The Goodness of America.

Answered Prayer

On December 19th of last year, Mrs. Diana Kurtz of New Hartford, Connecticut, lost her car keys. As reported by the December 31st Hartford Courant, Mrs. Kurtz prayed that the keys would turn up. Her prayers were answered, and then some.

Eighteen years ago, Mrs. Kurtz had received a one-carat diamond engagement ring costing about $1,500 from her then-fiancee Michael Kurtz (now her husband of 17 years). She eventually had it soldered to her wedding band, but a couple of years later lost the ensemble, along with an onyx ring. The Kurtzes suspected that they fell down a sink in a bathroom where Mrs. Kurtz left them to dry after painting a room in their home.

The couple long ago abandoned hope of finding the rings. Then, on the afternoon of the day she lost her car keys, Mrs. Kurtz received a phone call from Bill Zuerblis, a treatment operator at the Metropolitan District Commission's sewage treatment plant in Hartford, who asked if she had lost something. She thought Zuerblis was asking about her keys, since he did not immediately say what he had found. He wanted to make sure that she had indeed lost something. "Finally it dawns on me' Mrs. Kurtz recalled for the Courant, "My heart started pounding, and I said he found my wedding ring."

Actually, Zuerblis had found both of the lost rings. A few days earlier, a malfunctioning pump had forced him to work inside a 15-foot-deep wastewater processing pool. As summarized by the Courant, Zuerblis "was unclogging a drain at the plant, which treats nearly 60 million gallons of sewage each day, when he first noticed a sparkling object -- the diamond -- in the muck. About 20 minutes later, he found the onyx ring under some rocks, just as he was about to vacuum it up with a hose."

Initially, Zuerblis thought that the rings were costume jewelry, since he and his coworkers often come across cheap rings and other similar items while sifting debris. But then he noticed the inscription "P.O.M.G." and recognized it as the initials of a slogan ("Peace of Mind Guaranteed") used by famed Hartford jeweler Bill Savitt. "I knew it was the real thing," he told the Courant, "because I remember watching the Bill Savitt commercials when I was a little kid." In addition to the slogan, the inside of the diamond's band was engraved with "Love," the date "9/14/85," and the initials "D.M.R." and "M.J.K."

Zuerblis told the Courant that he and his fellow workers had often dreamed of finding an expensive ring and splitting the proceeds, but he never considered keeping or selling them without first trying to locate their owner.

According to the Courant, "After checking state public records in several towns, Zuerblis found that a Michael Joseph Kurtz had married the former Diane Margaret Roy on Sept. 14, 1985. After making a day's worth of calls to get information, he found the couple living in New Hartford." The Kurtzes arranged to pick the rings up at Zuerblis' home three days after the phone call confirming that Mrs. Kurtz was indeed the rightful owner.

Mr. Kurtz pegs the odds of recovering the rings at "one in a million." Zuerblis reflects, "I feel pretty good about the whole thing. I know I made the right decision. That ring is back where it belongs -- on her finger."

And the car keys? They were found on the Kurtzes' driveway.

Giving Away Hope

Utah resident Dave Adams owns Dave Adams' Classic Auto Repair, with shops in Orem, Spanish Fork, and Lehi, Utah. During the past decade, in memory of his mother who worked two jobs to support the family when he was growing up, he has given away cars (four in 2002 alone) to single mothers striving to complete their education. He makes a special point of giving away a car at Christmas to enhance the spirit of the season for his employees and children.

The most recent recipient of Adams' generosity was Michele Strong, 30, who is working toward a college degree, but had to drop out of Utah Valley State College last year for lack of adequate transportation. She told Salt Lake City's Deseret News for December 19, 2002 that while she has taken sundry online courses, she "was starting to wonder how long it would take to get my degree. Now it will be a lot sooner than I had thought."

Adams filled the back seat of the refurbished 1997 Ford Taurus presented to Strong on December 18th with Christmas gifts for her 6-year-old daughter, Michela, and others. Strong's father told the Deseret News that his daughter has been 'lust barely getting by. This gives her hope for the future." Echoing those sentiments, Strong told the Deseret News: "I just can't believe a stranger would just pick random people to help and change their lives so drastically. There's no words to describe it. It's incredible. I feel inspired and want to put myself in a position that I can one day do the same thing for someone else."

Adams, who has launched a national organization of auto body shop owners who also give away cars during the holiday season, says, "It never gets old. When you know you're going to impact somebody this dramatically, it's very rewarding."

From Rescuer to Rodeo Star

Seven-year-old Titus Adams played a key role in saving his seriously injured mother and two younger sisters after their truck crashed last November (see "The Goodness of America," January 27th issue). At the time, Titus told reporters that he dreamed of becoming a rodeo cowboy.

On January 12th, the Galeton, Colorado, youngster took a step toward that goal by placing first in the Mutton Bustin' competition at the National Western Stock Show in Denver. Titus bested six other competitors in the event, in which five- to seven-year-olds cling to the backs of sheep as they scamper around the ring. As in bull and bronc riding, the one who stays on longest wins.

During the stock show's Mexican Rodeo that afternoon, Titus was further honored for his November heroics, receiving a custom-made saddle and bridle, a gold and silver belt buckle, and the Colorado State Patrol's Award of Excellence. Trooper Jay Peters, who was among those called to the scene of the accident, described him as "an amazing little guy.... There are many adults who wouldn't have acted with as much bravery as Titus."

The Associated Press reported the next day: "Titus, in true cowboy fashion, had little to say at the rodeo. He just grinned and nodded as the adults asked him questions, and then, on a borrowed horse, took a victory lap around the arena."