I'll share a situation that is just unfolding for me:
My wife has an 80 something year old uncle that sold his house and moved into a rest home.
While she was visiting him, she mentioned I was out with my metal detector and that sparked his memory:
Unbeknownst to anyone until this past weekend, he lost his wedding band in a flower bed of his old property many years ago.
He had told the folks that bought his place that if they ever find the ring, he'd like it back.
So, my wife stopped in to see the lady who now owns the property and explained the situation.
Luckily, she was more than glad to let me come and look anytime I want .
She also mentioned that she or a realtive/acquaintance had already searched the property with a detector, but had no luck in locating the ring.
With the super weather we're having here in the East, it's a perfect time to see if I can come through for the old guy.
He loved his wife dearly, and that wedding band is the one thing that he has left to remember her by.
Hopefully I can report back with success story; but the point is, if you don't ask you will never know.
Good luck with your quest.