Ohio School Janitor Finds Purse That Was Lost in 1957

In early 2019, North Canton Middle School custodian Chas Pyle discovered a purse that had been lost by a student in 1957 when a piece of metal trim between the student lockers and the wall detached and clattered to the floor. Pyle took his discovery to the administrative offices, where they discovered that it belonged to 1960 alum of Hoover High School Patti Rumfola.

The purse contained a library card, a student identification card, a compact and other personal items that typically belonged to a teenage student in the late 1950s. It was perfectly preserved time capsule from that time period. The middle school, which moved into the former high school, sought out information about the purse’s owner through social media.

1957, some of the trim may not have yet been attached, and the purse could have fallen off the locker down into the narrow crevice. …The owner of the purse was identified as Patti Rumfola, a 1960 Hoover alumna. The investigation to locate Patti began, and the district posted about the find on Facebook.

The school shortly learned that Rumfola had sadly passed away, but they ensured that the family received the purse and all that contained within.

Patti’s five children were together for a family gathering in the fall where they opened the purse to have a glimpse into their mother’s life as a teenager at Hoover High School.

via My Modern Met