When construction workers stumbled upon a small black purse covered in cobwebs, they didn’t know what would be inside. The sentimental story behind the bag will move you. Read on to find out what was inside…
An Inside Job
In January of 2019, Jeffersonville High School in Indiana was undergoing some renovations. Walls had to come down, desks had to be moved, and cabinets had to be torn down. That’s how it all began…
A Peculiar Discovery
Behind one of these cabinets, construction workers stumbled upon a small black purse. The bag was covered in dust and grime, clearly too old to belong to any student in recent years. What could be inside?
Clean Up
The crew decided to clean it up and get the aged dirt off of the bag. Based on the weight, it was clearly carrying a lot of stuff. They couldn’t wait to see what objects the bag held…
Rummaging Around
The workers expected to open it and see junk from teenagers in recent years, but instead, they found things dating back to the 1950s. The purse was 70 years old! But whose was it?
Mystery Contents
Inside was a basketball schedule, indicating that the owner followed sports for the high school team, maybe a player or team manager. But there was so much more…
A Clearer Picture
More inside the bag were a compact, comb, five tickets to an Italian spaghetti dinner, bobby pins, her old Social Security card, and lipstick. This told the whole story…
Lipstick Tube
The first thing they found was a long golden tube of red lipstick. This indicated that a teenage girl was the likely owner of the black bag. Her identity was still a mystery though…
Check Please
The purse also contained a checkbook and driver’s license. From this, they gathered that her name was Marty Ingham Everett. She was a former student at the high school in 1954. But would she want this old purse back? One artifact suggested she might…
More Secrets
Inside the purse, the workers found a photo of Marty and some school dance photos. They also found three letters from boys! One of them was a junior prom invite. They figured Marty would want her items back, but how?
Keeping It Clean
Each letter was folded neatly atop one another. The purse, which would go on to catch attention from people across the country, had a lot of mystery inside, but this was only the beginning…
Guessing Game
The construction workers tried to do their own digging but kept coming up short. It was going to take more than a Google search to track down Marty Everett, but they knew that someone could do it…
The Handoff
They decided that if anyone would know what to do, it would be the school board. The construction workers gave the bag to the Greater Clark County School District in Jeffersonville. They were able to track down the owner…
Lost and Found
Erin Bojorquez put up a “lost and found” post on Facebook. Surely someone could connect their grandmother with the bag. It was a long shot but it paid off…
Facebook Finder
Facebook, as they say, did its thing. Soon, Bojorquez was in contact with Marty Everett’s son, John Folea. John put the two in contact, and the story was only just starting…
You’ve Got Mail
Both women were shocked at the news. Bojorquez mailed over the clutch to Marty, known in high school as Martha Ina Ingham. She was now 81 and living in Florida.
A Second Look
The now great-grandmother was astonished at all her old trinkets. She said she felt like she was transported back in time looking at everything. She even explained the letters inside…
Torchy’s Letter
One note came from a classmate named Torchy. “Dear Marty,” he wrote “I’ve heard that Paul has asked you to go to the prom with him If he hasn’t, I would very much like to take you. Love, Torchy.” But that wasn’t the only one…
Carter’s Letter
Carter had a similar idea. “Bobbie and I aren’t going back together. I’m just continuing to walk her back to classes.” Everyone wanted to know, who was the lucky guy that took her to prom?
We Need To Know
People all over the country heard her story, but there was one piece of information missing. Who was the chosen date, Paul, Carter, or Torchy? Followers sounded off online asking the question.
Everett’s Elation
Marty Evertt loved the attention from fans online. “Ask her who she went to the prom with! I gotta know!” said one woman of the Jefferson High School Facebook post about the story. Marty eagerly complied…
The Lucky Guy
So Carter, Torchy, and the mysterious Paul all wanted Marty’s hand for prom in 1954, but only Carter earned the honor. With all the popularity, Marty decided to reconnect…
Carter’s Credentials
Apparently, Marty revealed that Carter was her first real boyfriend. They kissed that prom night and dated until their break up at the end of senior year. It wouldn’t be the last time they spoke, though…
Carter Williams
Carter Williams, the luckiest guy at Jeffersonville High School, was now 81 and living in Phoenix, Arizona. He was surprised but delighted to hear from his first love.
A Simpler Time
“Marty was my first love,” said Carter. “A real sweetheart and a great gal. What a treat it was to talk to her again for the first time in 65 years. I’ll never forget dressing up to take her to the junior prom.” But what happened to poor Torchy and Paul?
By Another Name
Well, Torchy’s real name was actually a man named Clyde Morris. He had had a flat top haircut and a sweet smile, according to Marty. He was nice, but he was no Paul Moore…
Perfect Paul
Though she didn’t go with Paul, she said the two were good friends. Paul Moore was a track star who attended her Church and relaxed with her by the pool in the summers.
A Final Goodbye
Marty, now 81 and widowed, says that she was appreciative of all the good times she had in school though she doesn’t remember much. But she did have something to say about love…
Today’s Generation
Martha expressed great sadness at the way the current generation falls in love and interacts, saying no one will express their true feelings. It makes her letters seem extraordinary when they were pretty normal in the 50s. Carter had his own ideas about the subject…
Carter’s Take
“We respected our teachers, we respected the law, and we respected our parents.” said Carter “We had more time to sit around a table and just talk or listen. I feel very lucky to have grown up when I did.”
Martha’s Legacy
Martha was incredibly happy to be reunited with her lost belongings and first love. She said she felt transported to the days of poodle skirts and bobby socks with her old purse. Oh, how old memories live on!