Bexhill resident travels to USA to return lost ring

Cyril recently made a trip to the USA and whilst there he personally hand delivered the ring to Ellie, Cyril explained how the story began:

"I found the ring on the beach near Warrior Square, St Leonards on a Sunday evening in July 1987 '“ I was always finding earrings, keys and things like that - and I reported my find to the police."

But no one reported losing the black onyx ring and, realising it was quite special, Cyril decided to try to track down the owner himself, including writing the the then US President, George W Bush.

Cyril said: "It was an American class ring and inscribed on it was 'Oakridge school ' and two faint initials 'J' and 'M'. This was in pre-computer days so it wasn't so easy to find information back then so I wrote to the American embassy but had no response. I also wrote to President Bush but again had no response so it's been in my collection for all these years."

Cyril felt he'd done all he could at that time to trace the owner and the ring went into his collection of treasured finds which he would often display locally, including Bexhill Museum.

Then a couple of years ago, whilst at a conference in London, Cyril struck up a conversation with American Michelle Schrag, who lives in Chicago. The two became pen-friends and after a year of corresponding with each other Cyril, at the grand age of 90, decided to visit Michelle, making the trip from his home in Manor Road to the states in July of this year.

He took the ring with him, and shortly after his arrival in Chicago, Michelle and Cyril quickly set to work in an attempt to once again track down it's rightful owner.

And thanks to the wonders of the world wide web what goes around really does come around as Michelle found Oakridge High School through the High School web site and it was only a short time before officials at the Tennessee school traced former pupil, Ellie Tucker, who had lived in England in the the 1960's.

Cyril and Ellie made contact and a meeting was quickly arranged.

Ellie and her husband travelled to Chicago to meet Cyril and he handed over the ring, but not before the story had been picked up by the American press, with a story appearing in the Chicago Tribune followed by an interview with America's ITV TV channel.

Ellie, 68, was delighted to have her ring returned to her after such a long time and said she clearly remembered her parents giving her the ring as a a graduation present. And, incredibly, it wasn't the first time she'd lost the ring and had it returned to her as, in the late 1950's , she lost it on Myrtle Beach in Southern California and it was returned to her a few years later.

Ellie said: "It must have some incredible magnetic attachment to me."

Ellie subsequently lost the ring for a second time whilst living in England with her husband, who was serving in the Air Force at the time. Although Ellie can't remember how it came to end up on the beach in St Leonards she is sure the ring is hers as she'd had three initials placed inside the ring, and the two that remain visible represent her maiden name.

Of Cyril and Michelle returning her treasured ring after all these years she said:

" I think these two people must be marvellous individuals. This is just an amazing story."

Cyril is pleased that at long last the ring has been retuned to it's rightful owner, describing Ellie as being, "a very happy American lady", on receiving her ring, and said they plan to keep in touch by email.