Jake and Mary Jacobs marked their 70th anniversary of a happy marriage last year, but their journey wasn’t simple.
Mary, who is White, and Jake, who is Black, lived in the same city in 1940s Britain. At that time, there weren’t many Black men there.
Even though Mary’s father told her to leave, Mary chose love over easy choices.
“When I told my father I was going to marry Jake, he said, ‘If you marry that man, you will never set foot in this house again.’”
Mary and Jake first met at a technical college where Mary was learning typing and shorthand, and Jake was undergoing Air Force training. They met during the war when Jake moved from Trinidad to Britain.
Jake impressed Mary with his understanding of Shakespeare, and they got to know each other. One day, they invited Mary and her friend to join them for a picnic. Unfortunately, someone passing by saw them and reported Mary to her father. The woman was shocked to see two English girls talking with black guys. After this incident, Mary wasn’t allowed to visit her father again.
After Jake returned to Trinidad, they kept in touch through letters. A few years later, he came back to the U.K. to find a better-paying job.
Jake surprised Mary by proposing, and she, at 19, said yes. However, when she told her family, they kicked her out.
“I left with only one small suitcase. No family came to our registry office wedding in 1948.”
Mary’s father was upset about her marrying a black man, and Mary didn’t realize that society felt the same way.
The early years of their marriage in Birmingham were tough. Mary cried every day, hardly ate, and they faced many challenges. Nobody would talk to them, they couldn’t find a place to live because nobody would rent to a black man, and they had little money.
Even walking down the street together was hard because people would point at them, Mary explained.
Mary and Jake were excited to become parents, but at eight months, Mary gave birth to a stillborn child. She mentioned it wasn’t due to the stress she was under, but it deeply saddened them, and they didn’t have any more children.
As time passed, their lives improved. Mary became a teacher and eventually an assistant principal, while Jake found a job with the Post Office. They made new friends, but Mary felt the need to explain to people that her husband was black before introducing them.
“My father passed away when I was 30, and even though we reconciled by then, he never approved of Jake,” she shared.
Currently, Jake, 89, and Mary, 84, live in Solihull, a town south of Birmingham. They recently celebrated 70 years of marriage.
Jake said he has no regrets, but he also mentioned that today’s black youth may not fully understand the challenges he faced in 1940s Britain.
“When I arrived in the U.K., I faced abuse every day. Once, on a bus, a man rubbed his hands on my neck and said, ‘I wanted to see if the dirt would come off.’ Back then, working in an office as a black man with white girls wasn’t considered safe,” Jake explained.
Despite all the challenges, bias, and abuse, the pair is still deeply in love and has no regrets about being married. They have been happily married for more than 70 years.
These two are a true inspiration, and I wish them a lifetime of pleasure because of the love they have for one another.
I had no idea what it was used for until one person revealed it
People Wondered about the Purpose of These 6 Things & Got Unexpected Answers
The world is a captivating realm, teeming with enigmatic objects that never cease to astound individuals with their appearance and, of course, their elusive purposes.
After all, not everything can be unraveled through a simple Google search, especially when you’re not entirely sure what you’re seeking.
In our everyday lives, mysteries constantly pique our curiosity, compelling us to unravel their secrets. The internet, our boundless portal to knowledge, connects us with online communities of investigators passionate about exploring these enigmas. Through the digital realm, the pursuit of understanding has transcended physical boundaries, offering us a wealth of information and expertise at our fingertips.
Every click delves deeper into the fascinating tapestry of the world, revealing hidden stories and captivating facts. Yet, amidst these discoveries, a universal truth emerges: often, things are not as extraordinary as they first seemed to be. Here are six mystery finds that people wondered about and received unexpected answers.
6. Junk or Something More?
An original poster shared this picture online after finding what they decided to call a “scoopy doodad” in a junk drawer. Holding the mysterious item in both their hands, they turned to the virtual world for help and, of course, answers.
They said it was extremely heavy, came with no markings, and bore a very narrow hole on its top. What could it be?
The Answer: According to netizens, the classic Sunbeam Mixmaster came with a juicer attachment, a bowl that could attach to the top of the mixer. The strange object happened to be the spout the juice would pour out of, with the wire part holding a small strainer to filter out the pulp.
5. An Old Cabinet Find
One user stumbled upon something in an old cabinet, which they said was made entirely of glass and had narrow holes throughout its length. Hoping to find out what it was, they shared the peculiar object’s photo online, and fortunately, many people were quick to solve the puzzle.
The Answer: The odd-looking glass object turned out to be a flower frog, used for holding a flower arrangement in a vase. The person who shared the answer said it had been made obsolete by foam and gels.
4. A Heavy Glass Object
This person turned to Reddit to share a picture of a glass object lying on a wooden table. They said it was extremely heavy, came with no markings, and bore a very narrow hole on its top. What could it be?
The Answer: The mystery of the bizarre-looking glass object was cracked by a genius netizen who used two words to solve the puzzle: Oil candle. We bet you didn’t see that one coming, or did you?
3. The Mystery Object Hiding inside a Bedroom Drawer
A Reddit user didn’t expect to find this unusual object while opening their bedside drawer. Upon closer inspection, they discovered that its bottom appeared to be made of suede or soft leather. But that was all they could manage to guess or conclude.
The Answer: Nobody could have guessed what it was until one user shared the answer and solved the mystery: It was a nail buffer. Even the original poster was shocked and said they clearly didn’t pay much attention to their nails.
2. What’s Hiding underneath the Floorboards?
Sharing the picture of a silver-colored object, somewhat resembling an antique scissor of sorts, one user couldn’t help but wonder what it could be. They said they found the bizarre thing under the floorboards in an 1800’s era home.
The Answer: The mystery of the puzzling item was cracked by one netizen, who shared it was used to remove the top of soft-boiled eggs. Another user quickly confirmed that the answer was correct.
1. A Baffling Hotel Room Find
A guest staying in a hotel room was baffled when they stumbled upon a vertical slot inside their bedside table. They couldn’t help but wonder what it was used for, and when they struggled to find the answer, they decided to ask the online community for help.
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