Bible missing for over 20 years reunited with owner after firefighter found it in coat pocket
By Madeline Bartos
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OAKDALE, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — A Bible that was lost more than 20 years ago after Hurricane Ivan battered western Pennsylvania will be reunited with its owner after it was found in the strangest of places.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the Oakdale Hose Company said that a firefighter found something he didn’t recognize while going through his bunker gear to make sure everything he needed was in his pockets.
The firefighter found a small green change purse, which the chief opened up, hoping to find an ID or something inside to identify the owner. Instead, he found a small pocket Bible with an inscription and the date of May 12, 1997.
The chief and his wife did some internet sleuthing, leading them to former Oakdale resident Amanada Clotz. When the chief reached out to her, he said she was able to describe the Bible.
Clotz explained that her uncle, who was like a father figure to her, gave it to her when she needed it most. She said she lost the Bible in 2004 when Hurricane Ivan devastated the Pittsburgh area. But the Bible is undamaged, the inscription is in perfect condition, and there are no stains on the outside.
“We (Amanda included) are at a total loss on how this could happen,” the fire company wrote on Facebook. “How did it survive in great condition after Ivan and so many other natural disasters that Oakdale has seen in the last 21 years? How did it end up in our building that has been flooded so many times? And how in the hell did it end up in his coat pocket?”
The fire company said Clotz was very emotional. She offered to pay for shipping, but the chief is sending it to her for free.
“The only stipulation is that she has to pay it forward! Help someone out when they need it! This girl has an angel looking after her and we think he’s pretty cool!” the fire company said.
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