A Gem of a Story

Letter to the Editor from Ed Owens

Editors Note: The Review received the following letter and wanted to share this heartwarming story as told by Ed Owens.

Greetings—I am writing you to share a great story that I feel others should know and read about. In short, Joe from Carefree Buffalo connected me with a local jewelry expert, Thom Gregg, a year ago. Thom did some work for me and during our time together, I shared my story of a family ring that had been in the family for over 200 years. The ring had been stolen from our family and, through Thom’s contacts, we were able to recover the ring. Joe and Thom helped bring healing to our family by helping to return the ring to us. Here is the full story.

In the early 1800’s, my ancestor Friedreich Markwardt inherited a ring from his father, Karl Heinrich Markwardt, a successful merchant in Germany (Prussia at the time), and immigrated to the United States. The ring was created in Europe in the early 1800’s and was passed to his son, Freiderich Carl Emil Julius Markward who moved to and later died in Klamath Falls, OR. The ring was given to his oldest daughter, Lillian Emma Markwardt, who gave the ring to her husband Edward Henry Owens (my great-great-grandfather) on their wedding day as a gift. The Owens family was a pioneer family who helped settle Klamath Falls. The ring would continue to be passed from eldest born to eldest born over the generations.

In 1988, the ring was passed from my father to me on Christmas morning following my 18th birthday. The ring had some damage to it and a jeweler

in Seattle, WA, who specialized in antique European jewelry, was retained to fix and size the ring. The ring was stolen by the owners of the shop in Seattle and was reported to the police. An investigation was begun that would involve the FBI. Apparently, the store in Seattle was connected to several jewelry items “missing” and it was later determined that they were stealing unique high-valued items and selling them on the black market. The ring was gone from the family for 34 years before…until Joe and Thom, through a contact of his, located the ring!

It turns out, the ring had been purchased over a year ago in a private estate sale in Pennsylvania and had been in storage for over a year. When Thom contacted his friend and described the ring, pictures were exchanged… and it was the ring! It had been found ONE DAY before a buyer was coming to look at the ring, and some other pieces, to be purchased. If not for Joe introducing me to Thom, and Thom’s connections, the ring would have disappeared again and likely been lost forever. Instead, a chance visit to Jacksonville over two years ago, during the pandemic as a “staycation” led me to meet Joe and then Thom. My partner and I have returned often to Jacksonville as a weekend getaway and our special place to get away from Sisters, OR where we live. We love Jacksonville, we love the people, and we have become close friends with Joe and Thom.

The universe works in wonderful and mysterious ways. Events led us to your amazing, special, jewel of a town. That journey and the connections made led me and my family to recover a piece of our family history…a ring that was a deep source of connection, tradition, history, and heritage for my family. To have this returned to our family has brought a sense of healing for our family. What was lost has been returned. I’m forever grateful for Joe and Thom, and the connections I’ve formed with the community of Jacksonville.

Thank you for allowing me to share this story of love and connection to your wonderful community. I look forward to many more trips to Jacksonville and enjoying your wonderful community and the people who make Jacksonville the hidden gem of Oregon.

From my heart to yours, Ed Owens

Featured image l-r: Joe Surges, Ed Owens and Thom Gregg