but for ring.” to owner
trash polluting the lake. Bradley said it was a 1951 class When: May 31
Bradley said she usually finds Where: A foot under the sand in Grand Lake
cans, coins, and batteries but on See RING • A7

2. RING • from A1 ––––––––––––––––––
ring from Shawnee. Beneath “I was devastated after it was
the black residue from the lake gone,” Carter said. “We
were the initials N.G., but no searched to no avail and my
other engravings. friends were able to save money
After using a jewelry wipe to to get a replacement. It was the
clean it, Bradley said it looks same design, but it never felt
brand new again. the same.”
In steps Joanie Moore, a sec- Carter, now 76, said her high
retary at Shawnee High School, school experience was an excep-
who helped put Bradley in con- tional one. After 58 years, she
tact with Carter. still stays in close contact with
“It was such a touching story a large number of classmates.
and we need more of those,” Carter even married her high
Moore said. school sweetheart in the fall of
Shawnee High School 1952.
receives a lot of class rings that The remaining members of
are found around the area, but her high school class meet
this ring was the oldest to be every September in Lima for a
found. Kewpee hamburger, golfing and
Bradley said if it weren’t for a nice dinner.
the help of the secretaries at Bradley said once she shows
Shawnee’s High School and the ring to her metal-detecting
Middle School she wouldn’t club mates Wednesday, it will
have found Carter. be mailed to Carter.
Carter, whose maiden name Carter said she has two
is Goodenough, said she was daughers, and for a long time
amazed when Bradley called struggled with which daughter
her and never thought she’d to give her class ring. She is
see the ring again. relieved that now she doesn’t
“It’s a blessing to get to know have to worry about that.
someone of Colleen’s caliber,” Bradley and the Carters plan
Carter said. “She doesn’t want to dine at Kewpee Hamburgers
a reward and that’s a rare qual- when they finally meet in Sep-
ity.” tember.
Carter said when she was 18 Bradley said this was the
she started saving up to buy a fourth class ring she has found
class ring. She did baby-sitting and returned to the owner.
and worked part-time at New- “I just love mysteries, it’s like
berry’s Ten Cent Store, which playing detective,” Bradley
used to be on Main Street. said.
Carter said a friend of hers You can comment on this
designed the ring, which made story at www.limaohio.com.
it extra special to her.