We don’t need to tell you all that renovating a house is stressful and Arizona native couple, Meghan and Bobby Kapsidis were soon about to find out just how bad things could get. They had just bought their first home together, a fixer-upper that needed major TLC.
But the couple could never have imagined that hiding inside their dream home was a mystery which had been hidden for decades – and for good reason! But now, the couple moved innocently straight ahead to revealing the secret that was going to change them forever.
Meet Mr And Mrs Kapsidis
The couple had been together for a while and after getting married had chosen the unconventional route of living with Bobby’s mother. in Sierra Vista, Arizona to save money to buy their first home.
Facts Verse/ Youtube
Finally, in 2009, they were able to do that but their first home wasn’t in Arizona but in Florida! The tropical state perfectly fit the couple’s vibe and they started saving up more money to begin renovations.
New Home
The young couple had intentionally bought an older home since living in a good neighbourhood mattered more to them than the final finishings of the home. And with Bobby being a handyman, the couple could easily tackle renovations.
And being the savvy couple as they were, they started planning their vacations to Florida during which they also would undertake small renovation projects. And before the couple even began living full-time in their home, they had already fixed up the kitchen.
Demolition Time
Finally, it was time to move into their home permanently and take the renovations to the next level. If only the couple knew that this simple decision was going to turn them into online celebrities but we digress.
The first step was to demolish, the crumbling and dilapidated ceiling. It was essential from a practical standpoint, since if they had a leaky roof all the world inside the house would end in shambles.
First Big Project
This was going to be a huge project, so to help himself from getting overwhelmed – Bobby decided to tackle the small overhead space above the kitchen first. From the looks of it, it looked like an easy project and would give him an easy win.
Facts Verse/ Youtube
And so, as he began cutting out the first layer of drywall everything went smoothly. Layer after layer, the protrusion became smaller and Bobby started feeling accomplished. If the rest of the ceiling was also going to be this easy he thought, it was all going to be smooth sailing then! If only he knew what was to come!
Falling Over
But without warning, a huge chunk of the ceiling fell right on Bobby’s face! Meghan came running to the kitchen by the commotion and what she saw left her even more confused than the loud noise had.
Bobby was full of dust and beside him was a mystery item covered in debris. Meghan looked at Bobby and the item, what in the world had just dropped from the ceiling and hit her husband right in the face?
A Bag!
Hidden inside the space between the ceiling and insulation was an old strange handbag. It was no place for such an item and seeing that there wasn’t any storage space up there, someone must have intentionally hidden the item there.
And as Meghan cleaned the bag, which looked valuable she noticed something rather odd. It was made of something she had never really seen before. The material was ridged and still had a shine to it. The most outlandish part was that it had a baby alligator skeleton attached to it!
What Was Inside?
Meghan hoped that it wasn’t real but a quick google search and the couple concluded that the bag was in fact made of real alligator skin, particularly baby alligator skin! What a peculiar item and it being hidden inside the ceiling only added to its mystery.
But when Meghan opened it, hoping to find some explanation about the vintage bag – she found nothing. The bag was empty. But inside, they found a small ” Made In Cuba” stamp and that guaranteed to them that this bag was very valuable.
More Demolition
Despite the somewhat alarming design of the vintage bag, Meghan could see that it was clearly a work of great craftsmanship and hoping to find other treasures hidden by the previous owners, Bobby started dismantling the rest of the roof.
The couple was very excited. Who were the last owners? Why type of life had they lived? And of course, how could they find them and return this bag to them. And as Meghan pondered on these questions, Bobby continued working.
Another Treasure!
Insulations and items fell like rain all over the kitchen and just when Meghan was sure nothing else was hidden, another item fell down from the ceiling! This time it was rather large and chunky.
Meghan’s heart skipped a beat! The last owners really didn’t want anyone finding these items. Should Meghan investigate them or try to return them back? But her curiosity got the best of her and she knew she would need to know more.
A Photo Album
The large book turned out to be a photo album, in particular a wedding photo album. The couple settled themselves amongst the rubble of the ceiling and started flipping through the pictures.
They discovered the wedding invitation attached to the front. It addressed the wedding guests of Mr and Mrs Gerard Lau, on behalf of their daughter, Marguerite. The ceremony was to be held at St. Thomas Apostle R.C. Church in New York at 3 p.m. on September 14, 1963.
49 Years Ago!
Maybe the bag was a wedding gift and kept safe with the album, Meghan thought and as she flipped through the thick yellowed pages of the black and white photographs, she was transported back in time.
Saint Thomas the Apostle RC Church, Woodhaven, NY/ Facebook
The bride, Marguerite looked beautiful in her white full-sleeved dress which looked like it belonged on a movie set. The full tulle skirt was attached to a scalloped edge lace bodice and was light years away from what would be a traditional wedding dress in 2009!
Unusual Details
And it wasn’t just the bride who captivated the couple, the bridesmaids wearing matching veils was something unimaginable to Meghan and Bobby. As the couple saw more and more pictures, they were intrigued and full of questions.
Where were these people? In one picture the whole wedding party was photographed and Meghan tried to guess how old they would have been in 2009 and if they could someone get in touch with them.
A Time Capsule
The photo album was like a time capsule that took the couple to a time long gone. Everything felt formal and picture-perfect – very unlike the relaxed and easy-going wedding culture of the current time.
Even the invitations were sent by the bride’s parents and not by the couple! As we mentioned above, Meghan and Bobby lived with Bobby’s mother, so they were rather close to family but still, they just felt unusual.
Meghan’s Favourite Picture
There were so many beautiful pictures, each with a story to tell but one which captivated Meghan the most was of the couple at the altar. The bride and groom, Marguerite and Joseph, were photographed from the back.
The black and white photograph perfectly captured the moment when the bride in her elegant dress and veil flowing behind her finally became Joseph’s wife and a new chapter of her life began – 46 years ago.
Another Album!
As Meghan and Bobby set aside the wedding album and began to clean up the mess they had made – Bobby spotted something hidden under the rumble! There was another album which had fallen down!
The handyman had completed missed it because it was smaller than the first photo album they had found and it said “Our Children’s Wedding” on the cover. Meghan deduced that it must have been the parent’s version of the album.
Funny Moments
The pictures inside were more or less the same as the original album but had more candid shots. One picture had Meghan rolling with laughter. The bride was holding a cheeky ” Do Not Disturb” sign with her groom grinning from ear to ear!
The wedding looked to be a traditional catholic affair and seeing such a light-hearted and humorous picture surprised the couple who had not expected such a proper event to be full of humour and mischief, which it clearly was.
Social Media Help
With all the treasures of the last homeowners found, the next thing to do was find them. And like any modern woman, Meghan used Facebook to do it. She had already amassed a following of people by giving updates on her home renovation.
And this new bit of news caused quite a stir, as she had expected. She posted images of the bride and groom and photos of the album with the wedding invitation hoping that someone would see the post and connect her to the right people.
Quick Help
And as it happened, one of her Facebook friends happened to a genealogist who solved the mystery in under an hour. She suggested that the bride might be Marguerite Bojna, who had remarried in 1994.
Mrs Bojna’s middle initial is an L. Noelle pointed out that the marriage index said that Marguerite Lillian Lau married Joseph Garguilo in 1963. And not just that, she had also found Marguerite Garguilo’s Facebook page!
Meeting Marguerite
Thousands of people had been entranced by the wedding photographs of Marguerite and wandered what had happened to her throughout the years and of course, why she or someone else had put her wedding album in the ceiling.
Had the couple divorced bitterly? Or had she lost her husband making the pictures unbearable to see? Well, Meghan was about to answer all these questions as Marguerite agreed to meet with her and Bobby.
A Secret
The meeting went marvellously and Meghan said that Marguerite “was the sweetest lady and both of us were very emotional reminiscing about her wedding day.” and while the two of them talked intensely about the past, present and future – the world waited to finally understand more.
But that wouldn’t happen. In fact, Marguerite had no plans on explaining what happened, at least not publically. Meghan explained, “ she wants to keep her memories personal and enjoy them with her family and friends for years to come.” It seems that the public will never know what really happened and all we can do is respect Marguerite’s privacy and hope one day, she changes her mind.
