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More stories of long-gone keepsakes reach 'This Place, This Time'
By Mark J. Price
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Monday, Oct 26, 2009
We must have struck a chord. Our recent articles about lost-and-found keepsakes have generated a lot of comments.
Here are some interesting updates from the world of This Place, This Time:
Unexpected gift
Akron native Joe Lepera, 75, a retired air-traffic controller in Elyria, told us a poignant story that we just had to share.
The widowed Lepera, who lost his wife, Vicky, last December, was saddened to read the obituary of his high school sweetheart, Sharon Coddington Gainer, who died Oct. 8.
Lepera received an unexpected gift when he attended the calling hours Oct. 11 at Campfield-Hickman-Collier funeral home in Barberton.
Lepera, a 1952 graduate of Akron Central High School, met Sharon when she was a student at Garfield. They dated for two years, but broke up after he joined the Air Force. As life often happens, they went separate ways, married other people and found happiness. They never saw each other again.
At the funeral home, Lepera was praying at Sharon's casket when a gentleman tapped him on the shoulder and asked: ''Are you Joe?'' It was Bill Gainer, Sharon's husband of 50 years.
The two men exchanged condolences about the loss of their wives. Lepera told Gainer that he was happy Sharon had married such a good man and raised a nice family.
''We were talking about five minutes and he said, 'Joe, I have something for you,' '' Lepera said ''And I was startled. I said, 'What would that be?' He said 'Put out your hand.' I put out my hand, and he put in my hand this ring. It was my high school graduation ring that I had given her 57 years ago.''
Lepera couldn't believe it. The gold ring, which bore the initials ''JL'' and ''1952,'' was in perfect condition.
Sharon had asked her husband to give the ring to Lepera if he visited the funeral home.
''I really admire her husband and her family,'' Lepera said. ''They were very, very congenial and understanding.''
Lepera can't begin to express how appreciative he is to get back his ring after 57 years.
''That was amazing,'' he said. ''It's just something that I will treasure, and hand it down to my children with the story.''
Missing bracelet
Wadsworth resident Helen Berg, a licensed practical nurse at Smithville Western Care Center in Wooster, yearns to find an irreplaceable keepsake.
She lost a gold charm bracelet three or four years ago in the Akron area. The charms reminded her of the wonderful trips and special events she shared with her husband, Dr. Charles Berg, a physician in the Wadsworth-Seville area for 31 years before he died in 2005.
''The bracelet includes charms from Aruba, San Francisco, Sanibel, the births of our grandsons, a gold pineapple, along with others,'' she wrote. ''This bracelet meant so much to me, I would be thrilled to have it in my possession again.''
If you know where the keepsake might be, please send a suggestion to the address at the bottom of this column. Hopefully, we'll have some luck.
Ring update
We're close to identifying the owner of a 1938 West High School ring found 20 years ago in an Akron parking lot. Unfortunately, we're not close enough.
The girl's 1938 ring is inscribed with the initials ''ES.''
The ring belonged to either Evelyn Stetter Condron, who died in May 2005, or Elsie Schlichte Koscik, who died in April 2009.
We talked with the daughters of both women, but neither was aware of a missing ring. Both were willing to give the memento to the other family if the owner couldn't be verified.
We'll try again: If you knew Evelyn or Elsie and remember hearing about a lost ring, please call us at the number below.
Mark J. Price is a Beacon Journal copy editor. He can be reached at 330-996-3850 or send e-mail to mjprice@thebeaconjournal.com.
We must have struck a chord. Our recent articles about lost-and-found keepsakes have generated a lot of comments.
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Posted 12:26 PM, 10/26/2009
What a wonderful gift to get that ring back for Joe. That was so thoughtful of Sharon to have her family return it and to know he was remembered and thought of all these years. Thanks for sharing the story with us. God bless you all.
Akron, OH
Posted 03:02 PM, 10/26/2009
What a wonderful family. Not only did she remember him and keep his ring, but one of her last dying priorities was to give the man his ring back. How sweet.
Fresno, CA
Posted 12:08 AM, 10/27/2009
I didn't know Mrs. Gainer but we heard/read the story about the returned class ring all the way out here in California! I want to first offer my deepest condolences to her family! She sounds like an incredible woman to have known! We are also a family of Gainer's. My husband and I were high school sweethearts. God forbid we ever break up or I might be returning a few things at my funeral as well!
Akron, Oh
Posted 10:52 AM, 10/27/2009
Cool Artical
Green, Ohio
Posted 10:57 AM, 10/27/2009
Very cool. It brought tears to my eyes.
elvis country, al
Posted 12:24 PM, 10/27/2009
Th a wonderful is is so touching and thoughtful what thought men.
Norton, oh
Posted 10:59 AM, 10/28/2009
Nice! Glad he survived the military service and was here to attend the funeral.
