Lori Vosters and her husband Dan were still newlyweds living in Kaukauna, Wisconsin, when Lori lost her diamond ring while working in their garden.
Lori told WBAYTV-2,
We were harvesting our carrots and after I brought them into the house and started cleaning them, I realized my ring was gone.
After hours of searching, Lori gave up hope and moved on with her life.
That was back in 1977, but after 48 years of marriage without her original ring, her husband and their son, Jesse, decided to give the yard a going over with their metal detectors.
After several hours, with some determination, a bit of digging, and a prayer to the patron saint of lost items, St. Anthony, Jesse and Dan found the ring back in September. But they decided that Lori could do without her ring for just a little bit longer.
Dan told PEOPLE that as soon as they found the ring, his son Jesse told him,
We're going to keep this quiet, don't tell Ma, and we'll give it to her for Christmas. It'll be a big secret.
And that's just what they did. On Christmas, with their whole family gathered around, Dan surprised Lori with the recovered ring in an inconspicuous yellow envelope, with the date he found the ring, and "St. Anthony," written on the front.
Her surprised reaction is so genuine, and the family's excitement and commitment to keeping the secret for the 3 months leading up to Christmas is precious.
I think it's safe to say that their 48 years of marriage were successful, even without the original diamond ring.
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