This Couple from 1948 Got Married, Shunned by Society & Family – Still Alive & In Love Today
In today’s heartwarming story, the couple has practically struggled for love. It tells the story of Mary and Jake, two people who met in the 1940s and fell in love despite societal and familial barriers.
They stayed together, married, and were shunned by society, but they didn’t give up. They’re still living and happily married today.
Mary is from the United Kingdom, while Jake is from Trinidad. Jake was an American Air Force man stationed at Burtonwood Base in the United Kingdom. At the same time, Mary was undergoing typist training. Mary lived near the Burtonwood Base, and they both attended the same technical college.
When chatting to The Daily Mail, Mary reminisced about how the two met for the first time:
“We went to the same vocational school. When I was taking typing and shorthand courses, he’d been stationed there by the Air Force for training. When my friend and I were summoned to speak with them, he was with a group of black buddies.”
Jake and Mary immediately sensed a strong bond between them, a relationship of pure affection. They began to see one other on a regular basis and hang out together.
This was, however, in the 1940s, when racial tensions were high and mixed-race marriages were frowned upon.
On a picnic with friends, they met their first social adversity. A cyclist riding by noticed them and told Mary’s father. This is what Mary had to say about it:
“Meeting two English girls with a number of black men was frightening,” she adds, “and she reported me to my father, who prevented me from seeing him again.”
Mary, on the other hand, didn’t let her affections for Jake be affected. After the world had returned to peace, Jake was summoned back to Trinidad.
When Jake returned to Trinidad, the two didn’t stop talking. Love letters were written before smartphones were even invented. Despite everything, the couple wrote a lot of love letters to each other to keep their love and passion alive.
After a few years, Jake returned to the UK and proposed to the love of his life! Her answer was a resounding yes, but her family was split on her choice. This is what Mary had to say about it:
“He asked me to marry him out of the blue when I was 19,” she adds.
“‘You will never set foot in this house again if you marry that man,’ my father said when I informed him I was planning to marry Jake. He was shocked to learn that I was thinking of marrying a black man.”
Despite her father’s adamant opposition, Mary went ahead and married Jake.
During Difficult Times, Hand-in-Hand
Following their marriage, the couple received a lot of backlash from society and their families. Mary continues:
“People would point at us on the street. I then gave birth to a stillborn son at the age of eight months. Despite the fact that it had nothing to do with the stress I was under, it broke my heart, and we never had another child.”
“However, as time passed, life became easier. I went on to work as a teacher, eventually rising to the position of deputy headteacher. Jake’s first employment was at a factory, after which he moved on to the Post Office.”
I used to tell new friends, “Look, I have to tell you this before I invite you to my home—my spouse is black.”
Things began to improve for the great couple after they had endured it together as the planet began to heal and nations began to evolve. On the other hand, Mary’s father never changed his mind. “She stated,” she said.
“Despite the fact that we were reconciled by then, my father never approved of Jake,” the author says.
The couple is still going strong after 71 years of marriage.
The couple is still madly in love after 71 years of marriage. They never let anything stand in the way of their love, and their inspiring story shows how love can truly overcome all barriers.
Jake explains his feelings for Mary:
“I feel myself extraordinarily fortunate to have met and married Mary, but I am disappointed that society did not accept us.”
Jake and Mary, your struggles and remarkable story have truly captivated us! We wish you all of the joy and blessings this world has to offer, and we hope you continue to teach us how to love!
Source: relrules.com
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