Class ring story stirs a lot of memories

The phone has been ringing in regards to the 1965 class ring that was found in eastern Greene County near the Viaduct 30-some years ago.

The story about the lost keepsake ran in the Dec. 29 edition of the Greene County Daily World along with a photo of the mangled ring and the lady who found it.

The article -- which is a quest for the ring's rightful owner -- also appeared on-line and can be found archived at www.gcdailyworld.com .

If the ring could talk I bet it would have a winning story to tell. Maybe someone threw it off of the Viaduct in a fit of rage after breaking up with a high school sweetheart. Or maybe someone honestly lost the ring at the famous Greene County spot -- which was known for being a popular teen hang-out in earlier times.

But, the ring did leave behind a few clues -- which include the 1965 graduating year, initials MH, a blue stone and its large size indicating that it once belonged to a boy.

Since the ring lacked a school crest, alumni from several different schools have called and shared information hoping to find the owner.

Within 24 hours, two people had called about the story plus one person sent an e-mail. By last Thursday, I had chatted with two people with the initials MH who had both lost their 1965 class ring.

I marked one off the list after finding out the caller, a Worthington grad, had a ring with a red stone and two pearl bars across it. The caller took the long-time loss of his ring lightheartedly and 'chuckingly' said something about all his relationships ending tragically anyway.

The other call was from a Daviess County lady who graduated from Bloomfield in '65. She said her class ring had been lost by an old high school flame, but that he was made to buy her a replacement ring.

"A boy I was going with lost it," she said. "We hung out at the Viaduct."

After the couple broke up, this former MH didn't give the boy's class ring back until he had came up with a replacement.

"He wanted his back and was told he wouldn't get it until he bought another one (for me). But, it didn't have the stone. We went easy on him...," she added reflecting on the memory.

This Bloomfield class of 1965 MH still has the replacement ring although it's a cheaper version of the original. And since the class ring in question is most likely a man's (because of its size) I highly doubt that it could belong to this MH.

Mark another one off the list.

I also received a call from a Linton grad -- who after reading the story checked her class list and came up with another MH. She said this MH had joined the military after graduating and never looked back.

According to the caller, Linton's 1965 MH is no longer living, his parents are also passed and he was an only child.

That brings me to the most recent MH, a '65 grad of Switz City Central, who now resides in Shelbyville. Although I have yet to speak with him, I did get a call from his sister, a 1962 grad of Switz City Central, who now resides in Indianapolis.

She confirmed that her brother did lose his class ring that had a blue stone.

"I went on-line and looked at the story," she said, adding that a Switz City Central alumni member had contacted her about the news article.

Apparently, her brother's class ring was lost by an old flame who never returned it after the couple called it quits years ago.

"She wouldn't give it back," the 1962 Switz City Central grad explained.

Is it possible that within less than a week's time the owner of the 1965 class ring could be found? Stay tuned because I currently await a call from Switz City Central's MH...

Timberly is a staff writer at the Greene County Daily World. She can be reached by e-mail at tferree@gcdailyworld.com or by phone at 1-800-947-4487 or (812) 847-4487.