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Update: Man locates owners of family heirlooms found in St. Johns County trash

By Michael Yoshida, Action News Jax
By Michael Yoshida, Action News Jax

UPDATE: The man who found the items in the trash said he located the owners of the items. 

The family of Mark Stevens, a Pennsylvania man, said the items belonged to them. The Stevens family has six family members that served in the military, including four members who were Colonels.

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PHOTO GALLERY: Heirlooms found in St. Augustine dumpster
A St. Johns County man is trying to return historic war medals, family photos and even a letter from the President of the United States to their rightful owner.
This week, Brendan Bernhard found the items inside boxes in a dumpster in St. Augustine.

Action News Jax sat down with Bernhard and got a look at the items he says don't belong in the trash.

“This is a silver-star medal, it was issued 8/29/1932 … for gallantry in action,” Bernhard said.
There's also a letter.

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“Wishing him happy birthday on his birthday, signed Nancy Reagan, Ronald Reagan,” Bernhard said.
These are just some of the items Bernhard is trying to return.
“I’m willing to bet that their family doesn’t even know that they exist, and I’m sure they’d love to have them,” Bernhard said.
Bernhard believes that at one point, all of this belonged to Louis Stevens and his wife Mary. He thinks they moved from Pennsylvania to St. Augustine, and after their deaths, the items were possibly lost in an estate sale or storage unit sale.
Bernhard found the items in boxes in a dumpster behind a local store. Once he saw what was inside, he realized that history didn’t belong in the trash.
“Oh, they matter to somebody, absolutely!” Bernhard said.
A family’s history, captured in thousands of photos.        
“He’s posing in front of -- I believe that’s Air Force One right there,” Bernhard said.
Treasures that span decades and even centuries. There’s passport from an ancestor who immigrated to America.
“She was born in 1877 ... it was stamped 1927, New York,” Bernhard said.
There’s also trophies and a souvenir from the 1971 World Series.
“It’s definitely something that shouldn’t have been thrown away,” Bernhard said.

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In one box were old Jaguars programs and tickets, all memories that Bernhard says shouldn’t be forgotten.
“This is better than anything you can on Ancestry.com. This is the actual documentation. That’s why I feel so strongly that the family would like to have this back in their possession,” Bernhard said.

Bernhard said he's tracked down some people in other states who may be related to the Stevens. He's hopeful that he can return the items to a family member who will cherish them.

DO YOU KNOW THESE PEOPLE? Someone found a treasure trove of photos in the garbage in St. Augustine. Among the items: Family portraits, a numbered U.S. Army Silver Star, and much more:

Posted by Action News Jax on Thursday, February 23, 2017

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