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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Woman’s album found in Seattle

Associated Press

SEATTLE – Mari Lou Valley wasn’t that concerned about the clothing and other items in the bag that vanished from a Greyhound bus luggage compartment, but the photograph album was another matter.

Valley, 58, a native of the Philippines who does sales work, had painstakingly assembled the book with about 50 pictures dating from her childhood in the Philippines to show relatives.

One photo showed former Philippines first lady Imelda Marcos, who Valley said was her godmother at her marriage. Another showed Valley being crowned Miss Med Tech at a university in Manila.

On Wednesday she learned the album had been found by a construction crew preparing for a light rail transit line in the south end of Seattle.

“I felt I have gotten back my life,” Valley said. “Now I can show it to my friends, what I had achieved in my lifetime.”

She said she was traveling from her home town of Vancouver, British Columbia, to San Jose, Calif., in September and discovered her bag missing when she changed buses in Seattle.

The nearly undamaged album was found several weeks ago by cleanup crews working with RCI Herzog. It contained three versions of her name – Mari Lou Valley, Mari Lou Valley-Latonio and Maria Latonio.

Unable to find the owner, Herzog officials issued a public appeal and The Seattle Times published an article on the album Tuesday. The article was seen by a friend of Valley’s father who contacted the newspaper Wednesday.

“I’m really glad it’s her and she’ll get her memories back,” RCI Herzog spokeswoman Lauren Robison said. “I’m thrilled and extremely relieved.”

Valley said she looked forward to reclaiming the album and meeting Robison.