RANDOLPH COUNTY, N.C. — A woman from Randolph County found some priceless treasures during a yard sale in the Triad.
Now, she is on a mission to find the owner of old naval papers and photos.
Dianne Coltrane is an incredible artist.
"My whole family paints; we get that after my mother," said Coltrane. "I can't even describe to you how many murals I've painted over the years, bunches."
Her art invokes emotions and memories, but what started as an idea for a new painting after finding some frames is now leading her to take those memories and return them to their rightful owner.
"Because I paint, the picture frames looked old, like barn wood, and I thought, well, I will paint an old barn or something like that, and that would be good, but I stuck it back in the closet, and it got stuck against the wall," she said.
That was more than five years ago. While she was spring cleaning, she came across those frames that were tucked back in a closet.
This time, she discovered something new.
"When I pulled the two frames out, it was pictures of a family," said Coltrane. "When I laid the box down, I heard something rattle, and it was these papers that were in that box, and I reached down and pulled that out, opened it up, and saw that it was all of this stuff from this man Douglas Lamar Pharr. I was not familiar with that name at all, I didn't know anything about him. The yard sale, the lady passed away at that home, and I don't know who was having the yard sale."
Based on the paperwork, Coltrane said the papers are for a man by the name of Douglas Lamar Pharr. He was born in 1943.
There are papers from his time in the Navy and even has his high school diploma from Star City, Arkansas.
She believes he was from Arkansas, and moved to California for work, but cannot find the family.
There are hundreds of photos from a trip to Australia in 2003 as well.
"I think his family would tickled to get them and he would be too if he is still living, and I hope he is you know," she said. "My brother having been in the navy told me if they were his papers, he would want them and would want his children to have them.
Coltrane said she just wants to give them back to the family so they can cherish them for years to come.
"I just want y'all to find out who they belong to and how to get them back to them, that would be a good thing," she said.
If you or anyone you know may have ties to this family, call WFMY at 336-379-9369 or email us at news@wfmy.com.