Moncton woman finds ashes inside thrift shop picture frame

A Moncton woman made an unusual discovery — someone's ashes — in her home Saturday night.

Now she's reaching out hoping to connect with family members.

Emily Allain purchased a picture frame from Value Village in the city about a year ago. It cost four dollars.

The frame had a black-and-white photo of a woman inside.

Allain decided to keep the picture on display in her living room instead of throwing out the photo.

She thought it would be "pretty disrespectful" to get rid of it.

Broken frame reveals ashes

The picture, in an oval frame, was knocked over this weekend while Allain was rearranging the living room for Christmas. When she picked up the frame, she noticed a plastic bag with ashes inside. 

"I'm hoping to at least find out who this lady, like what her name was and maybe when she died, so I could at least know what her history is," said Allain, who hopes to reunite the ashes with the woman's family.

She's particularly concerned the picture along with the ashes might have been donated accidentally.

Allain said there's no name or information on the back of the photo, but she figures the picture was taken around 1940.

The picture has been a conversation starter when she has company. 

Conversation starter

"Everyone always asked, who's that?" said Allain, who's glad she kept the frame.

"I really wonder about the lady's life, that someone can just donate a photo of a relative and not know." 

Allain said she doesn't know if she'll be able to connect with someone who's related to the woman. She's afraid it could be too late. 

"I don't know how far removed the photo got from someone that they wouldn't have known there was ashes in it."

Allain she said if no one collects the ashes she plans to scatter them somewhere nice.