What would someone 60 years from now think about you if they found your purse? Some of us might shudder to imagine.
But last spring at North Canton Middle School in Ohio, students and staff got a look into the life of a student from the 1950s.
Wedged between some old lockers and the wall of the school was a little red purse. When it was finally discovered it was obviously covered in decades of dust and spiderwebs, but the school custodian pried it out.
The obvious question is: how did no one ever notice this?
A commenter quoted a story from the previous year explaining:
“On May 29, 2019, North Canton Middle School custodian Chas Pyle heard a loud noise in a side hallway by the gymnasium. When he investigated the sound, he discovered that a piece of metal trim that covers a narrow opening between a set of lockers and the wall had become detached and fallen to the floor with a loud clang. As Pyle worked to reattach the trim, he noticed a red object at the bottom of the narrow opening, a purse covered with about six inches of dust.”
When the school posted the photos on Facebook, followers got to work trying to track down the student who was around 14 years old at the time.
The purse belonged to Patti Rumfola, a 1960 Hoover High School graduate. Unfortunately, it turns out the Patti passed away 7 years ago.
But the school did get in touch with her family.
In the Fall, Patti’s 5 children gathered together to open the purse – and it was quite the time capsule. It gave them enormous insight into their mother’s life as a high school teen.
By February, the school received permission from the children to post photos of the contents on their Facebook page for those who had been following the story. And in just over a week, the post has been shared over 61,000 times!
The caption read, in part:
“Those of you who may have gone to school in the 1950s or 1960s may have memories of some of these items. In one of the photos, you will see nine coins from Patti’s wallet. Each of her five children kept one of the wheat pennies as a token of remembrance of their mom.”
From a stick of gum to a variety of ID cards, the purse had a wealth of objects that fascinated viewers from around the world.
One thing’s for sure – Patti kept a LOT of stuff in her purse. And we can totally relate.
Next time we’re feeling guilty about all those extra papers, we might just think about how they might add to the historical record someday!
With a wallet full of calling cards, high school sports schedules, and photos of friends, Patti appears to have been quite an active and popular student.
When she passed away in 2013, her obituary was proof that she never stopped being outgoing and active. She had worked as a teacher in Annapolis, Maryland and helped found both the Theatre Arts Guild and Young Women’s Club in Puxatawny, Pennsylvania. She was also active in book and quilting clubs and was even a costume designer and seamstress for the local Reitz Theater.
Be sure to scroll down below to see the full post with all of the fascinating memorabilia from this 1950s high school student.
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