Pictured: Darwin and you may Julie (DeWitt) Garcia ‘19 on the special day for the Sioux Falls, when you look at the (left) and you can John and you will Shelly (Knudson) Stone ‘94 on the special day inside the Marshall, Minnesota, in August 1995 (right).
You can not enchantment “love” rather than Ole, and two Augustana University partners are evidence. Just like the former Viking Months royalty, John and you can Shelly (Knudson) Rock ‘94 and Darwin and Julie (DeWitt) Garcia ‘19, got the titles regarding “queen and you can queen” and you can turned him or her to the “wife and husband.”
On October. 11, 1993, best friends, John and you can Shelly (Knudson) Stone ‘94, was basically named Viking Weeks Queen and King, far on their shock. Pursuing the coronation, John is actually quoted regarding Augustana Reflect claiming the best part of getting crowned king “was getting to go almost everywhere which have Shelly Knudson!”
“I do believe he had been brand of teasing beside me given that the guy said that throughout the paper, so as that was pretty effortless,” Shelly chuckled.
Almost 1 year toward day they certainly were crowned, John recommended in order to Shelly. And, 10 days after, the latest Rocks were hitched.
The new couple’s story first started during the Augustana into the 1990, once they had been both very first-year pupil-players – John, a Peterson, Iowa, native, try a baseball member and you may Shelly, away from . Both registered AU’s section off Fellowship of Christian Professional athletes (FCA).
John finished you to definitely spring season with a past significant and supplementary training certification, and you may Shelly resided an extra year doing their medical major. With the Oct. 18, 1994, just a-year and one month when they had been crowned queen and you can king, John are requested by FCA to go back so you’re able to Augustana and cam.
“It actually was including Shelly’s birthday celebration, and i also grabbed their so you’re able to Minervas the downtown area,” John said. “Then, among my friends lived in my personal old dormitory place for the Solberg (Hall), and so i got him or her set it up, and i also suggested in order to Shelly in Solberg.
The guy planned to render age gazebo where it already been matchmaking
The couple got married from inside the August 1995, into the Marshall, Minnesota. Brand new FCA praise ring performed sounds with the service, and other than a few family members and siblings, its wedding party and you may traffic were made right up out of Augustana alumni.
Now, nearly three decades once they was in fact crowned Viking Weeks queen and queen, the couple lives in Peterson, Iowa, where John could have been helping into nearest and dearest farm whenever you are practicing rules given that a regulating companion regarding Stone Hutchinson, PLLP. Shelly ‘s the government movie director of one’s Bridge out-of Violent storm River, a confident young people development nonprofit ministry. This new Stones has actually around three college students, Joseph, twenty-four, Lincoln, twenty-two, and Caleb, 20.
Which have almost thirty years out-of wedding less than its devices, new Rocks told you acknowledging and prioritizing one another are very important in order to any relationship.
“Go that have humility, be prepared to forgive and become thankful to the you to definitely that you get simply to walk by way of lifestyle which have,” Shelly said.
“Shelly is the same today because she ended up being because she extremely connects with people very well,” John told you. “The woman is also never apprehensive with the thought of having to do stuff that need to get done, therefore she’s very well-balanced that way.”
One another Shelly and you may John said they’ve been grateful that Augustana provided them opportunities to expand as the some body, in addition to support and you can encouragement.
Into the 1994, a couple months shortly after Viking Weeks, John and you may Shelly made the relationships authoritative
“It was a really good school feel,” John told you. “I experienced an astonishing degree, buddies and a good partner.”
When Darwin and you can Viking Days Queen and you can King, many thanks about audience was indeed noisy since the longtime partners posed to possess images, beaming at each and every other.
New Garcia’s story first started inside the 2016, at the end of the first 12 months on s Workplace (IPO) Rendezvous in which Darwin is actually providing a presentation on the their family country, Honduras. Shortly after learning they’d a mutual friend, both started to chat and you may package research times. However, the end of brand new informative season designed Darwin perform go home so you’re able to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, toward june, and you may Julie so you’re able to Yankton, Southern Dakota. It reconnected regarding slip, and some weeks later on, Darwin had a shock.
“We got her for a stroll, and in addition we eliminated in the gazebo from the Management Strengthening,” Darwin told you. “I’d my pal decrease certain cupcakes for my situation that told you, ‘Are you my girlfriend?’”
Julie approved, and three years and you may lots of studies times afterwards, the couple finished out of Bien au during the 2019. Darwin try a great physics and you will live escort reviews Tallahassee FL mathematics twice big, and you may Julie is actually a nursing biggest. Just after graduation, it moved to Rochester, Minnesota, where Julie is actually a registered nurse at the Mayo Medical center Emergency Department, and you may Darwin was a great Ph.D. candidate within Mayo Clinic Graduate School out-of Biomedical Sciences.
Within the , Darwin had another amaze. He previously a professional photographer and relatives willing to let your eliminate it well. Up coming, the new pandemic struck, and you will Minnesota is towards lockdown. While the Julie try dealing with people having COVID-19, the couple decided it had been most readily useful to not travel.
“We created a beneficial scavenger hunt, and i also shared with her it was a grad college pastime one to I needed her to try out,” Darwin said. “They provided their to a great gazebo in town where I’d photographs hung up and you can cupcakes once again, but now it told you, ‘Do you actually marry myself?’”
“I am kind of distressed about precisely how unaware I became, instance, I absolutely had no tip,” Julie chuckled. “Really don’t think about one phrase he said, but it are very unique just how long and effort he put into they. And you can, the latest cupcakes put they back to where it started, that was really sweet.”
The couple fastened the fresh knot for the Sioux Falls, towards the , an event Julie known as each other “a great Latino-Midwest fusion matrimony” and “the best day actually.” The wedding – an excellent Lutheran and you will Catholic solution joint – is actually loaded with Augustana contacts. Fr. Kevin O’Dell, AU’s former chaplain, performed the brand new Catholic portion of the service, and you will previous Professor of Foreign-language Sam Ogdie translated the service for Darwin’s friends, who was simply truth be told there away from Honduras.
The fresh new Garcias desire to as time goes on hold a wedding reception inside Honduras after which go certainly one of its countries because of their vacation. Until then, the couple is actually pleased having Augustana delivering her or him together.
“Julie finds out pleasure into the perhaps the minuscule away from things and will most transform my time – in the event that I’m troubled and you will overrun, she will brighten my time with her happiness,” told you Darwin.
“Without Augie, there clearly was most likely absolutely no way we will have also met,” Julie extra. “Very, we are merely very pleased for Augustana once the in which more you certainly will one to relationship happens?”