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After being lost for 36 years, a Demopolis man has had his class ring returned to him.

David Anderson, the owner of Anderson Plumbing, Heating, and Electric, was a senior in high school when he lost his class ring in 1987. Anderson said he’d given his ring to his then-girlfriend, who lost it during a snowball fight on the school grounds. The ring was lost behind what is now Demopolis Middle School but used to be the high school.

“It was either January or February of that year, and my girlfriend at the time had the ring on her finger. At some point during the snowball fight, the ring flew off her finger, and I didn’t know about it until after lunch that day,” said Anderson. “We looked for it, and we couldn’t find it, so I ended up ordering another ring identical to the first one.”

Usually, replacing a lost ring would be the end of the story, but not in Anderson’s case. A few weeks ago, DMS custodian Eric Kilgore was doing yard work around the campus when he stumbled across the ring buried beneath an oak tree. He turned the ring in, and it was eventually returned to Anderson.

Despite being buried in the ground for over three decades, the ring was in excellent condition and almost looked brand new. To show his gratitude for having his ring returned, Anderson presented Kilgore with a $50 gift certificate to The Red Barn.

“It feels wonderful to know that somebody cared enough to try and find the owner of the ring and return it,” said Anderson. “I am grateful to have it back and want him to know how much I appreciate what he did.”

Kilgore was unaware that his finding and returning a lost ring would result in him being acknowledged or presented with a gift certificate. He said he was “shocked and proud” when Anderson presented him with the certificate. Kilgore said he has never eaten at the Red Barn but plans to visit this weekend.