Purse Lost By Pupil In 1957 Found Behind Locker In School

When caretaker Chas Pyle (great name) was tasked with repairing some loose trimming between a locker and a wall at North Canton Middle School in Ohio, USA, last spring, he probably thought securely covering the narrow void was the best possible outcome of his toils.

But then he discovered a dusty old purse nestled away in the gap, transforming this story of menial school storage-based repairs into something much more meaningful.

Chas took the purse to the office where he and other staff members looked through its contents and established that it was lost by former Hoover High School student Patti Rumfola in 1957.

Following a bit of social media sleuthing they were able to track down Patti's family, but it transpired that Patti had died in 2013. However, the purse offered a fascinating inside into Patti's teenage life for her five children, who held a family gathering last Autumn and looked through the items together.

Facebook/North Canton City Schools

Since then, the family have given the school permission to share pictures of the items that have been stashed away in the purse for more than 60 years.

Among the many belongings tucked away in the red leather purse were membership cards to various organisations, several ticket stubs, lipstick, a comb, some make-up, stationery, a stick of chewing gum, photographs and nine coins.

Facebook/North Canton City Schools

North Canton City Schools District said in a post on its Facebook page: "Patti's five children were together for a family gathering in the fall where they opened the purse to have a glimpse into their mother's life as a teenager at Hoover High School.

"Since that time, we have received permission from the family to share photos of the contents. Those of you who may have gone to school in the 1950s or 1960s may have memories of some of these items.

"In one of the photos, you will see nine coins from Patti's wallet. Each of her five children kept one of the wheat pennies as a token of remembrance of their mom."

Facebook/North Canton City Schools

Great work Chas.

The photos of Patti's belongings have been shared 39,000 times on Facebook, and following demand from intrigued purse perusers, the school shared her obituary, which revealed that she herself went on to become a school teacher.

Let this heartwarming tale serve as a reminder not to carry anything dodgy about in your purse - you might just lose it and that could lead to a very awkward situation when it is rediscovered and rummaged through 50 odd years later.

Topics: School, Interesting, US News

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey