Illinois Couple Celebrates 75th Wedding Anniversary

At 18 and 19-years-old, Jim and Iona married each other in 1948, and now the couple are celebrating their 75th wedding anniversary.

The Illinois couple are still living in their Savanna dream home they built from the ground up and filled with memories, WQAD reported.

“We didn’t have any tools,” Jim said. “We only had two hand saws and built our home. Throughout countless renovations, it’s still standing and I couldn’t have done it without my wife, Iona.”

Jim said it’s been a short 75 years and described his bride as “a real beauty.”

As for their children, Mary and Pat are grateful for the foundation their parents have built for their family.

“Just having them here means the world to us,” Mary said. “Just having your parents at 93 and 95, that’s unbelievable. I couldn’t imagine what my life would be without them.”

For James, their parent’s home is a place full of memories.

“This home has changed a lot,” James said. “To be able to keep our parents here, check in on them and make sure everything is okay, that’s the world to us. We wouldn’t want it any different.”

Jim and Iona are truly rare, for just 1/10 of 1% of marriages reach the 70 year mark. The U.S. Census Bureau does not collect data for marriages at the 75 year mark, according to WSFA.