It is kind of a connection to Mattoon. I grew up there and I had a lot of friends and acquaintances there. I had a lot of good feelings about Mattoon. It was a great place to grow up.
The ring is in perfect condition. It's great. It doesn't have a scratch on it.
It was all rough country. This is kind of funny, but I just knew in the back of my mind when they (the Army Corps) completed the dam, my ring would probably be at the bottom of the lake someday.
It restores your faith in people. You think the world is a jaded place and then something like this happens.
I remember losing that ring. I got the ring my junior year and I lost it right after I got it. I was on a retreat in 1962 with the First Methodist Church youth group.