Honest stranger returns wedding rings to Grants

John and Tami Grant are amazed at a distant stranger’s honesty, which led to Tami reclaiming her lost wedding rings.

Tami Grant, at right, and her new friend Brenda.

Returning recently from Gulf Shores, the Grants stopped in Clanton at Durbin Farms Market for strawberries and a sandwich. Shortly before, Tami had placed her two wedding bands and engagement ring in her lap to apply hand lotion.

Tami and son Russell walked to the farmer’s market. “We later figured out one wedding band fell into Tami’s purse,” John said. “The other two rings fell on the ground.” John fueled the car, not noticing the rings.

Back on I-65, they drove about 30 minutes when Tami realized her rings were missing.

“We headed back to Clanton. Tami was alternately praying, sobbing and having a hard time breathing,” John said. This year marks their thirtieth wedding anniversary. “Those rings are a big symbolic part of our marriage.”

They searched … with no luck. They left their phone numbers at the gas station and returned to Madison.

Not giving up, John placed a lost-and-found ad in a Clanton newspaper. Then, he realized he could use craigslist.org. “Gee, thanks honey, but my rings are gone — get over it,” Tami told him.

About a week later, a woman named Brenda from Wetumpka called about the craigslist ad. Brenda’s husband Chris, a welder, was returning home from a job in Oregon and refueled at the Clanton farmers market. He found Tami’s rings.

Arriving home, Chris showed the rings to Brenda and said, “Look what I found! I’m going to pawn them!” Brenda told Chris, “Oh no, you’re not.”

Brenda spread the story to relatives and friends, and fortunately her aunt in Wetumpka had read John’s post on craigslist for Birmingham.

The next weekend, the Grants and Brenda agreed to meet in Birmingham at a Cracker Barrel. “A few minutes after we arrived, Brenda, my new best friend, walked up with our rings in a zip-lock plastic bag,” John said. “All three of us were very teary-eyed.”

The Grants said their experience with Brenda “restored our faith in human kindness.”