She found a class ring back in 1985. She couldn’t find the high school senior who owned it, and it was put aside. Now, 37 years later, she found the ring again and wants to find the woman who owns it, this time she decided to turn to Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser for help.
It was 1985, Pat had just washed her clothes at a laundromat.
Patricia Zidell: “And I came home with it. It was in the wet laundry, and I noticed it”.
As Pat sorted through the clothes, a Cooper City High School class ring tumbled out. It had apparently been left in the washing machine at the Pembroke Road laundry.
Patricia Zidell: “Well, it has that beautiful, beautiful blue stone in the center, and it sits up rather high.”
The ring said Kim C. Nelson, class of ’85, so Pat called Cooper City High School to get in touch with her.
Patricia Zidell: “But they weren’t at all any help.”
Pat went back to the laundromat, no one was looking for a missing ring.
She turned to the phone book where everyone was listed back then.
Patricia Zidell: “And I think I called for at least five Nelsons in the phone book. Some of them hung up and some I left messages. There wasn’t anyone that knew of her or it, so I gave up.”
Pat and her family were then packing up to move to their new home, so she carefully put the ring in a box and bag and lost track of it. Thirty-seven years passed by…
Patricia Zidell: “My daughter found it the other day or a week or so ago, she said, what are you going to do with this?”
Pat replied…
Patricia Zidell: “I have to do something now. I’ve had it too long.”
Pat called Cooper City High School again. They said their records didn’t go back to 1985, but Pat wasn’t going to give up this time…
Patricia Zidell: “Well, this girl should have her ring, so I’m sure I should find it. I found it, and she should have it. Then my friend across the street suggested I call Help Me Howard, so here we are.”
We started digging and everything fell into place.
First we found a picture of Kim in the 1985 school yearbook, using the internet, we found her now living in Central Florida and put her in touch with Pat.
Patricia Zidell: “Hello, Kim, I found your ring.”
Kim Nelson Berman on Zoom call: “Thank you so very much.”
Patricia Zidell: “And I have it in my hand right now.”
And the twists and turns continued…
Kim’s husband, Bear, just happened to be in South Florida on business a few days later. He came over to Pat’s house…
Bear Berman: “These are for your efforts.”
Patricia Zidell: “Oh, you’re so sweet.”
Turns out he knew exactly where Pat lived…
Bear Berman: “She’s literally six houses from the house I grew up in on 16th Court.”
Kim Nelson Berman: “Wow, that’s amazing.”
Who knows how many times he went by the house where his future wife’s ring sat in a box. A ring Kim occasionally thought about.
Kim Nelson Berman: “Every once in a while I do. I think, wow, I did have a class ring, and I lost it. What a shame.”
Now, 37 years later, she has the class ring she bought, she lost and Pat found.”
Patricia Zidell: “I’m very happy. I’m very happy. So I’m glad that we found it, and that it’s being returned.”
Kim Nelson Berman: “Yes, thank you so very much. I appreciate it.”
Patrick Fraser: “After listening to you, Kim and listening to Pat, I’m not sure which one of you is happier.”
They are happy, and we are glad we could help make them happy.
Patricia Zidell: “Yeah, so I’m so glad we finally found it for you, and Help Me Howard was a big help.”
Kim Nelson Berman: “Thank you for taking the time out to do this. I really greatly appreciate it.”
Patrick Fraser: You know what? It’s nice to help nice people.”
Absolutely, it is.
A woman determined to find the owner of a ring, a couple surprised to receive it. It makes you smile…
I think that’s called a happy ending.
Now you may have heard, possession is 9/10th of the law, but if you find something that doesn’t belong to you legally you are supposed to notify the police or try to find the owner. Pat did, just took awhile.
Feeling lost trying to fix a problem? Stop searching for an answer, ring us up and see if our solution fits you.
With this Help Me Howard, I’m Patrick Fraser, 7News.
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Email: helpmehoward@wsvn.com
Reporter: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.com
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