ROCHESTER, N.H. — An urn containing the remains of a World War II veteran discovered while cleaning out an old house has been returned to a family in Maine.

Anthony Lewis, of Rochester, tells WMUR-TV he saw the urn through the dust. It had a photo of Army Sgt. Chauncey Markham Sr., who served in the South Pacific. Markham died 17 years ago, at 77.

Lewis carried the box and photos home, where he and his family turned to Facebook to find Markham’s family. He started getting responses “from all over” after three hours. By the end of the day, he was able to return the urn to Markham’s family.

Lewis, who lost his sister last month, said he doesn’t believe it was pure chance that their paths crossed, and called it a “blessing moment.”


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