LAFAYETTE — A Lafayette woman needs help finding the last gift she received from her late mother.
Katie Bueche's mother Carol Thornton was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in April 2018.
Carol's health started to decline this past November, and she didn't think she would make it through Christmas.
Around Thanksgiving, Carol gave Katie, her other daughter Kristen, and granddaughter Sommer custom-made rings that incorporated pieces of her mother's ring.
"She called us all in, and she gave us the rings, one by one, and that was our Christmas with her," said Katie. "And then, pretty much after that, she was unconscious until she passed away."
Carol died December 2.
Katie was left with the memories of her mother and the ring, a ring she says was on her finger Tuesday before going to Champagne's Market in the Oil Center later that afternoon.
Once she left the grocery store around 4:30 p.m., she went to her parents' home in Bendel Gardens, which is where she realized the ring was missing.
"We looked around the house for almost an hour while other people came to Champagne's, looked in the parking lot, looked in the dog food aisle," explained Katie.
She is now offering a $1,000 reward to whoever finds the ring or has information on where it is.
"If it was just a ring, it would be replaceable, and we wouldn't be spending this much time worrying about it, but it symbolizes my mom and the love she had for us," said Katie.
If you have any information on the ring's whereabouts, call 337-849-9966 or 337-781-5098.
