Hurricane Irma brought more than downed trees to a Leesburg neighborhood.
- Clarion University ring belonged to Robert Clark
- Ring was stolen from family's home 6 years ago
- Family gets back ring after social media post
It left behind a priceless family treasure -- a class ring -- that no one knew was still out there.
"I pulled it up on my phone, and I blew it up, and as soon as I saw it, I knew that was it, because it was Clarion University which is in Pennsylvania. And you know, inside was engraved with Robert W. Work," said Robert's former wife, Beth Clark.
Almost two weeks ago, Palmetto resident Beth Clark received a message that someone more than 100 miles away found her late husband's class ring.
That woman was Leesburg resident Susan Wilburth.
"I said, 'Well let's just move things around and see what we got.' So we moved it around, and there was that green plastic box underneath that other box," Wilburth said.
While many would have never given an ordinary box on the ground a second glance, Wilburth looked inside and to her surprise found a class ring from 1978.
"I saw the name in it and then Johnny said, 'We need to see if we can find him on Facebook.'"
Through a friend of a friend, Wilburth eventually connected with Clark.
Clark said she instantly recognized the ring. She said the ring was stolen out of the family's home six years ago.
That created quite the surprise to Robert Clark's family when they finally got the message. He died three years ago.
"It means a lot, it really does," Beth Clark said. "Since Bob and I met at Clarion and they've (the kids) been there multiple times, I think it just meant a lot to them to know that's back in the family again."
Almost two weeks after the social post, the ring is back home.