RIngs 'n' Things

Grampy and Cheli came up this weekend and Grampy brought me Grammy/Nana/Ma's diamond. I will have it set and in time it will pass to Amy and then Karie, etc. So, here's the story of the diamond. Ma and Pa (Martha and Peter Rasmussen--parents of Nana --Reta Beaman--Grammy's mother) owned a really tiny shed-like building in National City--community south of San Diego in the 1920's or 30's. They rented it out to an old guy--a bachelor. Well, in time he fell in love and bought a diamond solitaire to give his girlfriend. He popped the question. Well, she moved in, cleaned out his bank accounts and left before she got the diamond ring. When his rent was due again, he was out of money because of the girlfriend, so he brought the ring to Ma and Pa and asked them if they would hold the ring until he could get some cash for rent. They said yes, they'd to that. Well, before he could bring the money, he died. They tried to find relatives, but alas, that was unsuccessful. So the ring came into the family and Ma wore it for a time. By the 1950's when we were living next door to Nana--with Ma and Pa next to Nana and Gramps--you remember I explained that situation in an earlier blog--Nana was wearing the diamond. I was practicing piano one day at Nana's house and she was sewing--Nana could sew beautifully--even tailor--and I started watching her sew. I noticed the ring on her finger, and told her it was sooooo beautiful (I must have been around 10 or 11). She said that ring would go to my mother and in time to me--to be passed to the oldest daughter down through the generations. I thought that was pretty cool--at that age I hadn't considered how exactly I would get that diamond--that I would have to lose not only my grandmother, but my mother as well. That part isn't so great, but the diamond is beautiful, and I am going to have it re-set and will pass that ring on to Amy and then Karie. It's a beautiful 1.25 carat flawless white diamond. When I was 12, Grampy gave me a beautiful opal ring with sapphires all around--eight in all--four on each side. He had gotten it from a girlfriend in the Philippines. He had the opportunity to go home early unexpectedly, gave the ring back to her, she got mad and threw it down. He saw where it landed and put his boot (he was in the Army--it was during World War II) down on it and hid it. She decided she shouldn't have thrown it down and was looking for it, but failed to find it and went off in a huff--nothing changes in the world, does it? So, after she was gone, Grampy picked it up and took it home. He gave it to me when I was 12. Many years later it was gone from my stuff. I couldn't find it and I looked all over--it's a long story that you really don't want to hear. During this last visit, Grampy told me he had the ring--apparently, the kids' dad had taken it over and left it on a table at their home when we left after a visit. Daddy thought I had brought it back and wondered about it but kept it. He told me he had it and I was SO happy to hear it. I had looked all over Provo for it but it was gone. The next time I'm in Texas, he said to remind me and he'll give it to me again--after being lost to me for abut 35 years. Yippee!