Rosary lost by U.S. soldier in World War II returned to family

Oct. 6 (UPI) -- The family of a U.S. man who lost his rosary while serving in Italy during World War II had the item returned to them thanks to the family of the soldier who found it.

Tim Maynard said his father, Robert Maynard, told his family the story of how he lost the leather pouch containing the rosary given to him by his mother while he was serving in Italy during World War II.

"I remember him saying at one point that his only regret was the fact that he had lost the rosary and it was his mom's and it was a special rosary," Maynard told WCPO-TV. "It had a relic inside of it. And that kept him safe and alive that whole time."

Charles Werley, another U.S. soldier serving in Europe, found the pouch on a beach and brought it back to United States with him in the hopes of eventually finding its owner.

The pouch contained the rosary as well as a note that bore Robert Maynard's name.

Gail Tucker, Werley's daughter, said her father never managed to track down Maynard, but she renewed the efforts when her mother handed the pouch and rosary down to her.

Tim Maynard said it means a lot of have a piece of family history back in his possession.

"It's just amazing to have something, you know, that was with him through those times, back in hand," he said. "Years and years and years have passed since he touched them. But the things that he went through while that was in his possession speaks volumes and the energy is still there with it, as I believe his energy's with it."

A New Jersey man returned a rosary that was lost for a similar amount of time in May after he found the item while using his metal detector in a large open space about 5 miles from his home. The rosary was lost by Diana Antonides 70 years earlier when it was taken by a neighbor boy.

Antonides, 81, said the boy must have buried the rosary in the field where Daniel Jurgens found it seven decades later.