The Ring

Her name was Lora; one day she would be Lora Ragan, and she would be Lora Ragan for most of her life. For more than fifty years she would carry that name, but the day that Clarence Ragan gave her the ring…that day she was just Lora. The origin of the ring is uncertain since Clarence was not known to be a wealthy man, but he must have thought only such a costly gift was worthy of the one he loved and worth whatever cost or effort it took to obtain it. The ring was beautiful, made of white gold encasing a beautiful red ruby, and it embodied a love and signified a promise that would forever change her life…and someday her name.

Almost ninety years elapsed and the ring was passed on to her great-grandson, Joshua Ragan Ward, whose middle name was Ragan in honor of these great-grandparents. Sometime in the decades that passed the large ruby that had once set in the center had been replaced, but it was still a beautiful and valuable heirloom…a gift worthy of his one true love.

And so, on September 27 in honor of the anniversary of their wedding day in 1924, the ring that once signified the promise of marriage and symbolized the engagement of Lora to Clarence Reagan, was given with the same promise to symbolize the engagement of Jennifer Lara to Joshua Ragan Ward. This beautiful white gold ring with its red stone, the birthstone of its new bearer, once more embodies a promise to forever change a young girl’s life…and someday her name.