The Lost Marriage License

One of my favorite shopping places is an outlet store for one of the major national charitable organizations here in town.  What makes this store different is that at just about every hour, people line up waiting for a new series of long, deep "bins" that are rolled out in front of them.  Each bin is covered with old blankets and when all the bins are in place the customers are allowed to (literally) rip off the blankets and tear into the items located in the bins.  Believe me, this is not an orderly process!  The minute the covers are removed everything goes flying.  It isn't uncommon to hear the sound of glass breaking or even arguments breaking out over popular items found.  Anything under the sun can be found in these bins and I have been lucky enough to purchase some lovely items and many toys for my grandchildren.  I have found countless books and old records and some things I have even been able sell to make a little extra money.....to use at the outlet store!    But, I am always on the lookout for any type of historical documents that might need to be reunited with a family member.  One day a few weeks ago I found two high school diplomas and one marriage license.  The diplomas were both still encased in their protective folios, but the marriage certificate was loose in the bin and destined for destruction amid the dirt and chaos of it's location.  I just knew I was supposed to find it.  I picked it up, along with the diplomas and I placed it safely inside one of the folios, and purchased it along with the rest of my "treasures".  A few days passed before I had time to even look for a possible family connection. Sitting down at my computer and beginning with Ancestry.com, I entered the listed groom's name and I found a match in records here in Ohio.  There was a link to a findagrave.com memorial and the information seemed to be a perfect match!  From there I sent a message to the person who created the memorial who luckily appeared to be a relative r and not just a volunteer for the website.  I also did a lookup on Facebook and found the same person listed, so I sent a private message, explaining that I thought I might have a marriage license for their family member.  To my delight, I quickly received a response from a lovely lady telling me that the license did indeed belong to her great uncle.  She sent me her address and I was able to put the certificate in the mail the next day. What a joy it was for me to be able to place that certificate in protective hands!  Not only that, I now have a new Facebook friend!  She posted her version of the story on her Facebook post, along with a photograph of her uncle.  I asked for her permission to share her post and she agreed. This is a portion of her post:

When I first became a member on Find a Grave Website  I visited celebrities pages about putting greeting flowers on their pages.
Even so that I really didn't knew them in real life, but I did watch them on TV or the movies or to hear their music.
I also begin to created pages for our family, and friends, and their families too.
Well anyway that I have been a member for 5 years now, and last week that I received a message from another member on there.
They have ask me about do I know someone name James W. Kildow, lll well of course that I did reply back to their message.
It's turns out that they had recently found, and purchased a marriage license from Goodwill in Dayton, Ohio but they kept it from being destroyed.
And they sent it in the mail that next day. I ask them about to owe that person for anything. Then they had said no, but they was so happy to find the right owner.
I did received it yesterday, and as I was looking down at bottom of the certificate that I have notice that another Uncle name was on it.
Great-Uncle Karl Kildow to give the bride and groom away to our Great-Uncle Jim.
Even so that my Mom (Sarah) and my sister (Marian) and I never ever did meet him in person that I had tears in my eyes not only to have something meant so very special to my family. But a totally stranger to take the time out to care about another person. 

I have had several opportunities over the past few years to reunite documents with their owners or family members and I can't tell you how much joy it brings to me to be able to do so.  I have written about a few of those occasions on past blog posts.  I am so glad I went to the outlet store that day and I am even more happy that this certificate is where it belongs!