When the pupils of North Canton Middle School in Ohio learned that the staff had found a lost purse from 1957 behind one of their lockers, they didn't realize that they had come across a time capsule. The purse contained the belongings of one of their alumni, which offered a glimpse into what a teenager's life was like about 62 years ago.
Time travel
Back in 2019, the school shared a series of Facebook posts telling the story of the purse. A custodian at the School was repairing lockers when he discovered the bag wedged behind a piece of detachable metal plate. While the outside of the bad bag was old and crusty, the contents of it were shockingly well-preserved.
The bag had cosmetics, an American Junior Red Cross card, family photos, YMCA membership receipts, coins, and all sorts of things. The contents essentially told the story of a teenager who was active in her community and loved her family.
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With some good old investigative work, the school was able to figure out that the owner of the purse was named Patti Rumfola. Rumfola lost the purse in 1957, when she was attending what was then Hoover High School.
The initial post went viral as people were curious to know more about Rumfola and her story. Thus, the school reached out to the North Canton Alumni Association in hopes of returning the purse to her. Unfortunately, they learned that Rumfola, who graduated from Hoover High in 1960, had passed away in 2013.
The school then followed up with another post, sharing more details about Rumfola. In the Facebook post, they shared Rumfola's obituary which was printed in the Punxsutawney Spirit in 2013. Rumfola died Patricia R. Michele at 71 years old, it said.
She married John G. Michele in 1980 and worked as a teacher. She was also one of the founding members of Punxsutawney's Theatre Arts Guild and the Young Women's Club.
While the school failed to reach the rightful owner, they located the family of Rumfola with the help of fellow Facebook users. In another follow-up, the school shared that the purse had been given to her children. The post added that her five kids gathered together to open the purse and take a glimpse of what their mother's life looked like. They also gave the school permission to share the images of the contents and photos found inside the purse.
The heartwarming story was cherished by thousands of people on Facebook. "Whether on purpose or on accident. This is one of the most wonderful time capsules I’ve ever seen," one user, @bobafett8782 commented on the school's post.
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Meanwhile, the post also reached some of the people who personally knew Rumfola. "I am in one of the photos as a business manager. Patti was very bright, beautiful, competent, and a good friend. We lived on the same street in North Canton. It was a pleasure to know her in HS!" shared one user @jack.v.matson.
