High School Class Ring Returned And Mom Was Not Happy!

[starwarsblazer]

To start off I have no pictures of the ring because this happened several years ago, but still sticks out as quite unique. I was metal detecting Riverside Park in Grand Rapids, MI when I found a 2000 HS class ring from a school I was not familiar with. It was from Sterling Heights High School and upon some research, found it was from the opposite side of the state. After cleaning the ring, I found a last name inside the ring. The name read Balzinksi. I emailed the school and asked if a student named 'Balzinski' attended there, but they could not release any information on students. So, I emailed again and told them that I had found a class ring, and left my email address and phone number and asked them to contact the student or the student's family and let them know that the ring had been found and I wanted to return it. It was several weeks later that I received an email from the students mother and she had quite a few questions about the ring. I told her where it had been found and she replied that she was not familiar with the location. I told her it that I was on the opposite side of the state from her and wanted to return the ring. In her next email, her wording seemed angry because her daughter had never been to the other side of the state, and I must have the wrong person. I informed her of the rings size, the achievements that were on the side, the name of the school and the color of the stone in the center. She agreed that was her daughter's ring but that her daughter was only sixteen and she never would have gone to that side of the state. She told me it fine to send it back, but that she is unsure why the ring was over 100 miles away. I left it at that and returned the ring and never heard back from her again. Make's me curious as to what explanation the daughter had when mom told her of the ring

To date that is the only class ring I have found. HH

 

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[willie d]

Sounds like she's got some explaining to do

Congrats on the return.

 

[ringfinder]

First of all, Thanks for being one of the Good Guys. Returning a Ring is one of the greatest
thing about this hobby.

Sometimes you find a person that is really thrilled when you return a ring, maybe even giving you a
reward. Although I ususally don't accept them, unless I have to drive a long ways to hunt for the item.

Sometimes you get yelled at, sometimes they call the police, you name it, it has happened. One time
I called a lady and asked about a class ring I had found. She said, yes it was her daughters and that
I could stop by there house and give it back. Well I had to work over an hour at work so got to the house and hour late. I knocked on the door, the lady opened the door, said I was late, took the ring and slammed the door in my face. Nice Huh?

Another time at a local lake I was detecting in the swim area and some kid came up and told me
to come and hunt for his girl friends ring that she just lost. He didn't ask me, he just told me to hunt for
it. Of course I did find it and again, the girl grabbed the ring and her boyfriend and her left without
even saying thanks. You get that, they think that is you job.

Then other times, it is different. I found a guys class ring that he lost when he was a kid. I found it in a lake in about 5 feed of water. I did a lot of looking to find the owner, libraries, people and then calling him. He lost the ring the year he bought it and that was in 1946. He now lives in Florida and was most gratefull to me for returning the ring to him. He Say's he can't wear it anymore, but wears it around his neck and tells everyone who asks about it the story of how it was found. He sent me two really nice proof sets, because I wouldn't take any reward for finding his ring.

Thanks Again, for being one of the Good Guys. Hope you find many more.

HH, Ringfinder

 

[crazyjarhead]

I found and returned a class ring this past year and the guys new wife didn't seem to be too excited.

 

[relichunters]

Wow you just can't make anyone happy these days.

I bet the daughter had a secret boyfriend and he was probably like 21 or something. Happens often. Of course it's possible that they did go there, but completely forget about it, or maybe it wasn't their ring, but still wanted it.

 

[trish76642]

You never know, she could have lost it and someone found it and lost it there themselves, or someone stole it and she just didnt tell her mom.
Glad you found the owner anyway starwars.

 

[Lowbatts]

Had similar experience returning one my daughter found at the beach. The guy didn't really care about the ring when we finally got in touch wit him. Got my kid off the other line and then let him know I was trying to show my daughter how to do the right thing and he better take the ring when we return it and write her a letter of thanks. We did and he did, good enough.

 

[trish76642]

Had similar experience returning one my daughter found at the beach. The guy didn't really care about the ring when we finally got in touch wit him. Got my kid off the other line and then let him know I was trying to show my daughter how to do the right thing and he better take the ring when we return it and write her a letter of thanks. We did and he did, good enough.

LOL...Good for you!

 

[seger98]

Wow, what amazing stories of doing good & the end results of not even a thank you!

 

[Gilligan]

It is sad that some people are not more appreciative. I found a ring years ago in Raleigh, NC in Falls Lake. I called the school in SC, tracked the person down in SC also. Sent the ring, insured, never heard from them again. Not even a thank you letter.

 

[birdman]

You did the right thing even if you made the mother mad with the daughter. I returned a 1927 class ring to the son of the owner(the owner had passed away ) and never heard anything back from the family.Still the right thing to do.

 

[txkickergirl]

very likely she lost and someone else found it and ended up losing it all over again, but as A mom I would be telling my daughter, young lady you are so busted, and grounded and grounded again. I would of thanked you for being so kind as to return it though. You did a good thing.

 

[kdismuke1]

YOU DID THE RIGHT THING.

 

[chirper97]

"In her next email, her wording seemed angry because her daughter had never been to the other side of the state, and I must have the wrong person. ..."

I agree with requesting that the daughter contact you.

I would NOT have continued interacting with non-appreciative mom.

Thanks for interesting post

 

[Colonial Copper Zeus]

I once returned a 1928 gold womans classring to the rightful owner. She was in an old age home and wrote me a nice letter on how she lost it in the woods having a picnic with a bunch of friends. She only had it a week when she lost it. She said she is in an elderly assisted living house and this ring brought a whole lot of wonderful memories of her youth back to her and had been crying tears of joy for a week before she wrote the letter thanking me for returning not only the ring but her youthful past to her. You wouldn't believe the pump that gave me for our hobby. I'll never forget it.
Chris

 

[Copperhead]

I once returned a 1928 gold womans classring to the rightful owner. She was in an old age home and wrote me a nice letter on how she lost it in the woods having a picnic with a bunch of friends. She only had it a week when she lost it. She said she is in an elderly assisted living house and this ring brought a whole lot of wonderful memories of her youth back to her and had been crying tears of joy for a week before she wrote the letter thanking me for returning not only the ring but her youthful past to her. You wouldn't believe the pump that gave me for our hobby. I'll never forget it.
Chris

Interesting to compare the results of the two good deeds....Says wonders about how much...or how little...a kind act can be appreciated by different folks...

 

[allen]

bad bad girl...

 

[Emileel]

Just in the last 6 months, I have found in thrift store and/or yard sale finds:

*someone's entire closing package from the purchase of a piece of real estate, including loan application, social sec. #'s,birthdates, deed, promissory note, mortgage, etc.

*a batch of medical receipts including the curent address, name , birth, social sec #.

*someone's current US passport.

I have returned all of these to their owners, and one actually threatened me by saying, that if they were the victim of identitly theft, they knew who to send the police to!

Sometimes its just not worth the trouble to return it.

 

[kawalabear]

a few years ago my mom and dad went through the banks night dep. and on the way out you have to go through another parking lot . in that lot they found a bank envelope with cash in it . so the next day when the bank was open my mother called and told them. the woman they talked to said yea just bring it back, my mom asked if it had been reported missing and if so what was the amount. they said it wasn't hers bring it back . they said when you can tell us a name or amount we will it was around 500 dollars. the woman said they dint have to give her any info and she would press charges if it wasn't back by noon. my mom did take it back to the bank and told them she had reported it to the police too. and if they cant prove who the owner was to them then they were to return it to us in 30 days. the woman at the bank was mad !! never heard from anyone it was just a few weeks before x-mas so my parents hoped it had gotten back to the owner.

some people don't know how to say thank you but if we do whats right that's what really counts

so all of you that dint get your thank you let me say thank you to you just for sharing your story and letting the rest of us know there are still good people out there

 

[TomNWMI]

My experience with returning class rings has been positive. Some were easy to return (the local ones) and some more of a bit of a challenge to find the rightful owner. But I always got at least a thank you.

I found one a few years back from a small town about 75 miles away that I could not get info on from anyone and I was not going to just send it to the school. Finally I had the idea of calling the local postmaster, (small town post offices are THE local information center) LOL, Anyway he knew the girl but said the family had moved and if I sent it to him he would forward to her, so off it went. About 6 mos. later I got a hand written thank you note from the her.

Interestingly a year later while talking to a part time clerk at my local post office he mentioned his wife losing her class ring at the beach when they were dating back in the early 70's Unbelievably the next summer I found it!

Karma!

Tom