Thanks to a bit of detective work, a Meeker High School Class of 1960 ring discovered at Lake Powell in 2012 has finally made its way home — to the original owner’s sister, Joan Bates of Meeker.
Kristi Watkins first contacted the Herald Times about the ring last fall. After taking it to a jeweler, Watkins learned it was a woman’s class ring with the initials L.M. engraved inside. Using Meeker High School yearbooks available online, she narrowed the possibilities and eventually connected with an out-of-state sister of Laura June McGruder Hughes.
A search of Meeker Herald archives revealed Hughes had passed away in 2011 and also identified another sister, Joan Bates, who still lives in Meeker. Watkins and Bates were soon connected, helping fill in the rest of the story.
Bates recalled that her sister, who married before graduating, had taken a fishing trip to Lake Powell with her husband. The family believes the ring was lost during that trip.
The ring was later found in 2012 by the son of Lacy Butler, Watkins’ manicurist. After tracking down the family connection, Watkins mailed the ring to Bates, returning the keepsake to Hughes’ family.