Pictured: Darwin and you will Julie (DeWitt) Garcia ‘19 on the big day when you look at the Sioux Drops, from inside the (left) and you may John and you may Shelly (Knudson) Material ‘94 to their wedding into the Marshall, Minnesota, when you look at the August 1995 (right).
You cannot spell “love” in place of Ole, and two Augustana School people try research. Because the former Viking Weeks royalty, John and you can Shelly (Knudson) Stone ‘94 and Darwin and you can Julie (DeWitt) Garcia ‘19, took their headings of “queen and you will king” and became them to the “husband and wife.”
Towards the Oct. 11, 1993, close friends, John and Shelly (Knudson) Stone ‘94, was indeed entitled Viking Days Queen and you will King, much on their surprise. After the coronation, John was quoted about Augustana Mirror saying the site talkwithstranger randki good thing of getting crowned queen “try getting to wade every where which have Shelly Knudson!”
“I believe he was sort of teasing beside me since he asserted that about paper, to make certain that is actually pretty simple,” Shelly laughed.
Nearly 12 months towards date these were crowned, John recommended so you’re able to Shelly. And you can, 10 weeks after, the fresh Rocks was married.
New couple’s story first started from the Augustana within the 1990, when they had been each other first-seasons beginner-professional athletes – John, a good Peterson, Iowa, indigenous, is actually a golf ball player and you can Shelly, of . Each other entered AU’s part out of Fellowship away from Christian Players (FCA).
John graduated one to springtime having a past significant and additional knowledge certification, and you can Shelly resided an extra 12 months to do their medical big. To your October. 18, 1994, only a year and another month when they were crowned king and you can king, John is expected of the FCA to go back in order to Augustana and you may talk.
“It absolutely was as well as Shelly’s birthday celebration, and i grabbed her to Minervas the downtown area,” John told you. “Then, certainly my friends lived in my personal dated dormitory room for the Solberg (Hall), and so i had them set it, and i proposed so you’re able to Shelly into the Solberg.
The guy planned to bring elizabeth gazebo where they started relationship
The happy couple had partnered when you look at the August 1995, for the Marshall, Minnesota. New FCA praise ring did sounds into the service, and you can besides a few members of the family and you may siblings, the marriage party and guests were made right up of Augustana alumni.
Now, nearly thirty years when they had been crowned Viking Days queen and you may king, the happy couple stays in Peterson, Iowa, where John could have been enabling on family farm if you find yourself exercising legislation while the a regulating mate off Rock Hutchinson, PLLP. Shelly is the manager movie director of one’s Connection from Violent storm Lake, an optimistic youngsters development nonprofit ministry. The brand new Rocks provides around three college students, Joseph, twenty four, Lincoln, twenty two, and you will Caleb, 20.
That have nearly thirty years off marriage lower than its straps, the fresh Rocks told you acknowledging and you may prioritizing each other are very important to one relationship.
“Walk which have humility, continually be willing to forgive and be pleased into you to definitely that you get to walk owing to life that have,” Shelly told you.
“Shelly is similar now due to the fact she was then in that she most links with people very well,” John told you. “She is plus not afraid to do things which need done, thus the woman is really well-balanced by doing this.”
Both Shelly and you may John said they’re pleased that Augustana granted him or her chances to grow since the someone, as well as service and you will support.
Inside the 1994, a couple months immediately after Viking Days, John and you can Shelly made its dating formal
“It absolutely was a fabulous college or university sense,” John said. “I experienced a fabulous knowledge, friends and you will good partner.”
Whenever Darwin and you will Viking Weeks King and Queen, thank you throughout the group had been loud due to the fact long time few presented getting photo, beaming at every almost every other.
The fresh Garcia’s tale began inside the 2016, at the end of their first year from the s Place of work (IPO) Rendezvous in which Darwin are offering a demonstration into their family nation, Honduras. Immediately after studying they had a mutual friend, the two started initially to speak and plan investigation schedules. But not, the conclusion the latest academic season designed Darwin would go home so you can Tegucigalpa, Honduras, toward june, and you may Julie in order to Yankton, Southern Dakota. It reconnected throughout the slide, and a few days after, Darwin had a shock.
“We got the girl having a stroll, therefore we stopped throughout the gazebo from the Government Building,” Darwin told you. “I’d my buddy drop off certain cupcakes in my situation you to definitely said, ‘Are you my personal partner?’”
Julie accepted, and 3 years and you will countless research dates later on, the happy couple finished regarding Au within the 2019. Darwin was a good physics and you can math twice big, and you can Julie is actually a medical big. Immediately after graduation, it transferred to Rochester, Minnesota, in which Julie is a rn at Mayo Infirmary Emergency Institution, and you can Darwin try good Ph.D. applicant within Mayo Clinic Scholar School from Biomedical Sciences.
When you look at the , Darwin got various other surprise. He’d a photographer and you can household members willing to assist your pull it off. Up coming, the newest pandemic hit, and you will Minnesota is actually to your lockdown. Because the Julie try dealing with clients with COVID-19, the happy couple felt like it had been finest never to traveling.
“We developed good scavenger appear, and that i shared with her it absolutely was a graduate college interest that I desired the girl to experience,” Darwin told you. “It provided her to an excellent gazebo around where I’d photographs hung-up and cupcakes once more, however, this time they said, ‘Do you ever marry myself?’”
“I’m brand of upset about how unaware I became, like, I really had no idea,” Julie laughed. “I really don’t remember just one word the guy told you, however it is very unique how much time and effort he put in they. And you can, the latest cupcakes put it back to where it started, which was most nice.”
The couple fastened brand new knot from inside the Sioux Drops, to the , a celebration Julie called both “good Latino-Midwest mix relationships” and you can “a knowledgeable big date previously.” The wedding – a Lutheran and you may Catholic solution joint – are laden with Augustana relationships. Fr. Kevin O’Dell, AU’s former chaplain, did the newest Catholic part of the ceremony, and previous Teacher regarding Foreign language Sam Ogdie translated new service for Darwin’s family, who was simply indeed there away from Honduras.
The new Garcias aspire to as time goes on hold a married relationship lobby in Honduras then travel to certainly one of their isles for their honeymoon. Before this, the couple is actually pleased having Augustana bringing him or her together.
“Julie finds out pleasure in the perhaps the smallest from things and will really changes my personal big date – if I’m troubled and overrun, she can lighten my big date along with her pleasure,” told you Darwin.
“Versus Augie, discover most likely absolutely no way we might have even met,” Julie added. “So, our company is merely extremely grateful to have Augustana since where otherwise you will one relationship occurs?”