Diver finds Massena class ring in Raquette; owner gets it back after more than 2 decades

MASSENA — A Massena Central School class ring that was lost 21 years ago in the Raquette River has been found and returned to its owner.

"I think I might have something you want," David Gerace told Terri L. Burnett as he dropped by her Brouse Road home Friday afternoon with a special delivery — her long-lost class ring that had been found by one of Mr. Gerace's friends while diving near Raymondville.

"Oh my God," she said. "This is it."

Mrs. Burnett, a member of the Massena Central class of 1988, said she had received the ring from her stepfather and mother in January 1988. Her stepfather died three months later.

"I think it is more special than anything. My stepfather bought it before he passed away," she said.

Following her graduation, Mrs. Burnett said, she gave the ring to a friend who went swimming and nearly lost it in the river. The next time, though, the friend dove into the water and the necklace that contained the ring came off and was never found — until two years ago, when it was found in the Raquette River near Raymondville by Massena native Greg Millar, who was vacationing in the area.

"He's one off my classmates" from the class of 1975, Mr. Gerace said.

He said Mr. Millar, who now lives in California but has relatives in the Massena area, is a diver by trade.

But the journey didn't end when Mr. Millar found the ring. It was just beginning and would take two years to complete.

Even though the ring had the name Terri and the year she graduated from school, he had no idea where to begin looking.

So he sought out Mr. Gerace in Massena who, in turn, enlisted the assistance of others to try to track down Mrs. Burnett. They discovered there were three Terris in the class of 1988 and, through Facebook, were finally able to locate the owner of the ring.

"Kevin Locey was the one who tracked her down," Mr. Gerace said.

Mrs. Burnett found out the ring had been located Sunday night, when she got a message on Facebook.

"It said, 'Hi, my name is Kevin. I think I have something of yours,' and he described it. He told me the nickname on the inside. I jumped up in the middle of the living room and scared my husband to death," she said.