Portland, MI ring find makes a happy TV ending.

I first heard about a man, Dick L., who lost his retirement ring that he received from Oldsmobile after working there 39 years, while doing some yard work either at his church or his home. It was a year ago and his granddaughter, Lindsey, wanted to make it right for him so she hunted around for another ring just like the one he lost and then surprise him at a family gathering. A TV reporter from her town found out about the ring and the presentation to her grandfather and put the story on TV. For the first time in his 83 years he was speechless brought on by the caring act of his granddaughter and getting a likeness of his ring back.

I saw the story on Fox 17 and thought to myself I can find that ring. I called the TV reporter and asked her if I could contact Dick L. to see if I could find the original ring, she was so excited about the possibilities of finding it that she called Dick and he agreed to meet with me. Today my detecting friend Dave B. and I went to Portland after finding another ring for a gentleman that morning. We met with Dick and he took us over to the church where he had done some fencing and yard work last summer. He explained how he took a dirt pile and spread it out, filled in some holes and then sifted some of the dirt to take home and add to his lawn. A year ago the summer was very hot and his front lawn needed seeding and top dirt added to it to help out an almost dying lawn. After digging, raking and detecting for over 3 hours at the church we decided to take a look at Dick’s front yard. This summer the yard was very green and well manicured. An area not larger than 25′ by 50′ we started a grid search where he said he added top soil. In less than 5 minutes the ring was found setting in a small divot covered by some dead grass. How the ring escaped the eyes of it’s owner for a year and repeated mowing’s is amazing.

Dick’s granddaughter, Lindsey, accompanied us on both site searches and became a little teary eyed after the find knowing her grandfather was reunited with his original ring and Dick was again speechless for a moment. Lindsey contacted the TV station and they were able to get a reporter and cameraman out for the follow-up story. It became a nice lawn party with Dick’s wife, Lindsey, their other daughter and several neighbors driving by wondering what all the commotion was with the TV reporters doing there.

The funny thing is I told Dick this was going to be my 32nd story and he said that is my old football number “32”. It was this Irishman’s lucky day. By tomorrow this small town of Portland, MI will know “the rest of the story”.