She was a seasick new bride when she arrived in America on a ship from her home country of Italy. He had 10 cents in his pocket when the train dropped them off at the station in Green Bay. A lifetime later, Merlin and Fatima Baenen didn’t just make it, they’ve made it all the way to a remarkable milestone in their love story. On Thursday, they will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary.

Their years together since 1954, when Dwight Eisenhower was in the White House, "Lassie" was on TV and Max McGee was on the field for the Green Bay Packers, have gone by almost in a blink. “I woke up one morning and I was married for 70 years,” Fatima said. “I didn’t even realize that. It went fast.”