John and Margaret Loews feared that if an important wedding photo was accidentally given to a charity shop, it would be gone forever.
The sepia photo shows a happy couple standing next to a driver’s license at a 1965 wedding.
It disappeared when John (83) and Margaret (80) moved a few years ago. The couple feared the worst, until relatives found a familiar face on their Facebook account.
The Northern Zampton couple got together for photos just days before their 57th wedding anniversary on August 5.
Her eldest daughter, Esther Greenwood, 55, was shocked when she first saw the photo.
She adds:
John has always donated things to charity, so he doesn’t know how this photo ended up.
But the family has a theory.
Ester explains: “The photo somehow fell on the page of the book, so my dad must have taken it to a charity shop.
“When I moved into the bungalow three years ago, they brought so much into the charity shop that it was lost.”
It emerged in the RSPCA’s new retro room and boutique store in Wellingborough, Scandinavia. There, three years later, assistant manager Victoria Bryce found herself collecting donated items.
He posted a photo on Facebook hoping for the best.
“I felt in my heart that this photo shouldn’t be in a charity shop and I was wondering if it could find an owner, and magic happened,” she says.
“One day they recognized him.”
Esther’s aunt later saw it on Facebook, and the RSPCA urged people to come forward if they knew the couple so they could meet again.
“After we announced it, the RSPCA published it for mums and dads,” says Esther. “And it came just in time for their anniversary. It’s a great moment.”
The photo was taken almost exactly 57 years ago, on August 5, 1965, outside Queen’s Grove Methodist Church in North Pton, where the couple were married.
In the photo, John and Margaret are face to face. I still make romantic gestures today.
At the time, John was a teacher and Margaret was a nurse. They brought their skills to Nigeria as missionaries during the 1967 civil war, John taught school and Margaret worked in a hospital.
They later had four children and eight grandchildren.
“I can’t thank Victoria for finding our photo,” says John.
“We are both excited to be involved in the painting and it’s great to remember our special day,” she adds.
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Source: Metro
I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
