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BLOOMINGDALE -- In 2012, Mingo Junction resident Barry Bardone went metal detecting throughout Jefferson Lake State Park.
During his hunt, he came across a high school ring. The ring had obviously sat for a while as it required a good cleaning.
So Bardone decided to take his find home and give the ring a good, thorough cleaning.
He discovered the piece of jewelry with the green stone was from Ringgold High School. The year imprinted on the side was 1983. Inscribed was the name Tawny Bova.
Bardone made several attempts to locate Bova. For years he searched her name online and did what he could to contact her. He wasn't able to locate where the high school was located, he said.
"I forgot about the ring until Dec. 29," he stated. "That is when I located it inside a drawer. So I tried again to find some clue as to the owner of the ring or the location of the high school."
Bardone said he put Bova's name into the computer once more. After almost 12 years, he believed his attempts would prove futile, yet again. This time, an obituary popped up for an Elizabeth Bova. The obituary was from 2018. The obit included the name Tawny Bova who resides in Arkansas.
"After several hours of detective work and lots of frustration, I discovered Tawny and the school were located Monongahela, Pa.," Bardone explained. "Many hours later, after hitting several dead ends and as a last resort, today I took a chance and sent a message to someone in Arkansas. Tawny called me within 30 minutes. She was shocked that I tracked her down."
"She told me that she gave the ring to her then-boyfriend; however, they broke up and he kept the ring," Bardone added. "She has no idea how or why the ring ended up in Jefferson County."
"Over the years, she thought about the ring but figured she would never see it again," Bardone explained.
"Forty years after graduating, she will get her ring back," he concluded.
Bardone commented Bova informed him she plans to put the ring on a chain and give it to her granddaughter, along with telling her the story that happened in Jefferson County.
"I'm glad I was able to make someone happy at the beginning of the new year," Bardone concluded. "I hope it is a good omen for both of us. And never give up. You can truly make someone else's day."