Williston grad reunited with long lost class ring

A pretty incredible story involving a former Williston High School grad and her missing class ring. A few weeks ago we were contacted by a man in Alabama who had found a class ring from the old Williston High School. He and his wife had found it many years ago and were trying to find who it belonged to. Now after much research and years of searching, the ring is on its way to its rightful owner.

The story of this long lost ring begins when Lamar and Andrea Hawkins got married three years ago. Lamar found out his wife had a ring that had been discovered at her parents’ house back in the mid ’80s.

“My first thought was, ‘Wow! Can we find out who this belongs to and get it back to them?'” Lamar Hawkins said.

After a few years, Lamar’s curiosity got the best of him, and he started digging. All he had to go on was the name of the school, Williston, the class year and engraved initials on the inside. His first lead was a story on our website commemorating 40 years since the closing of Williston High School. He contacted a man who commented on the story, who led him to the class of ’66 and a match.

“The initials fit. The story fits,” Hawkins said. “I’m just absolutely ecstatic to be able to get it back to her.”

That woman is Harriet Jeanette Biggs, who now lives in Maryland.

“The ring is a classic,” she said. “It just gives me fond memories of my high school days.”

Biggs last saw the ring in a hotel in Alabama 40 years ago.

“I left the ring on the dresser in the room, and when I got back several things were missing, and, of course, one of the things that was missing was that ring,” Biggs said.

She was contacted by a former classmate and then Lamar saying he had the ring and would mail it right away.

“It just gives me faith in the human spirit,” she said, “that we have that kind of person out there, that caliber of person out there.”

Now that all the pieces have been put together, the ring is safely on its way.

“I took it to the post office today,” Hawkins said, “and it will be under lock and key until it reaches its destination.”

It’s hard to express how happy Jeanette is to find out her ring is OK. She told WWAY she’s thought about it a lot through the years and can’t wait to receive it.

Jeanette and Lamar actually will both be in Myrtle Beach at some point this summer and hope to catch up and meet in person.