Ruth Slovenski got the blue Huffy bicycle as a gift when she was a teenager in 1943. The bike was stolen after she left it unlocked Saturday during a visit to a nursing home in Lewiston, a southern Maine city of about 35,000 residents where Slovenski lives.
Police say Slovenski had left the bike near a mailbox. When she went back to it two hours later, the bike was gone.
The bicycle has wide fenders and a large metal basket. A nursing home security video shows a man wearing a hat and dark clothing riding off on a bike that fit that description.
Police say Slovenski told them the bike had great sentimental value.
Local events | Contests | Headlines at a glance