Is it ever really too late to complete unfinished business? Last week, a 78-year-old woman in Lynwood, Washington was arrested for beating her 84-year-old husband over an affair he had (or at least that she suspected) 35 years ago. Was she angry all this time, or did she find out about it in their old age? The story reminded me of several other instances of unfinished business that took years to resolve.

The Race

Shizo Kanakuri ran the marathon at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm. Or, he started the marathon. Before finishing the race, the heat got to him and he stopped. He was so embarrassed at not finishing that he booked early passage back to his home in Japan without telling the Olympic officials. Swedish authorities listed him as missing for years. Kanakuri competed in the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, but the missing persons bureau in Sweden missed that. In 1962 a journalist caught up with him in Japan and found he was unaware of the trouble he had caused. In 1966, Kanakuri returned to Sweden and finally completed the unfinished marathon at age 75. His time from start to finish in that marathon was 54 years, 8 months, 6 days, 8 hours, 32 minutes and 20.3 seconds.

Graduation Day

In the racially-charged atmosphere of Virginia in the 1950s, three high schools shut down at the beginning of the 1958-59 school year rather than allow black students to integrate their classes. The students were left to handle their education as best they could. Some moved to other districts. Some dropped out, and still others managed to get into college early. The seniors at Maury, Granby, and Norview were known as the “Lost Class of ’59.” The schools reopened in February, but most of the senior class had scattered. Last week, after a 50 year delay, 100 of those students received honorary diplomas from their old schools.

The Jailbreak

Richard Paul Boucher broke out of a Chesapeake, Virginia prison where he was serving time for robbery in 1982. With the help of his wife, he made his way to Georgia, where the two changed their names and raised a daughter who never knew of her father’s past. Now 56 years old, Boucher was arrested last week by police in Murray County, Georgia. He had been free for 27 years.

Reluctant Surrender

In 1945, getting the word out to all Japanese soldiers stationed in remote areas that the war was over was not so easy. The soldiers were on guard for treachery and propaganda, and they weren’t inclined to believe the news. Cases of Japanese holdouts trickled in through the 40s, 50s, and 60s. Three soldiers finally finished their war in the 1970s! Hiroo Onoda was sent to the island of Lubang in the Philippines and told by his superiors to never surrender and to never take his own life. Onoda faithfully carried out his orders over decades. He led several other soldiers who eventually all left or died. Onada was befriended by a Japanese college student in 1974, in whom he confided that he would not surrender unless ordered to by his commanding officer. The student contacted the now-retired officer, who flew to Lubang to personally order Onada to go home. A few months later, the very last Japanese soldier, Terruo Nakamura surrendered in Indonesia. Shoichi Yokoi had held out on his own in Guam until 1972.

Late Mail

Walter Butler sent a postcard to his girlfriend while he was in action in World War I. She didn’t get it, but the two later married, had children, and lived to a ripe old age. 90 years later, in 2007, the postcard was finally delivered to Butler’s 86-year-old daughter. Where it spent those 90 years is still a mystery.

Second Chance Romance

It’s not uncommon that sweethearts will reunite and marry many years after they parted in high school. I myself married a high school boyfriend twenty years after we broke up. I found such stories that took place 30 or 40 years later. And a couple even longer.
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Don Polk of Greeneville, Missouri broke up with his high school girlfriend Wanda when he graduated, and left to fight in the Korean War. That was in 1952. They both married other people and only saw each other briefly at high school reunions. After more than 50 years, they reconnected after their spouses died. Don began writing and calling Wanda, and she kept their letters in the little box Don gave her for just that purpose back in high school. The Polks were married last year.

Maimie Meakin and Frank Walker were sweethearts in England during World War II. Her parents discouraged the romance because they didn’t expect Frank to survive as a RAF tail gunner. They separated, but never forgot each other. 60 years later, both found themselves single after their longtime spouses died. Maimie, now 86 placed an ad looking for Frank, who is now 88. Friends who saw the ad put them in contact, and they are now inseparable. They are considering marriage.
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Maybe it’s never too late to finish something you started a long time ago.