After 23 years, Kentucky man to be reunited with class ring
Staff writer
County commissioner Randy Dallke was mowing grass on property he owns when a glint in a garage caught his eye.
Dallke turned off his mower and went to see what had caused the glint.
It turned out to be a silver and alexandrite 2002 class ring from Henderson County.
“It was in this rusty, muddy garage,” Dallke said. “I’m surprised it’s in as good of condition as it is.”
When he got home, he showed it to his wife and daughter, Roxy.
They had to use a magnifying glass to make out a name inside the band of the ring.
The ring was inscribed with the name Joseph Bender.
The only Henderson County Dallke knew about is in Texas.
Roxy did an online check and found other Henderson Counties in North Carolina, Nevada, and Kentucky.
The one in Kentucky has a school with the team name Colonels, which appeared on the ring.
Roxy set about searching for Joseph Bender from Henderson County. She posted on social media and not long afterward got a response from Bender.
Bender was at first suspicious of the unknown woman looking for him. He asked why she was looking for him.
She explained, but he remained suspicious.
Bender said he lost the ring after prom when he left it in a hotel room. Although he returned to the hotel, there was no sign of it.
Bender had no idea how the ring had found its way to Peabody.
Roxy said she would mail it to him.
“If we can do something good for somebody, that’s what matters,” Dallke said.