Nearly 60 years ago, Don and Audrey Musgrove of Sully got engaged. Today, after being missing for over five decades, Audrey’s diamond engagement ring is now back on her finger thanks to a rare twist of fate that includes a home sale, move across town, kitchen remodel, and the thoughtfulness of strangers.
Cookie Conundrum
Between 1965-1966, Audrey was in the middle of baking cookies in her kitchen at 302 2nd Street in Sully when she took off her rings and placed them against the backsplash. Once the cookies she was making were finished, Audrey discovered her diamond engage-ment ring was missing. The Mus-groves searched everywhere for the ring, knowing it must have gotten knocked off the backsplash somehow. Audrey remembers looking, vacuuming, and searching through the vacuum canister in hopes of finding it. Did the ring fall into the register? Was it lost in the small space between the cabinet and mopboard? Don said the ring had to bounce “just right” in order to fall into the crevice between the cabinet and the mopboard, but he said, “I always had a feeling it was under it.”
“We hunted every-where but didn't find it,” recalled Audrey. “We had no way to know for sure, and removing cabinets at the time didn't seem logical.”
The young married couple did what most would do at the time – move on and hope the ring shows up somehow, sometime. The two talked about replacing the ring and even looked at new diamonds a time or two, but never made a purchase. “We never replaced it because there was always something else we thought we needed worse,” said Audrey. For the past 50-plus years, Audrey has worn the matching wedding band on her ring finger. Although never forgotten, the Musgroves figured the ring was a loss and would never show up unless the kitchen was remodeled, an overhaul that wasn’t part of their plans.
Cross-Town Move
In the fall of 2016, the Musgroves put their home on the market and started building a more suitable house for their lifestyle in Northridge Estates across from Lynnville-Sully School. When their house sold, the Musgroves bid farewell to the home they had built and resided in for 52 years – the same home that held so many memories in-cluding the lost diamond engagement ring. Fast forward to the spring of 2017, and Audrey answered an unexpected phone call from their realtor, Heather Engbers of Heartland Iowa Realty.
“Have you ever lost a ring?” Audrey recalls Heather asking. “Yes!” was the answer and she described what she remembered of the long-lost ring that held so much significance. Heather proceeded to tell Audrey that the new owners – George and Kimberley Mould – of the Musgroves’ former home on the west side of Sully were in the midst of a kitchen remodel when they found a ring under the island cabinet.
The Moulds contacted their realtor, who in turn contacted Engbers and relayed the surprise find. Engbers was overjoyed to share such happy news with Don and Audrey, who were equally elated. “I had asked about picking the ring up and since they were at the house working, they said to ‘come on over.’ We both went to the house to get it. We were so excited, and I think they were also excited as Kimberley gave me a big hug when she handed me the ring. It was in perfect condition!” said Audrey.
Now, after 50-plus years, Audrey is once again wearing her diamond engagement ring. She said the ring is a bit tighter than the wedding band since the band has 59 years of wear, but it’s still as beautiful as the day they got engaged. “I still can't believe it and have to look at it every once in awhile to believe it is really there!” exclaimed Audrey. “We haven’t properly thanked the Moulds for returning the ring, but wish to publicly thank them.”
