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Jo Ferrell found this James Monroe High School ring at her home in Falmouth. She hopes to return the ring to its owner. |
THE GOLD James Monroe High School ring with the ruby-colored stone and "1948" engraved on its face isn't worth much money.
It's a small thing, a class ring with the initials "C.W.C." inside.
But as Jo Ferrell looked over the ring last week at her home in Falmouth, the lifelong Stafford County resident couldn't hide the frustration she feels about the small piece of jewelry.
"I want to get it back to its rightful owner," said Ferrell. "The problem is, I don't know who that is."
So how did Ferrell end up with this trinket?
Sometime around 1948--she doesn't know when exactly--a young man walked into the grocery store Ferrell's father was involved with in Falmouth Bottom.
Her father, George "Billy" Sacrey, said the young man came in looking for help.
"For some reason, I'm not sure I ever knew why, the young man needed some money," said Ferrell.
Wanting to help, Sacrey told the young man he'd advance him some money if he would leave something as a deposit. The young man offered the ring, and said he'd be back soon to repay the loan and claim the ring.
"But he never came back, and the ring just stayed at the store," Ferrell said.
When her father's involvement in the store ended, the ring went home with him. Ferrell found it cleaning out her parents' home after they both passed away.
"For a while, I didn't do anything about it, but would come across it now and then," she said. "I knew it belonged to someone else and they should have it."
Ferrell said she went to Ulman's Jewelry in Fredericksburg, where the ring might have been purchased.
Ferrell said the staff there was helpful, but had no records to give a clue to the owner's identity. But they were able to provide help reading the initials, which had become difficult to see.
Ferrell said she contacted officials at the high school and others who might have old JM yearbooks.
No one has been able to shed any light on who the ring might belong to, or where the owner might be.
"The way I remember my father telling the story, it was a young man," said Ferrell. "But it's possible that it was a young woman. The ring is fairly small."
It's also possible that the ring's owner never graduated, left for another school, didn't care enough to retrieve it or is deceased.
"The ring's year is 1948, but I think students would get their rings in their junior year, which could mean it could have been left in 1947 or earlier," she said.
At this point, Ferrell doesn't care about the loan or why the ring was never picked up.
She would just like to return it.
So I ask: If you have a James Monroe High School annual from that period, or if you have any clue about who C.W.C. might be, get in touch.
Maybe we can get the ring back to its owner or to that person's family.
Rob Hedelt: 540/374-5415
Email: rhedelt@freelancestar.com
