Early in the day Augustana Viking Months Royalty Keep Reign Together because Maried people

Pictured: Darwin and you may Julie (DeWitt) Garcia ‘19 on their wedding day in the Sioux Drops, in the (left) and you will John and you can Shelly (Knudson) Stone ‘94 on the wedding day from inside the Marshall, Minnesota, inside the August 1995 (right).

You simply can’t spell “love” versus Ole, and two Augustana College or university lovers are evidence. As the former Viking Months royalty, John and you may Shelly (Knudson) Stone ‘94 and you will Darwin and you can Julie (DeWitt) Garcia ‘19, grabbed its titles of “queen and you may king” and you will turned her or him into “husband and wife.”

Towards Oct. 11, 1993, best friends, John and you will Shelly (Knudson) Stone ‘94, was basically called Viking Weeks Queen and you may King, far on the amaze. Following coronation, John is cited regarding the Augustana Mirror claiming the best part of going crowned king “try dealing with wade every where that have Shelly Knudson!”

“In my opinion he had been sorts of teasing with me while the he asserted that on the papers, to ensure that try quite smooth,” Shelly chuckled.

Nearly 1 year to your big date they certainly were crowned, John suggested to Shelly. And, ten days later on, the fresh Stones was basically hitched.

Brand new couple’s tale began in the Augustana inside the 1990, after they was in fact both basic-12 months pupil-athletes – John, a good Peterson, Iowa, indigenous, is actually a baseball athlete and you will Shelly, of . One another entered AU’s chapter off Fellowship out-of Christian Players (FCA).

John graduated one spring having a history biggest and you may supplementary studies certificate, and you may Shelly stayed an additional season doing the woman medical significant. With the Oct. 18, 1994, merely a year plus one few days when they had been crowned king and you can queen, John was questioned of the FCA to go back in order to Augustana and chat.

“It absolutely was also Shelly’s birthday, and that i got the woman so you’re able to Minervas the downtown area,” John said. “After that, among my pals lived-in my personal old dorm area in the Solberg (Hall), therefore i got them set it up, and i advised so you’re able to Shelly during the Solberg.

He wanted to give age gazebo in which they started relationships

The happy couple got married inside the August 1995, for the Marshall, Minnesota. New FCA worship ring did audio towards ceremony, and you will aside from several family and you may sisters, their main wedding party and you will subscribers were made right up escort babylon Syracuse NY away from Augustana alumni.

Today, almost 3 decades once they had been crowned Viking Weeks king and you can queen, the happy couple lives in Peterson, Iowa, where John could have been providing towards nearest and dearest farm while you are training legislation just like the a controlling spouse out-of Material Hutchinson, PLLP. Shelly is the government manager of Bridge out of Violent storm River, a confident childhood innovation nonprofit ministry. The fresh Rocks have around three children, Joseph, twenty four, Lincoln, twenty two, and Caleb, 20.

That have nearly thirty years of relationships less than their belts, the fresh Rocks said recognizing and you can prioritizing both are essential so you can any dating.

“Walking that have humility, often be willing to forgive and get grateful towards the you to definitely that you will get to walk thanks to lives with,” Shelly said.

“Shelly is the same today given that she ended up being for the reason that she very links with folks well,” John said. “She actually is and additionally not afraid to do things which need complete, very she’s most healthy in that way.”

Both Shelly and you can John told you they’ve been thankful one to Augustana supplied her or him opportunities to develop due to the fact some body, plus service and you may encouragement.

When you look at the 1994, two months just after Viking Months, John and you may Shelly produced the relationships specialized

“It actually was an amazing college or university feel,” John said. “I got a superb studies, close friends and you can a partner.”

When Darwin and Viking Months Queen and you can Queen, cheers about audience was basically loud while the longtime couples posed to possess photos, beaming at each other.

The new Garcia’s facts began during the 2016, after its first 12 months at s Office (IPO) Rendezvous in which Darwin was providing a demonstration for the his home nation, Honduras. Immediately following understanding they’d a shared buddy, both started initially to speak and you will package studies schedules. Although not, the termination of the instructional season designed Darwin perform go homeward to help you Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on the summer, and you may Julie so you’re able to Yankton, South Dakota. It reconnected on the slide, and a few weeks after, Darwin had a shock.

“We grabbed this lady to possess a walk, and we also eliminated in the gazebo by the Administration Strengthening,” Darwin said. “I had my friend drop off specific cupcakes for my situation one told you, ‘Are you presently my partner?’”

Julie approved, and three years and you will plenty of data dates later, the happy couple finished of Bien au when you look at the 2019. Darwin is a great physics and you can mathematics twice major, and you will Julie is a breastfeeding biggest. After graduation, they moved to Rochester, Minnesota, in which Julie try a registered nurse from the Mayo Clinic Crisis Service, and Darwin is a beneficial Ph.D. applicant from the Mayo Clinic Scholar University out-of Biomedical Sciences.

Within the , Darwin got another wonder. He had a professional photographer and you may family unit members willing to let your pull it well. Upcoming, the new pandemic struck, and you will Minnesota is towards the lockdown. Given that Julie are working with clients that have COVID-19, the couple felt like it was greatest not to ever traveling.

“We created a scavenger search, and that i told her it actually was a grad college hobby that I needed the girl to experience,” Darwin said. “They led the girl so you’re able to a gazebo in the city in which I got pictures hung up and you may cupcakes again, however, this time it said, ‘Would you wed me personally?’”

“I’m sort of disturb about how precisely clueless I happened to be, eg, I absolutely didn’t come with idea,” Julie chuckled. “I don’t consider a single word the guy said, nevertheless try very special the length of time and energy he put into it. And, new cupcakes introduced it full circle, that has been extremely nice.”

The couple fastened the brand new knot in the Sioux Drops, on , an event Julie referred to as one another “a beneficial Latino-Midwest mix marriage” and you can “an informed big date actually.” The wedding – a great Lutheran and Catholic provider joint – was laden with Augustana connections. Fr. Kevin O’Dell, AU’s former chaplain, did the brand new Catholic portion of the service, and previous Professor away from Spanish Sam Ogdie translated this new ceremony having Darwin’s friends, who had been truth be told there away from Honduras.

New Garcias desire to as time goes by hold a wedding reception from inside the Honduras immediately after which journey to certainly the islands for their honeymoon. Before this, the couple is largely grateful having Augustana delivering her or him along with her.

“Julie discovers joy into the probably the minuscule from something and can extremely change my personal time – if the I’m troubled and you will weighed down, she will lighten my personal big date together joy,” told you Darwin.

“Without Augie, there is certainly most likely no chance that we could have also fulfilled,” Julie extra. “So, we have been simply very grateful to have Augustana due to the fact in which more you’ll one relationship happen?”