Dorothy's Ring

I've probably posted about this before, but it's dear to my heart, so I'm posting again.

This baby ring was with a little cedar box full of trinkets that I got from my grandmother's things when she passed away in 2004. We didn't know whose baby ring it was, but we didn't think it was hers, because it wasn't her birthstone. None of us remembered her ever saying anything about this ring. So it was a mystery.  

Then in February of last year (2025) I went to a psychic whom I know and trust -- I've been to her several times over the past 10 years, and she has proven the validity of her gifts many times over. So I asked her if she could get any impressions or information about this ring. She told me that it originally was in a box with a white lacy dress (probably a christening gown) for a little girl (not a boy). I don't remember if she said specifically that the baby had died, but she said the parents gave the box to someone else because it was too painful a reminder. That was all the information she was able to get from the ring.

After thinking about it and checking the family history, I have concluded that it must be the baby ring of my grandmother's cousin Dorothy. They were the same age and would have known each other well, as they lived not too far apart. Dorothy's mother was a sister of my great-grandfather Ulysses Hicks. When Dorothy was 4 years old, she was struck by lightning and died. She was, in fact, the third daughter to have died in childhood. I don't have any records of the other two girls, except that they were born and both died between 1910 and 1920. Of the other babies in the family history who died in early childhood, these were the only girls -- the rest were boys. It's possible the ring and dress were used for all three of the sisters. It does have Dorothy's birthstone (January/garnet).

As for how this ring came to be among Grandma's possessions -- I'm guessing that Aunt Tot gave the ring (and the dress) to her brother Ulysses. And most likely Ulysses gave it to his daughter -- my grandmother at some point (maybe after he died it was given to her) -- because she was close to Dorothy when they were children. I've heard her tell the story of Dorothy's death many times.

So I am convinced this little ring, now in my possession, belonged to Dorothy Williams. And I love it even more than I already did before I got any information about it. Unfortunately, it is too small to wear, even on my little finger. I'm afraid I would lose it if I tried. It is brass, and was green when I first saw it, but I cleaned it up and then coated it with clear nail polish. 

Dorothy's ring - before and after cleaning.

I wish I had a picture of Dorothy to go with it, but, sadly, I don't.