by Winnie Hsiu
December 12, 2011 9:41 AM
A couple purchased the contents of an abandoned storage unit in Brandon, Florida, hoping to find treasure. They did find treasure -- but not of the gold and silver or jewels type of treasure. Instead, they found boxes and boxes of an extensive collection of family records and photographs.
Thomas and Felicia Braswell paid $25 for the storage unit contents. There was a TV and a dresser that initially caught their attention. They were very surprised to discover the extremely well-organized genealogical records for families named Thayer, Snow, and Rice.
There were family photos, birth and death certificates, and letters - some dating as far back to the early 1800s and family lineage information dating back to the 1500s. There were three family bibles -- one, an 1850 bible, contained locks of hair and flowers pressed between the pages.
The documents indicate that the families were from Athol and Orange, Massachusetts.
It appears that the material was collected and organized by a woman named Ruth Thayer Snow Rice. She died in New Port Richey, Florida.
The Braswells showed their find to their friend Debbie Meyers. They intended to throw the material out because they felt that nobody would be interested in purchasing it. Debbie immediately recognized that someone had put a great deal of time and effort into organizing the material. She knew that if it were her family information that she would want it back. Meyers had recently lost her mother so the importance of family and family connections was fresh on her mind. So, she started a quest in locating the rightful owners of the genealogical material.
Meyers wrote 5 letters to Athol and Orange addresses that she found in the material but they were returned. The curator of the Swift River Historical Society in Massachusetts, Elizabeth Peirce, was familiar with Ruth because Ruth spent a lot of time researching historical data about the Swift River Valley in Massachusetts.
Mrs. Rice's obituary listed the names of a daughter and a brother but they could not be located.
Meyers indicated that if she were unable to locate any family members she would donate the documents to a historical society in western Massachusetts. She is concerned that the records are properly cared for because some papers are very brittle because they are so old.
Sources Used:
"Storage unit holds family secrets." Worcester Telegram and Gazette; 11 December 2011.
"Brandon storage unit launches Massachusetts genealogy project." Tampa Bay Online; 11 December 2011.