Woman discovers family heirloom 20 years after it disappeared while cleaning a house

Family heirlooms often carry deep significance, connecting us to our heritage and ancestry. Whether it’s jewelry, clothing, or cherished artifacts, these items hold a unique place in history and in the hearts of those who inherit them. Sadly, with time and changing circumstances, heirlooms can sometimes disappear. Annie Cunningham thought she’d lost a treasured family artwork forever—until an unexpected discovery while cleaning a house 20 years later brought it back into her life. 

Cunningham, who works for Tidy Casa, arrived to clean Ryleigh Gleason’s home in Tempe two weeks ago—and what she found shocked everyone. She told ABC 15 Arizona, “I was probably in the kitchen for about half an hour, and then I looked up and saw a picture hanging on the wall, by the cabinet.” Taking a closer look, memories of her childhood came flooding back. “I remembered seeing it sitting above my parents’ gold velvet couch, with green shag carpet, and the Zenith console with the TV and vinyl player,” Annie recalled.

The one-of-a-kind stitched piece of art that her grandmother initially made for her parents. Following her father's tumultuous estate administration after his passing, the item vanished. Annie explained, “It was done as a wedding present to my parents, way, way, way back when. My father passed and everything of his was basically donated, given away, we don’t really know what happen to a bulk majority of it.”

Ryleigh was also surprised to learn that an artwork she has is really attached to a lot of family history. “I feel like this happened for a reason,” she said, adding, “I thought this was beautiful, I have a lot of oranges and yellows in my house so I knew that it would match all of my decor.” She claims to have purchased it at a Goodwill store that is located close to both her house and Annie's childhood home. She added, “That’s so random that the one time I hire someone to help me clean my house, it’s her artwork from her family, I was like it’s obviously meant to be with her because it’s come back to her.” 

Ryleigh gifted the artwork to Annie, who plans to cherish it forever. In response, Annie hand-stitched a second item to complement Ryleigh's 1970s decor. Ryleigh expressed her joy by saying, “I was really, really happy to do so and I feel it’s finally at home and it took a long time to get to you but it made its way back." Annie now has possession of the heirloom that has been in her family for decades. She thought it was gone forever for about 20 years and now due to a fortunate coincidence and turn of fate, the artwork has found its way back.

This article originally appeared on 1.27.23.