Center Line woman finds certificate of honor for WWII vet, seeks the rightful family

CENTER LINE, Mich. (FOX 2) - Nancy Kowalski sits on her porch in Center Line, decorated in flags - with an old frame in her hands and a mystery she's trying to solve.

"I said that's an interesting picture - and as I picked it up - the back fell off of it," she said.

And when it did - underneath a picture depicting the nativity - she found a certificate of honor dedicated to private Anthony F. Skibinski of the United States Army - now serving his country - on this second day of April 1943.

"It's memorial weekend - we've got a couple of vets on the block we think, and I said wait a minute, I should do a little more research," she said.

Nancy found the frame while cleaning out her basement. She doesn't even know where it came from, but when she searched Anthony Skibinski online, she found he was listed as killed in action in World War II.

"It brought a tear to my eye when I saw the list of names and I ... looked at his picture and saw this young man and you had everything ahead of you and he gave for everybody and that was pretty awesome," she said. "It made me cry. That's really sad."

A young life cut short serving his country. He'll be remembered like so many other heroes this Memorial Day weekend. His certificate of honor is just waiting to be turned over.

"I know if this were my relative I would like to have it," she said.  "I'd like it to be with the family."

Census records from 1940 appear to show Anthony Skibinski lived in Detroit and had three sisters and a brother, so it's possible his relatives can be found.

Nancy would like to return this certificate - if you have any info contact us by email fox2newsdesk@fox.com