Last week or so, I wrote about an old Tech High School senior class ring that was listed on eBay, and it's still for sale — $225.
I wondered, as anyone would, what had happened to the owner of this ring, and how it ended up for sale by an eBay seller in Wichita, Kansas.
Now I still can't answer some of those questions — even the Lauderdales have their limitations — but thanks to the hard work of my pal (and reader) Neil Loftiss, I can say that the ring almost certainly belonged to a Tech High graduate named Ernest Newbern.
Here's what Neil had to say, first telling me that much of this information came from a lady who contributes to the popular findagrave website and keeps up with Tech alumni, and SHE got her information from someone who actually attended the school in the 1940s:
"The ring belonged to Ernest Polk Newbern Jr., who died in 2005. I do believe the ring was custom-made. It doesn't look like some of the ones we had back then, especially with the school in the center of it. If they did not have the stone in the middle, they had a crest like an Eagle. Also, I don't think the initials [on a regular class ring] were ever put on the top."
I had mentioned, if you've forgotten, that most class rings have the owner's initials inscribed inside the band, but this ring as the large initials "EN" cast into each side of the ring.
There's not much information about Newbern on his findagrave entry, but you can go here to see a photo of him.
Thanks, Neil, for your help solving this mystery. One part of the puzzle remains: will somebody actually buy this ring on eBay?
