Treasure in a Goodwill bin: 134-year-old marriage certificate finds its way back to family with help from a stranger

An Indiana man on the search for second-hand backpacking gear at his local Goodwill discovered a priceless 134-year-old marriage certificate instead, and helped the carefully preserved heirloom find its way back to the couple’s relatives. 

 

Carlos Egan knew as soon as he spotted the marriage certificate that he wanted to try and return it to the couple’s family. He’d returned other thrifted treasures to families over the years, and knew that this one in particular would delight any relatives he could track down.

 

Through an online search, he located the couple’s great-great-grandsons, who live only a short distance away. They were so thrilled to hear from Egan that one of them arranged to meet up right away, and the two men ended up talking about family history for nearly an hour. 

 

Now, the beautiful framed marriage certificate is proudly on display in great-great-grandson Brian Jeffries’ home office in Greenfield, Indiana... 

 

All thanks to treasure-hunter Egan! 

 

 

Get the full scoop in Shelley Swift's article for the Greenfield Daily Reporter. 

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• What is a Marriage Certificate? (And How to Fill One Out)
   

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