WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD) — A South High graduate who lost his class ring in the spring of 1968 was reunited Tuesday during the alumni’s monthly get together at Marge’s Donut Den.

Jan Malek was cleaning out her mother’s basement earlier this year when they discovered not one, but two South High School rings in a wooden box tucked away in the basement. Malek said she asked her mother how she came to be in possession of these mementos and unfortunately she couldn’t remember.

“I know if I lost my high school or college ring, that means a lot,” she said. “I think it means a lot more because the school closed that year and I just really wanted him to have that ring back.”

Malek contacted the alumni group who helped her locate the owner of one of the two rings: Bruce Hoch.

Hoch’s initials and his graduating year, 1968, was engraved on the piece. It turns out he was the only person with those initial in his graduating class. “It’s my ring, alright,” he said.

Hoch said he lost his ring in the spring of 1968 when he and his fellow classmates were participating in senior skip day. They played hooky from school and instead headed to Lake Michigan to enjoy an unusually warm day.

“So I took my ring off and handed it to this one gal who didn’t go swimming for her to hold on to,” he said. The only problem was that Hoch and this girl whom he just met forgot about the ring after his swim. He thought he would never see his ring again.

South High closed in 1968, so for Hoch this ring which was once a status symbol also became a lost memento of remembrance.

Malek told News 8 that her sister thinks she found it at a beach in Holland, the same beach Hoch swam at some 50 years ago.

While Hoch was reunited with his class ring this week, the search continues for a woman who also lost her South High senior ring from the class of 1941.