Found album sparks search for its owner

Cleanup crews on construction sites are used to finding unusual items, but a discovery five weeks ago near Martin Luther King Jr. Way South has workers desperately trying to find the owner.

Left lying among construction debris was a photo album detailing 40 years of a woman's life, from her home in the Philippines to a new home presumably in the Seattle area.

"Being in construction we come across lots of things, but this album is amazing," said Lauren Robison, with RCI Herzog, which is working on Sound Transit's light-rail project. "It's this woman's entire life."

The album, which apparently had been lost recently because there is little water damage, was discovered on South Edmunds Street in Rainier Valley. It depicts occasions including birthdays, baptisms and marriages, and includes a photo of former Philippines first lady, Imelda Marcos, on the inside back cover.

RCI Herzog hopes to find the woman whose life is chronicled in a photo album found at a job site on South Edmunds Street.

There is a name inside, Mari Lou Valley, but Herzog officials have been unable to find her. At other times in the album, the name is written as Mari Lou Valley-Latonio, and in one place it's Maria Latonio.

Robison said the album contains a newspaper clipping in which Valley is described as the daughter of a former Philippines governor. In all, she said, there are about 50 photographs.

"She's gorgeous. I would like to meet her," said Robison. "It's an amazing, very personal thing. If I had lost an album characterizing 40 years of my life, I'd be excited to get it back."

Robison has been searching the Internet, looking for death certificates and even contacted the Philippines government, all without success.

Inside the album is a name tag from Mary Kay Cosmetics in Vancouver, B.C., with the woman's name. Robison has been trying without luck to reach the company. She's also posted fliers in Filipino community centers and churches.

Information Anyone with information about the photo album should contact RCI Herzog at 206-315-2968.

"This is clearly a precious album documenting a very interesting life," said Herzog project engineer Ed Savage. "We want to do everything we can to find the owner."

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com