Many exciting things can be found at a thrift store, and we bring you a story of being in the right place at the right time.
Arizona native Teresa Ferrin volunteers at a local thrift shop once a week. After receiving a bunch of medals, including a Purple Heart, she decided that such an item didn’t belong in the thrift store and went on a mission of finding an actual owner. It’s a beautiful story of selflessness, care, and compassion.
Let’s see how Teresa’s mission went.
When volunteering at a store, Teresa’s job is to price donated goods.
Yes, it sounds interesting, and we can’t imagine all the things Ferrin comes across while sorting items out.
One day, someone left a piece of cardboard full of medals at the store. On it was a Purple Heart. Teresa knew that she couldn’t sell that item.
Her father had also served in the military, and if someone found his belongings, she knew that she would want them back.
Without further ado, Ferrin decided to decipher the name on the back of the medal.
It was hard in the beginning. The Purple Heart medal was presented to the service members who were wounded or killed in the line of duty during the Korean War.
Keep in mind that it was in the 1950s, more than half a century ago. There were traces of aging on the medal, but Teresa was determined. Finally, she figured it out.
The Purple Heart belonged to Erik Karl Blauberg.
Now, Teresa had to try and find Blauberg’s family.
The Arizona thrift store worker was determined to return the medal to Erik’s family. She did a little research and found out that Blauberg had been living in Apache Junction, Arizona until he passed away in 1988.
He had eight children, and Teresa was able to get in touch with one of Blauberg’s daughters, Lisa Walker, who lives in Florida.
Blauberg’s family situation was a bit complicated.
Walker and Ferrin communicated via Facebook, and Walker explained that her father left the family upon returning from war. He was estranged from them, and they didn’t speak often. When he passed, Erik Karl didn’t leave anything to his children.
Blauberg’s children didn’t even know that he had received the Purple Heart. However, what Teresa did was incredibly sweet and kind. Regardless of what happened in the Blauberg family, the story has a beautiful message of kindness and respect.
Despite everything, Walker was grateful to Ferrin for putting such an effort into finding them.
“I can’t believe someone went above and beyond like Teresa did and didn’t give up to find us,” Walker said. Ferrin didn’t give up until she eventually tracked the family down, and that’s what matters.
We think she did the right thing. The family deserves to have their father’s belongings, and we’re happy that the medal was packed up and sent from Arizona to the other side of the country.
“Some might say that it’s a priceless discovery,” commented Teresa. “Nevertheless, it means so much more.”
The fact that Teresa’s father served in the Korean War had a lot to do with making a conscious decision to find the medal’s owner’s family. It is incredible that three decades after Blauberg’s passing, the medal is in the right hands.
Thank you, Teresa, for going to great lengths to find the family. We are confident that they appreciate it more than words can say.
Watch the video below to see more on this fascinating story!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
