Family reunited with $17,000 heirloom mistakenly donated to Goodwill

SEATTLE — At a Seattle Goodwill store on Tuesday sisters Margie Kiso and Susan Frederick were flooded with memories. They were reunited with the model ship that was given to their grandfather by N.C. Garrison, a Tacoma model ship builder.

“I remember those little flags we made out of that ribbon,” Kiso said as they looked over the approximately 4-foot long ship they said was in all their family pictures.

It's appraised at $17,000, but a misunderstanding led to it being donated to the Edmonds Goodwill in June.

“In my need to clean out my garage I felt like the Goodwill was a fabulous place,” said Elizabeth Peck who received the ship as a gift from family members years ago.

“I knew it would go somewhere where somebody cared about it.”

She only fully realized the significance of the family heirloom when she told her mom and aunt they had donated it.

So they contacted Goodwill, and workers verified it in fact belonged to the family.

“Everyone was so good about following up,” said Frederick. “Doing their due diligence to make sure we were the rightful owners.”

Goodwill workers said this happens more often than you'd think.

“We've had birth certificates included in things, wedding rings, family jewelry, photos that only have meaning to them,” said Katherine Boury, of Goodwill.

“We always do our best to try to find it for them.”

And thanks to that work the misunderstanding turned into a special moment Tuesday between Peck and her mother and aunt.

"Brings you back to a certain time when things were special that you can't get back,” said Peck as her mom hugged her. “I love you.”

Cox Media Group