Arizona couple makes historical find following Goodwill purchase
PHOENIX - For one Arizona couple, what began as a project to refurbish a desk ended with them stumbling upon a hundred years of another family's history.
The journey began when Jenna Franzoy of Gilbert bought a desk at Goodwill.
"I took it to my room and it tilted over, and a secret drawer fell out," said Jenna.
That secret drawer was holding a trove of historical treasures, including newspaper clippings…
"A lot of sports articles and farm articles," said Jenna.
Letters…
"My dearest Martha, mother has been writing to you and I want to write some too," said Jenna, reciting one of the letters.
…and even songs.
"I found it to be really sentimental, and I was so blown away by it, so I knew if it was my family member, I’d be even more blown away," said Jenna.
Jenna wanted to get what she found in the hands of the family, but she only had a name to go off on: Martha McCollough.
"I just came to really understand this woman Martha, She reminded me a lot of my grandmother, so I decided to reach out," said Jenna.
Jenna put out a post on Facebook, and soon enough, she got a reply from a woman named Shirley Knight.
"So apparently, this desk and the items in it belong to my grandmother, Martha," said Knight.
Eventually, Knight got a chance to look at pieces of her family's history, as well as her history, for the first time.
"McCollough, Kenneth and Nancy had a girl - that would be me - September 4," said Knight, reading off the announcement of her birth.
As for Jenna, she is now left with her $20 Goodwill desk, as well as a priceless memory that is now written on her heart forever.
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