Emily Chan
Five years ago, a lost purse was discovered behind a locker in an Ohio school. The bag was lost in 1957 and remained hidden for about 62 years. It provides a glimpse of what the lives of students were like several decades ago.
In the spring of 2019, Chas Pyle, a custodian at North Canton Middle School, was doing repairs when he made the discovery.
He had just begun to fix the loose trim on one of the lockers when he found the purse wedged between the locker and the wall.
He brought the dusty, small, red bag to the school office. North Canton Middle School got in touch with the family of the purse’s owner. The purse had belonged to Patti Rumfola. Unfortunately, she passed away in 2013.
Her five children were delighted to have an heirloom that connected them to their late mother. They were also able to learn more about what their mother was like as a teenager.
Patti Rumfola graduated in 1960 from what was then called Hoover High School. The contents of her purse included photos, notes, makeup, and other personal items. Patti wore lipstick in the shade of “Pastel Pink” from Hazel Bishop.
She chewed peppermint-flavored Beech-Nut gum and was friends with someone named Bonnie, who signed a school photo with a sweet message. She was also a member of the American Junior Red Cross.
Additionally, there were old ticket stubs, a library card that expired in 1960, and a YMCA membership. In her faded wallet, nine old pennies were found.
According to a social media post from the school district, each of Patti’s five children kept one of the pennies as a “token of remembrance of their mom.”
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