I found one this summer, contacted the HS principal and, to make a long story short, said he could not come up with the owner but if I would just send him the ring he would try again. Yeah, right.
I tried but could not get a lead on the manufacturer.
I finally contacted the local library and found that they have copies of the HS year books. I went there a few days ago (an hour and a quarter drive) and got the name and have contacted the owner. Will give it to him when I get a chance to go to his town, also about an hour+ drive away.
Now, to fill in a few details. Inside the ring is BOB. I checked all the boys with the last name starting with B, first name starting with B. No luck. Then, last name with B, first name of Robert. No luck.
Finally went through the whole graduating class for first names of Robert and wrote them down. The ring is too big for me, at least size 10, so I also noted "large" guys judging from the pictures. Then, I checked the previous year book to see if anyone may have dropped out of school after ordering their ring. I found a few of the Roberts I had already found went by Rob. More names eliminated.
Now I had it narrowed down to one person. The very helpful librarian gave me the phone number which was against their "personal information policy." Good thing. I never would have found it. The phone number was his mother who had remarried and her name had changed. The boy was living in another town about 20 miles away with his sister.
The boy is MI, Mentally Incapacitated, and his mother had ordered the ring and guessed at the size which was at least a size too big. That was about all she could tell me. No other details.
She gave me her son's phone number and when I talked to him he described it in minute detail. His name is Robert. I slipped and mentioned INITIALS one time. He quickly corrected me and told me that it was not his initials. "That's my name. Bob, for Robert. Bob, that's me."
He was not capable of giving me his phone number but he sure knew that ring well.
Sometimes you gotta work at getting these rings back. I was lucky enough to get a very helpufl librarian.
