January 17, 2005
Hutto, Texas

Charlie’s Wedding Ring: An early Valentine’s Day Story.

 On February 9, 1946 a spry, wiry young man, Charles E. Hanstrom, Jr. married his beautiful bride, Clarice (Anderson). As part of the wedding ceremony, Clarice placed a gold wedding band that she had purchased for him on his left hand as a token of her love. Charlie had recently served his country in the United States Army Air Corp beginning in 1942 and through the remainder of World War Two. After the war, Charlie had returned to his hometown to resume his profession of running the water works for the people of Hutto and working as the local plumber. Charlie’s father, Charles E. Hanstrom, Sr., had been one of Hutto’s most prominent citizens starting the water works in 1910, the ice company, the electric company and a cotton gin. Charlie had run the family business beginning in January of 1939 as his dad had died years much earlier in 1928. Life was good in Hutto following WWII. As this young Swedish couple shared their first married Valentine’s Day their future was very promising... 

On February 15, 1946, Ada May (Lockett) Farley was a widow lady in need of help with a plumbing problem at her 305 East Street Victorian home. And of course, Charlie came to her rescue. Ada had lived in this house for many years with her husband, Halley A. “Hal” Farley, who had died nearly seven years prior on July 1, 1939. The Farleys did not have any children, but many relatives. The Farley families had been amongst the earliest settlers of the Hutto community. Ada’s home was a house built in 1896 in the Railroad Addition of Hutto that had been established after the Great International Northern Rail Road had come through the area in 1876. James Emory Hutto, the man that the town site was named after, had sold fifty acres of land, reserving five acres for the railroad and selling forty-five acres to the New York and Texas Land Company that in turn had been subdivided and sold the land on which the Farley’s home was built.  

Cold wet and muddy after finishing the plumbing repairs; Charlie crawled out from under the wooden pier and beam foundation that kept the Farley house off of the ground. It was not until later that he looked at his finger on his left hand. It was naked; his wedding ring had been swallowed by the black gumbo clay soil at the Farley house.  

Just six days after Clarice and he had married, Charlie had lost his new 14K gold wedding band. Clarice, of course, still had her diamond wedding ring set. Charlie was distraught and looked over and over for his lost ring, but it was not to be found. 

Time passed on Charlie and Clarice had three children; Charles Thomas ”Chuck” Hanstrom, Aleda (Hanstrom) Crislip, Marilyn (Hanstrom) Boehm. Life was good and they both worked very hard. Charlie worked for 39 years with the city water works and even longer as a plumber. Clarice worked in banking for 28 years in Round Rock. Through the years, Charlie and Clarice were involved in community good on so many levels through their church, the Hutto Lions Club, their work, friends and family. 

History and events are oft interrelated. In October 19, 1965 Ada Farley died in Taylor and later in 1966 the home was sold to Lester Carter who lived there with his wife, Nell (Gainer) Carter. The Gainers are another longtime Hutto family. Lester and Nell raised their son and daughter in this home.  

In the fall of 2003, Charlie shared the story of his lost wedding ring with Mike Fowler who was then Mayor and very interested in local stories and the history of Hutto. In the late summer of 2004, Mike Fowler bought the Farley-Carter House from George Carter and told Charlie that he was welcome to renew his search anytime that he wanted. 

Almost fifty-nine years later, an interesting sequence of events took place.  Priscilla Stroud, Hutto City Councilwoman Florence Winkler’s daughter, was friends with a member of the Austin Metal Detecting Club and asked him to call Mike Fowler for potential sites to metal detect. When called by Art Tiemann, the President of the Austin Metal Detecting Club, Mike Fowler remembered Charlie’s story and suggested that a search take place for Charlie’s wedding ring. 

At 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 15, 2005 as previously arranged the Austin Metal Detecting Club met with Mike Fowler at Henrietta the Hippo on the east side of East Street in the downtown area. (No story about Hutto is complete without at least the mention of hippos.) Mike had told Charlie that the search was on for Saturday morning and he was there as well. Charlie recanted his tale to the Austin Metal Detecting Club members and everyone proceeded to the Farley-Carter House. Mike let the members know that anything that they found on the property was for them to keep, except if Charlie’s ring was found. 

Hundreds of items were detected and retrieved by this enthusiastic group of sixteen people replete with the proper metal detecting equipment to undertake the job. On average metal detectors detect to a depth of 6 to 8 inches; with the majority of items found in the top three inches of soil. Detecting Club ethics require that disturbed soil should always be left in as undisturbed condition as possible. Most of the items found were junk metal. However a 1914 Maltese Cross, a 1905 Mexican centavo coin, many old and newer coins with emphasis on pennies and an 1890’s ornate iron door lockset minus the knobs were found. 

At about 10:30 a.m. Clarice came to the Farley-Carter house to check on the progress. Her hands were unadorned of jewelry. Clarice’s own wedding ring was in need of repair ;having cracked from age and almost sixty years of wear. At very close to 11:00 a.m., Blaine Nelson, the Secretary of the club, called out: “I’ve found it” and indeed she had. Like many years before, Blaine was now the hero and had come to Charlie’s aid as he had helped so many others. A bright gold ring in pristine condition stamped 14K was in her hand. The ring did not quite fit on Charlie’s finger, battered by many years of hard work, any longer and would need resizing. After celebration and digital pictures, it was Clarice who walked away wearing the newly found treasure of their past with full intent of seeing it back on Charlie’s wedding ring finger in the near future. On Sunday, January 16, 2005, Charlie Hanstrom wore his wedding band to church services at Hutto Methodist Church for all to see and the basics of this story were told from the pulpit.  It doesn't take much to see how connected are people and events. Much history of personal and global impact had occurred over the past six decades while Charlie’s ring was buried in the Hutto dirt, now it was time to shine brightly once more. 

 Left to right: Blaine Nelson, who found his wedding ring with Charlie and Clarice Hanstrom and instigator, Mike Fowler.

Charlie and Clarice… here’s wishing you both a happy and an early Happy Hippo Valentine’s Day this year and for many more to come!

  

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Charlie and Clarice Hanstrom  1-512-846-2502
Mike Fowler (512) 736-2000, 759-2000 mfowler16@austin.rr.com
Austin Metal Detecting Club: Art Tiemann, President (512) 272-8902 (website: www.austinmetaldetectingclub.com )

Blaine Nelson, Secretary (512) 266-7058 punkin4048@aol.com 

 

More Information about the Austin Metal Detecting Club

Since 1963, the AMDC has been serving the needs of metal detectorists in the Central Texas area, acting as a clearinghouse for historical and metal detecting information and providing an enjoyable social environment for folks interested in the fascinating hobby of metal detecting.

Currently, the roster includes around 50 members of all ages, ranging from highly experienced to the newcomer in this fascinating hobby of metal detecting. Historical preservation and discovery are some of the benefits provided by the club. Additionally, the club is meticulous in returning the search site back into its original condition minus the objects found. Club activities include monthly meetings, social hunts, and competition hunts for silver and prizes.

The AMDC is an active member of FMDAC and the Texas Council of Treasure Clubs and maintains close contact with organizations on state and national levels to keep members up-to-date on the latest metal detecting news and developments.

Everyone is welcome to join in the fun!