Raleigh woman hopes to find watch of parents married for nearly 70 years

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Brenda Campbell's parents were married for nearly 70 years. Her mother passed last May, her father in January.

For her father's funeral, Campbell wore a watch to be with him in spirit.

Campbell's parents, the epitome of love, married just under 70 years. The watch was a gift from her dad to her mom in their 40th year of marriage.

There's a photo of the watch, hardly visible on her mom's wrist while holding Brenda's son and a sketch from when it was originally appraised.

Campbell only wears it for special occasions, including her son's graduation last weekend.

It's only been recent that Campbell has been considering wearing it on a regular basis, "but I need to get the clasps secured," she confessed.

Cue the end of last weekend.

On Sunday, Campbell stopped for a bite to eat at Chipotle in the Northridge Shopping Center in Raleigh. She had the watch at Chipotle and remembers looking at it when she washed her hands.

She got in her car and zipped to the Harris Teeter in the parking lot next door. She bought her groceries, got in the car and went home.

At home, she changed her clothes.

"I looked down said 'where is the watch?!' and just panicked."

Campbell has turned her home and car inside out; no watch. She retraced her steps and has talked to Harris Teeter; still, no watch.

"I even went back and asked the Girl Scouts who were selling cookies," and once again: no watch.

To get it back means everything to Brenda Campbell.

"It would mean everything... I know it's just a material thing but my mom lost her wedding band and engagement ring through her Alzheimer's experience going in and out of hospitals." Campbell said. "It was her pride and joy... My dad always liked to give her jewelry, but mostly it was just good costume things and I have boxes where she wore it one time and I know she just put it away because she didn't really care about it, this she wore regularly."

If anyone has seen Brenda Campbell's watch, or have it, she asks that you reach out.