Betty Ghio, 52, said the ring was stolen -- along with an iPod, a cell phone, purses, three dozen new golf balls and about $100 -- while her PT Cruiser was parked outside of a bank in June 2007, the Houston Chronicle reported Thursday.

"I was just shattered, coming out to my car and seeing this," Ghio said. "It was only about $1,800 in goods that were stolen. But my A&M ring, you couldn't put a value on that."

Ghio said she received a plain brown envelope in the mail just before Thanksgiving that bore no return address and contained only the ring and a note from someone who identified herself only as "Martha."

The sender said the ring, which had Ghio's name inscribed inside the band, had been discovered by her friend's husband. She said the man works as a maintenance man for a Houston apartment complex and found the ring in an apartment after the renters had moved out.

"It's great to see such a random act of human kindness that makes you feel good about people," Ghio said. "I believe things happen for a reason. I'm not sure why this happened, but there's a reason."