Decades after Kimberly Greenlee lost her brother in an accident, a 12-year-old boy showed up on her doorstep with something that reconnected her with her beloved family member. Here's the heartwarming story.
Meet Kolton
This is one of those "how is that possible" stories, and it all started with 12-year-old Kolton Conrad. Living in Stoutsville, Ohio, with his mom, dad, and brother, he and his family would make the discovery of a lifetime.
His mother, Ashely Scurlock-Conrad, a known figure in their local community, would become a key player in this story, even though she wasn't on the life-changing kayaking trip in July 2020 with her family on the Hocking River. Let's take a closer look.
Fun Day Out
It was the summer of 2020, school was off, and it was summertime! So, the Conrad family decided to go on a kayaking trip. According to the Lancaster Eagle Gazette, the trip was intended to be just a standard "guys' day out," so Mama Ashley was staying at home!
The boys of the family ventured down to Clear Creek Metro Park in Rockbridge, Ohio, to the city of Logan, which was about 10 miles away. Their destination was the Hocking River, a beautiful family-friendly location that stretches out 102 miles southeast of the state.
A Stop Along the Way
However, the "guys' day out" wasn't all about summer, kayaking, and enjoying the water; the Conrad boys made an important stop along the time. On their way to the river, they stopped by a sandbank where they picked up trash that had been left over time.
Right before the trip, Kolton became interested in all things treasure hunting after watching videos online of people finding lost valuables online. So, once they arrived at the sandbank, Kolton was keeping his eyes wide open for any possible valuables!
Keeping His Eyes Peeled
With his eyes set on the prize, Kolton would eventually find something more valuable than he could have ever dreamed. The 12-year-old boy was in the right place at the right time that July 4th, and with his treasure-hunting skills under his belt, he made the discovery of a lifetime.
At first glance, Conrad had no idea what he had discovered sitting along the water, but later on, he would feel so grateful for picking it up! Kolton was really just interested in going out on that fun "guys' day out" and potentially finding some hidden treasures, but little did he know what would come next.
The First Clue
So what exactly did the young Kolton Conrad find floating along the Hocking River? The eager treasure hunter discovered a sentimental item that had been long-lost for years. The item was part of a heartbreaking yet heartwarming story of a family's love and loss.
After finding the metal object, he realized relatively quickly that whatever it was he found held some sort of emotional value for someone. On the small object, he saw the family name "Rhonemus" engraved on it, giving him some clue as to who it could belong to. Kolton knew finding the owner would be challenging, but he was determined.
Tracking Down the Owner
After showing his family what exactly he found, Kolton's mother, Ashley, was determined to do something about it. Ashley decided to shoot for the stars and post details of the newly found item on Facebook, hoping someone would know something and contact her.
She later told the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, "Rhonemus doesn't seem like a very common name. So we thought it should be pretty easy to find who it belonged to." So, Ashley posted a picture of her son's found discovery to Facebook, and the Internet did its thing.
On the Hunt
Ashley told CNN in July of 2020 that she was unsure if anything would actually come from her Facebook post, but it was worth trying. "I put it out on Facebook, not knowing if we would ever find the family or we would ever know anything," she said.
On the Facebook post, Ashley Scurlock-Conrad explained that her son found the item "while kayaking at The Hocking River" the day before. People have used Facebook time and time again to connect owners to their long-lost items, but it's always a long shot.
"Please Share"
There was very little information available for Ashley to share online, but she included any details she could. On the Facebook post, she included what exactly was engraved on the object, which read, "Rhonemus, S.F, USMC, Pentecostal." Hopefully, this meant something to someone.
Scurlock-Conrad asked her Facebook friends to "please share" the post so that it could circulate as far around as possible. And just like that, the comments rolled in. One person suggested she "check with a local (military) recruiter and see if they can track them down."
Connecting the Dots
People even messaged Ashley to let her know that they were invested in finding the owner and, in return, had shared the post. So, after tons of shares, and by some miracle, Ashley's Facebook post had landed up reaching the right person at the right time.
So who exactly did the news get to? Not too long after the post went live, her son's former bus driver, Crystal Potts, saw the post and made an unbelievable connection. She had recognized the last name and was actually friends with Rhonemus's family.
A Dedicated Marine
Ashley recounted to the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette that through her hopeful Facebook post, "within about six hours, someone got in touch with us." Wow! The Internet truly works in mysterious ways. Kolton's mom then shared that she connected to a woman who would have all the answers she was looking for.
She was put in contact with Kimberly Greenlee. Kimberly was the sister of the individual to whom the little metal trinket had belonged too. Her brother was Steven Rhonemus, a former U.S. Marine who suffered from an injury during his service and was discharged. Unfortunately, he died in a motorcycle accident in 1974 at 24.
"You’re Not Going To Believe This"
Kimberley told Ashley she had no clue how his personal belongings landed up in the Hocking River, but they sure did belong to her brother. She said that Rhonemus may have just lost it while enjoying some outside time with friends but was in utter disbelief anyone could have found it.
When talking to the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, Greenlee explained how she got connected to Ashley and the Facebook post in the first place. "When my cousin, Wendy Pennington, called me about Ashley’s post, I could feel her excitement over the phone. She told me, 'You’re not going to believe this.'" And she was right.
Steven's Dog Tag
Kimberly later said that she "could just hear the disbelief" in her cousin's voice, immediately understanding that whatever she was about to share would be big. She later explained the two of them had just shared a moment of complete and total shock over what was going on.
Later on, she told the publication how she learned of how the item was discovered by a 12-year-old adventuring around the river, to which she just responded, "WHAT?" As it turns out, Kolton had found Kimberly's brother's dog tag that he wore during his service.
Looking Into the Dog Tag
After finding out it was Rhonemus' dog tag, Kolton couldn't believe what he had come across. The discovery was even more meaningful as the young boy had big dreams of going to the military himself one day. In fact, Conrad's aunt had joined the armed forces when he was a toddler, but that inspiration was enough for Kolton to dream big.
However, Kolton's father hasn't convinced the dog tag was authentic at first, so the family decided to get the item verified to make sure it was legitimate. Once everything was checked out, they posted the item itself on Facebook. No one could have predicted this would have been the outcome.
46 Years Later
Greenlee and her family were in complete and total shock by Kolton's discovery, but they were even more surprised by the young boy's timing. Kimberly explained to the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, "This tag was lost for 46 years" before it was found, which was unbelievable on its own.
However, what was "amazing to think about" was that Kolton found the missing dog tag "on Independence Day of all days." Now that's something. She couldn't believe the 12-year-old explorer found something of so much sentimental value to her and her family and that Kolton had the intuition to know it as well.
Arranging to Meet
Kimberly explained to the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, "For him to realize the meaning behind the tag, and to hold onto it, to help a stranger's family, it's amazing." And yes, it truly is! The fact that the young 12-year-old Kolton Conrad was so in tune with a lost item was incredible.
And because of Ashely's decision to post the missing item on Facebook, Kimberly was able to reconnect with her brother in some way. After connecting the dots, Ashley explained to the publication, "We knew we had to get the tag back to her, so we arranged to meet."
Meeting at Rising Park
But where would the two families meet? After some back and forth, the Conrads and Greenlee decided on the perfect meeting spot that would soon prove to be of importance to both families. At this point, it was truly unbelievable the Conrads had tracked down the owner.
Ashley unknowingly suggested they meet at Rising Park in Lancaster, Ohio, a place where her son loves to go fishing. And after recommending this spot to Kimberley, she shared with them that the location also had been a special place for her brother.
A Special Meeting Place
After deciding on a meeting point, Kimberely explained that her brother loved riding his motorcycles around Rising Park, making it the perfect meeting place. She couldn't believe the coincidence that this was the place that Ashley chose to connect.
Kimberly told CNN that her late brother "had a chopper he built himself, and he would take everybody on rides in that park all the time." Of all the parks they could have chosen to meet, this was the right one. Everyone was still in disbelief at the unexpected connection.
Nervously Awaiting
As the meeting time got closer and closer, the families anxiously awaited meeting one another. Kolton, however, was the most nervous. His mom could see how nervous her son was over the impending meeting, but she continued to assure him it would all be great.
According to CNN, Ashley comforted her son by telling him, "You did a wonderful thing," which he totally did! Greenlee also made sure to recognize Kolton and had nothing but great things to say about the 12-year-old, calling him "super special" and saying that it was fate that connected him to finding the dog tag.
Hugs, Hugs, and More Hugs
Despite all the impending nerves, Kolton was ready to return the special item to its rightful owner. Sometime later, the families met at Rising Park for an emotional gathering. Kolton later explained that it was such a fulfilling feeling to meet Kimberly and return the dog tag.
"I just threw my arms around him and wanted to cry," Greenlee told CNN about the emotional meeting. "I was just amazed that the little boy knew the deep meaning of those tags and knew what it would mean to our family. I just hugged and hugged him."
Really Hitting Home
No one could have predicted how emotional their meeting would be. It had been nearly 50 years since Steven passed away, but that day they were able to celebrate his memory together. As for Kimberly, the emotions really settled in after she left the Conrads and headed home.
After leaving Rising Park, Kimberly went home and sat with her late brothers' military dog tags in hand and just began sobbing. Although his passing happened years ago, it had suddenly felt so new again. And in that time, all she could think about was her niece, Danielle Jewell, Steven Rhonemus' daughter.
A Special Memory
Unfortunately, Danielle was never able to meet her father, as Steven Rhonemus had died before she was born. Not only had she never met her father, but at one point, a house fire completely destroyed all of his things, including most of his photographs.
Danielle had no physical memories of her father. Only five pictures made it out of the house fire that she kept near and dear to her heart. Knowing that there were minimal physical memories to remember her father by, Kimberly hoped his military identification would become another sacred piece for her.
Guardian Angel
Greenlee decided it was best to gift the long-lost dog tag to her niece. "I reached out to Danielle, and I told her the story. We haven't been in touch for a while, but I wanted to offer her the dog tag, so she could have that to remember her father," she said.
She later explained to the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, "It was emotional when she got it. She said it felt like God was letting her know her dad was with her and watching over her." With so little to remember her father by, this must have been a major moment for Danielle.
The Sign She Needed
Danielle recalled to CNN how incredible the entire situation felt and how comforting receiving the dog tag felt. "I'm not sure why now, 46 years later, this came about, I've always felt like maybe he was watching over me, and I felt like maybe this is a sign that he is with me still," she said.
Although she never met her father, Danielle still felt incredibly connected to her father. Unfortunately, there was not many photographs or item to remember him by, but all thanks to Kolton's curiosity one day on the river, Danielle was able to gain one more important piece of the puzzle.
Thankful for the Good Deed
Danielle was incredibly appreciative of Kolton and his family for searching for the owners of the tag. "I really do appreciate them returning it to us. They didn't have to do that," she said. "They could have kept it." But their family knew if they could find the rightful owners, that's where it should be.
She continued to express her surprise over receiving the dog tag and Kolton for being so responsible and concerned about returning it. "Especially a young boy who's into the military finding a dog tag… it's surprising they would go out of their way to make sure it got back to the family."
The Ripple Effect
Danielle and Kimberly were appreciative of all who played a major part in this incredible whirlwind of a story. Thanks to both Crystal Potts and Wendy Pennington, the word about the long-lost dog tag was able to reach Kimberly and her niece.
Greenlee later told the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, how appreciative she was of the Conrads and the way the story sparked such attention. "It's just amazing for me how much of a ripple effect there has been since Kolton found the tag and all the good we've heard about because of it," she said.
Swapping Stories
Through the unbelievable discovery of Steven Rhonemus' tag, Kimberly was too given a chance to take a walk down memory lane and share some incredible stories of her brother. Since so much time had passed since his death, this was a beautiful reminder of her late brother.
After meeting Greenlee, Ashley shared the whole story online, which in return allowed people to reach out with their own personal stories about Rhonemus. For Kimberly, it was such a delight to be able to hear all these untold stories and relive such special memories of her late brother.
"Everybody Loved Him"
It was both a heartwarming and challenging situation to relive memories from the past, but all in all, Kimberly had nothing but incredible things to say about him. Greenlee told the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, "He was a brother, a protector. Everybody loved him."
She continued, "The first thing you'd hear about him if you said his name is 'he was my brother.' He was a good man. I loved him, and I can only imagine how my life would have been different if he had lived." Everyone who knew Steven absolutely loved and missed him.
Feeling Thankful
With the resurrection of Rhonemus' tag, Kimberly was able to learn that her brother's legacy is, in fact, continuing. And she really had one person to thank-Kolton. Thanks to the curiosity of a 12-year-old boy and his family's decision to have a fun day out, Kimberly was able to connect with her late brother.
Kimberly told the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, "I just want to acknowledge Kolton and his family. We have so much gratefulness for them from the bottom of our hearts. They were able to give us back a piece of my brother, and helped show respect to the military, the respect it deserves."
An Emotional Ride
As for proud mom Ashley, in July 2020, she wrote on Facebook, "I truly know Kolton was meant to find this! Blessing Steve's family all these 46 years later was just so heartwarming! We loved hearing about Steve! We can't thank everyone enough who shared to find his family! We're so happy to give them a piece of him back."
Ashley also acknowledged Kolton and his passion for helping others, writing, "I'm thankful for Kolton learning at such a young age what it meant to serve Our Country," adding, "He has such a passion for Military/History." Maybe Kolton has a future of his own in the armed forces one day, just like Steve did!
Thank you, Kolton
Through this marvelous story, so many human beings were able to reconnect with one another and cherish Steve's memory. Regardless of never meeting her father, Danielle was able to feel connected and protected by him through Kolton's unbelievable discovery.
Ashley also acknowledged Kolton and his passion for helping others, writing, "I'm thankful for Kolton learning at such a young age what it meant to serve Our Country," adding, "He has such a passion for Military/History." Maybe Kolton has a future of his own in the armed forces one day, just like Steve did.