A Louisiana man received something he's been missing for four decades last week: his LaGrange High School class ring.
Dale Gauthreaux lost it on the beach, and it was discovered by another LaGrange graduate.
Gauthreaux was the average student, not preoccupied with academics or extra-curriculars.
He said the one thing he was involved in was "getting out of high school."
"Really, I mean, I had to graduate and I wasn't really into much of anything except cars," Gauthreaux said.
Still, during his senior year, he got a class ring.
"A gator head inside the topaz which is my birthmark, birthstone, got my initials...You know, everything is pretty natural except the gator head on the inside," he said.
It was along the I-10 bridge in 1972 when Gauthreaux said he was relaxing and enjoying the view with classmates when he lost his ring.
Mike Giles was also a LaGrange student, but he graduated years before Gauthreaux.
He found the ring on the beach in 1972, and had every intention of one day finding the original owner.
"I took it home, put it in the jewelry box and basically forgot about it for 40 years, and it traveled around the world with me to different jobs with me and went overseas and came back to Lake Charles with me about 1990," Giles said.
After returning to Lake Charles and speaking with neighbors, Giles was able to connect the ring to Gauthreaux and surprised him with the ring.
"I was told somebody had something of mine. I said the only thing it could be is my graduation ring and it's on the bottom of the beach, and well, it ain't at the bottom of the beach," Gauthreaux said.
Giles said he, himself, lost his ring 40 or 50 years ago.
"I think it means a lot to him. I wish I had mine back. Mine is in a marsh. I lost it when I was duck hunting 40 to 50 years ago and if it means as much to him as mine did to me, I'm sure he's glad to have it back," he said.
TXT 24
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