Terry Causey

I am thankful for the internet, for TheRingFinders who share their talents. I will never forget you, Terry! (2020)

On October 1st, while working on replacing foundation vents, the ring on my right hand was hurting me as I hammered at the old mortar, in spite of the gauntlet gloves I wore as protection against poison ivy. I removed the glove and the ring which I dropped inside my bra. Don’t do this. I continued working, digging out dirt for vent wells, removing old mortar and vents, sitting, and lying in dirt for half of the day. That night, I realized that the ring was not in the “safe” place I had put it; I mentally retraced my steps which were fortunately minimal. I recalled hearing something drop when I was on an uncarpeted floor in our home, but could not recall where that was. Over the weekend I searched the grassy area around the house & raked the dirt. On the 4th I rented a metal detector for 4 hours and learned that while I could not locate my ring, the yard was worth digging up as there was a lot of response, I made 7 cents. During the ensuing days, I divided the probable search area into a grid with kebab skewers and crochet thread and ensured that no one walked there. My husband raked the area and sieved the dirt with doubled chicken wire. We wore a fluorescent headlamp to search at night in the hopes of catching a reflection from gold or stones. I also desperately cleaned in every nook & cranny and under every appliance in our home. I was becoming increasingly depressed. The ring was originally my grandmother’s engagement ring; it passed to her daughter, my aunt, who had no children, so it passed to me. I wore it with pride. My eldest daughter will inherit it. My grief was compounded by my lack of responsibility and the impending need to inform family members of the loss. The internet, which had educated me on all measures noted above, led me to The Ring Finders. I called Terry Causey on October 12th and he agreed to visit on the 13th in a last-ditch effort before I gave up actively searching. He visited as planned, was calm, realistic, and within 45 minutes, successful. I was overwhelmed with joy as I replaced the ring on my finger; I was holding my 16-month-old grandson who is named after the original owner’s son. I am thankful for the internet, for TheRingFinders who share their talents. I will never forget you, Terry! Thank you.