NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio (WJW) — A Northeast Ohio woman tries to solve a mystery that began to unravel after she bought a suitcase at a local thrift store.
Amanda Skyrm from Royalton North said her daughter wanted a suitcase as a gift for Christmas. Skyrm can find bargains for used luggage at the Goodwill Store along Pearl Road in Strongsville.
Skyrm was going through a suitcase and in one of the pockets he found a small family album containing a series of black and white photographs.
“Maybe something got stuck in there accidentally that didn’t really need to be there, that’s what I think, and someone might be looking for it,” he said.
The photos appear to be from the 1950s or early 1960s, and show a couple holding a baby in front of a Christmas tree, posing with other family members, and one of the women holding the baby. There is also a photo of an older man and woman and four other children sitting on a couch with a cat and a dog.
“I showed it to my mom and she said, ‘Oh my gosh, that looks like a classic ’50s photo, with the wallpaper and the poses and stuff,’” Skyrm told us.
Skyrm said he felt obligated to find the family that owned the photos and return the album.
“I just thought if it was me, if it was my family, my parents or grandparents, I want the picture back if I could. I would feel bad if I accidentally left them there,” he said.
Employees at Goodwill want to help solve the mystery, but unfortunately the organization doesn’t keep permanent records of people donating items, such as suitcases.
Skyrm suspects the surviving family members featured in the photo are from the area and he feels it will be a pleasant surprise if he can return a collection of memories for the holidays.
“If someone is looking for it, I will be happy to do so,” he said.
If you can identify the family featured in the photo, please email us at [email protected] and we’ll pass on your contact information.
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