A missing high school class ring has been found more than three decades after It was lost.
The owner of the ring, Ronnie M. Farmer passed away in 2011, but efforts were made by the finder to reunite the lost ring to his family.
In the early 90s, the ring was found in a place that brought a sense of “home” to the finder. Michael Wilmoth, son of Dan and Josie Wilmoth of Seaman, Ohio, was serving in the United States Air Force in West Germany, where he found a high school class ring from Peebles, Ohio.
According to Wilmoth, after playing basketball in the gym at the US Air Base in Germany he found the ring. To his surprise, Wilmoth examined the ring and saw the marks of Peebles High School. Efforts to find the owner on the base were unsuccessful. There were no claims, so Wilmoth tucked it away, and forgot about it. After many years and many military moves, the ring was a lost memory.
Fast forward to 2019, when sorting through knick-knacks, Wilmoth rediscovered the lost class ring from a student of Peebles High School. The ring, sporting a blue center stone, dated “1985” and highlighting a basketball player’s glory, was found.
Wilmoth contacted his parents in Seaman, told them the story, and sent them the ring. His mother, Josie Wilmoth went to work, observed what was a set of initials, and thanks to some social interaction and some internet savvy, Mrs. Wilmoth quickly found the ring’s rightful family. Through internet searches, an obituary was found for Farmer, who passed away in 2011. Listed in the obituary, was Farmer’s mother, Chris Farmer.
“Finding the ring was very emotional,” said Chris Farmer. “It’s hard to put into words, sad, but happy. Sad he is gone, but happy it was a part of him. It is something I can cherish forever.”
Farmer’s family says it was an incredible find. According to the family, Farmer had never been to Germany and has no idea how it made it across the world.
“We appreciate the Wilmoth family for everything they have done,” said Farmer. “We want to thank the family for helping us.”
