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Firestone Police Recover 2 Stolen Civil War Medals

FIRESTONE, Colo. (CBS4)- Police in Firestone have recovered two Civil War Medals that were stolen from a home last week.

The arrest and recovery of the irreplaceable family heirlooms comes as a great relief to the Rumery family.

"It was a complete sinking feeling," said Caitlin Rumery when she learned her ancestor's Civil War medals were stolen.

They were earned by her great-great grandfather. The medals were stolen by a burglar, right off the painting where they'd been pinned for more than 100 years.

"Everyone said, 'Oh, no. You know, you'll probably never get those back,'" said Rumery.

The chief of police in Firestone left her a message on Monday. It was good news.

"When I called him back, he said, 'We've recovered the medals,' and I couldn't even believe it. I never thought it would actually happen," said Rumery.

Police said they not only recovered the medals, but also arrested a man for breaking into the home. Other than that, they were not able to give Rumery much more information.

"I haven't gotten a lot of details. They told me that they couldn't tell me who brought them back or who their suspect was, but that they had one and they were still investigating," said Rumery.

Her great-great grandfather, Captain Roger W. Woodbury, was a volunteer from New Hampshire. One medal signifies the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. The other, a Mollus, is the medal for the Grand Army of the Republic.

Woodbury was so influential in Colorado that his name is on a branch of the Denver Public Library and on a lecture hall at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

"It just means a lot to be able to pass that down and be able to share it with family members," said Rumery.

Firestone police said they are looking at another possible suspect in the case. They have not released a motive for the theft, or how the medals were recovered.

Watch the CBS4 original story of the Civil War medals stolen here.

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