Longwood, Florida/Oakton, Virginia - In the nearly 20 years he's been scuba diving, Reed Banjanin came across many things, but he didn't expect to find a class ring from 1923.
The ring once belonged to Louise Hearst and was found last July 25 feet below the surface of a spring in Longwood, Florida.
He found it in perfect condition while scuba diving with his metal detector and got a hit on the object. Hearst's name was engraved on the ring shortly after her graduation from Mississippi Women's College, now known as William Carey University. She changed her surname to Entzminger when she married.
After what seems like nearly a century since it was last seen by human eyes, the ring was not only found by Banjanin, but returned to the family.
Her grandson, John Entzminger, was celebrating his 75th birthday when he got the call about Banjanin finding the ring.
Entzminger received Banjanin’s call, on Dec. 17: his birthday.
"I just couldn't believe it," said the Oakton, Virginiaman. "I had absolutely no idea that my grandmother lost it."
It's believed Louise lost the ring while vacationing with her husband's family in Seminole County.
Finding Entzminger proved challenging for Banjanin, who began with an online search for Mississippi Women’s College alumnae records, where he discovered Hearst was from Hattiesburg, Miss.
“I spent a good few weeks trying to find out more about her. I prayed about it, and had the ring next to my bed every night.”
Eventually, Banjanin stopped looking, but a couple weeks before Christmas a friend reminded him about his search. Determined to give it one more try, he found Hearst lived in Forest County, Miss., and married John Entzminger. After finding out she died in 1975, he used findagrave.com to locate her relatives and track down her grandson.
John says he plans on giving the ring to his grandchildren.
However I must ask the question: Is the math off on this one? Maybe he's her son instead of grandson.
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