By A man in Michigan revealed the power of love, friendship, and metal detectors. Joseph Novetske was doing yard work when he looked down and nearly burst into tears.
One of his most valued possessions had disappeared.
The Washington Post writes:
“I happened to look at my hand. No ring,” Novetske, 80, who lives in Charlotte, Mich., with his wife, Mary Ann told the newspaper.
His handcrafted wedding band — which he wore for 42 years — had slipped off. Worried, he began to look for it.
The couple designed the gold wedding band together before they got married in 1981, carefully selecting a cross in the center, and grapevines around it, signifying “the vine of life,” said Mary Ann Novetske, 71.
When he couldn’t find the ring, “I was dispirited,” said Joseph Novetske.
“I was feeling pretty desperate,” said Mary Ann Novetske.
After searching all over the lawn trying to find his missing ring, the pair posted on social media. They needed help.
“It really means a lot to us if we can find it,” Mary Ann wrote in a Facebook post, according to one account. “Please be in prayer that we find this ring.”
That’s when the community of Charlotte, Michigan, stepped up. Dozens answered their call.
“Luckily for the Novetskes,” People Magazine explained, “a group of six strangers visited their home and searched the property for hours before locating the missing ring. The group came prepared with metal detection devices and even posed for photos with the couple while on their property.
‘I came in the house, and I heard this lady screaming, ‘We found the ring!’ and it was so cool,’ Mary Ann said. ‘So she was bawling harder than I was. I was in shock.'”
As for what the couple did next, Mary Ann had a good idea: “the ring has been resized, so we don’t lose it again.”
