When Chas Pyle checked to see who the purse belonged to, it would lead to a search that reminded everyone of how precious life is.

It all began when North Canton Middle School’s janitor had to refit a loose panel between a wall and some lockers.

When Pyle removed the metal, he found a long lost purse resting between the wall and the lockers. Pyle pulled out the purse. He could tell from the dust and cobwebs around the purse that the item had been there for a long time.

Still, he wondered if he could identify the owner, so he looked inside. That was when he learned just how long the purse had been wedged in the space.

The contents of the purse were incredibly old. Everything appeared to date to the middle of the 20th century. After a little more detective work, Pyle could tell that the bag must have gone missing in the late 1950s.

Several identifying documents proved that the purse had belonged to a student named Patti Rumfola.

Pyle showed the bag to the principal of the school. Pretty soon, the school posted the story of the purse and asked for help finding Patti Rumfola.

The post started gaining attention, and several people tried to see if anyone knew her whereabouts. Some people remembered graduating from the school with her in 1960 but had not heard from her in many years.

Then she school got into contact with the alumni association. They looked up all the information that they had on Rumfola. They discovered that she married in 1965 and likely changed her last name to Anderson.

Then they learned about the rest of her life. After she graduated, she trained to become a schoolteacher. At some point, Patti Rumfola’s first marriage broke down. She remarried in 1980 and took the last name Michele. Her second husband died in 2007.

Sadly, Patti Michele/Rumfola died in 2013.

However, the school learned that Rumfola had five children and five grandchildren. The school got into contact with the children and asked if they wanted the purse and its contents to remember her. The children were incredibly happy to get this memory of their mother.

The children also gave permission for the school to post the contents of the purse online. The items provide an interesting snapshot into school life in the 1950s.

Rumfola was a member of the YMCA. She had two membership cards in the purse. The card from 1956 showed that the membership cost just $6 per year. The card from 1957 showed that the price had increased to $9.

Rumfola also had a number of ticket stubs to sporting games. These cost between 30 cents to 50 cents.

She also had a school insurance card, protecting her from any injuries she may sustain while studying.

There as also a pack of Beech-Nut brand chewing gum, which promised to always be refreshing. Does “always” mean over 60 years later?

She also carried a range of photographs of her friends and family. A few photos even showed a pet dog that she must have been very fond of.

There was also a cut-out of an Archie comic and an accompanying doodle of the character in the cut-out.

And of course, she had the timeless schoolgirl essentials, lipstick, a compact and a hairbrush.

Lastly, there were some pennies in a wallet. One penny went to each of the student’s children.

Many people have gained a sense of perspective from Rumfola’s purse.

She would probably be happy to know that so many people have been reminded of how important life is because of her.

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Source: Bored Panda, North Canton City Schools, The Punxsutawney Spirit