Family Reunited with 'Priceless' Long-Lost Scrapbook That a Stranger Found While Thrifting

Mar. 15, 2025

An Alaska woman shopping at a local thrift store bought a scrapbook in 2023 and spent the next year trying to find the family seen in its collection of memories — and with the help of a local news outlet, she finally did.In an interview withAlaska’s News Source, Christine Otutoa explained that after purchasing the $4 scrapbook with wedding photos, family portraits and family gatherings from Bishop’s Attic in Anchorage, she had been trying to find the owners but had not had any luck.“There’s even an article from theAnchorage Daily Timesin here from 1973,” Otutoa told the outlet.“I don’t know if it was accidentally thrown away, but I’d rather return it and have somebody share these memories, get them back. You never know. It might mean a lot to them,” she added.After Otutoa reached out to Alaska’s News Source for help, they did a bit of research and were able to locate the family it belonged to. Allen Latuska said that the last time he saw the scrapbook was 10 years ago, at his mother’s storage unit before it was broken into.“They [the thieves] could have thrown it away if they would have taken it, but they apparently decided to save it,” Latuska said.“The more I look, the more emotional I’m getting,” Latuska said as he flipped through the pages of the scrapbook and saw the memories of his childhood looking back at him.“It’s nice … some of these I haven’t seen,” he continued.Latuska noted that he and his wife often frequent Bishop’s Attic. “I can only imagine if she would have picked it up and opened it and saw me, or if I would have seen it, it would have been shocking,” he said.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Once Latuska was reunited with the sentimental scrapbook, Alaska’s News Source set up a video call between him and Otutoa.“I figured, you know, it’s somebody’s memories and you can never get those pictures back — and I really wanted to make sure it gets back to the right owner," she told Latuska.Latuska thanked her for returning memories he thought were lost forever, saying, “I’m very surprised.”Of the scrapbook and its contents, Latuska told the outlet, “They are priceless, I would gladly pay her back the $4.”

An Alaska woman shopping at a local thrift store bought a scrapbook in 2023 and spent the next year trying to find the family seen in its collection of memories — and with the help of a local news outlet, she finally did.

In an interview withAlaska’s News Source, Christine Otutoa explained that after purchasing the $4 scrapbook with wedding photos, family portraits and family gatherings from Bishop’s Attic in Anchorage, she had been trying to find the owners but had not had any luck.

“There’s even an article from theAnchorage Daily Timesin here from 1973,” Otutoa told the outlet.

“I don’t know if it was accidentally thrown away, but I’d rather return it and have somebody share these memories, get them back. You never know. It might mean a lot to them,” she added.

After Otutoa reached out to Alaska’s News Source for help, they did a bit of research and were able to locate the family it belonged to. Allen Latuska said that the last time he saw the scrapbook was 10 years ago, at his mother’s storage unit before it was broken into.

“They [the thieves] could have thrown it away if they would have taken it, but they apparently decided to save it,” Latuska said.

“The more I look, the more emotional I’m getting,” Latuska said as he flipped through the pages of the scrapbook and saw the memories of his childhood looking back at him.

“It’s nice … some of these I haven’t seen,” he continued.

Latuska noted that he and his wife often frequent Bishop’s Attic. “I can only imagine if she would have picked it up and opened it and saw me, or if I would have seen it, it would have been shocking,” he said.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Once Latuska was reunited with the sentimental scrapbook, Alaska’s News Source set up a video call between him and Otutoa.

“I figured, you know, it’s somebody’s memories and you can never get those pictures back — and I really wanted to make sure it gets back to the right owner," she told Latuska.

Latuska thanked her for returning memories he thought were lost forever, saying, “I’m very surprised.”

Of the scrapbook and its contents, Latuska told the outlet, “They are priceless, I would gladly pay her back the $4.”

source: people.com