LACKAWANNA, N.Y. (WKBW) — A nightmare scenario for a Lackawanna family: their century-old heirloom Bible was mistakenly sold at an estate sale. Now, they’re asking the community to help bring it back.
The Barry family —Vincent Jr., the late Anna Marie, Lynn, James, and Vincent III — spent decades at 78 Victory Avenue in Lackawanna.
The kids have all since moved out, as far as Texas, but their family lineage has all been kept in one place, a very old Bible passed down the family for generations.
“Well, it’s the history of my dad’s family. He was originally from Providence, Rhode Island. His family came from Ireland. It’s all documented in there,” Lynn said. “In fact, we remember him telling us he even put himself in there along with my mother, who also has passed.”
Their father, Vincent Jr., stayed on Victory Ave. until he died last summer. Now, his wife is moving out, and hosted an estate sale last weekend, one that Lynn and her brothers didn’t know about.
“There was no communication between families,” Lynn said. “My brothers were there at 10 o’clock (a.m.), but [the Bible] was sold by then.”
WATCH: Family mistakenly sells heirloom Bible at Lackawanna estate sale
Realizing the family Bible was gone, she reached out to the company that ran the sale, Carnaby Estate Sales, in a panic.
“The only thing the woman had said from the estate sale was ‘it was a woman who bought with cash, so there’s no documentation on that,’” Lynn said.
Lynn believes the Bible was sold for $85.
I reached out to Carnaby Estate Sales myself, asking for more information on the buyer… but it did not respond.
Q: “As far as the lady who did buy the Bible, what would your message to her be?”
Lynn: “I would just like it back. I’m willing to pay you back for it. It means a lot to us.”
If you have any idea where that Bible may be, you can reach out to Lynn at lynnmrobinson@yahoo.com.
