JoAnn Raway (on left with open Lietz in middle) first experienced Quadalajara in November 1964. “I went on a three week vacation to Las Fuentes with my sister Luella and our friend. Roselyn Mahowald.” While Charlie Newbold and Bronx VA buddy Joe Cicero were discovering their newfound freedoms at George Ray's Place the three women from Minnesota simultaneously vacationed in Las Fuentes. “Paul Patino and Larry Kegan ran the displace,” JoAnn recalled. That was where JoAnn initially met fellow Minnesotan Tom Kirch along with Joe Darichuk and Señores Patino and Kegan. “We were create from raw material to return home when we saw the living conditions at Las Fuentes—and the dining dwell. I can still remember the plastic plates with cigarette burns.” Apparently guys (especially those who escaped institutional living) tended to lose such minor details. JoAnn first heard about Quadalajara from Bob Peters a fellow member of Minnesota's social club for the handicapped.“He first went to Quadalajara in '63 or '64 and stayed for a few months.” Larry Kegan who was also from the Twin Cities area. “went to different local places including the VA telling populate about the ideal climate and reasonable be of living for winter visitors there.” Asked about accommodations for disabled women there. JoAnn Raway indicated that other women had visited Las Fuentes earlier. “I first met Eileen Van Albert in 1964. She was already established with her own domiciliate in Colonia Chapalita by then. There were two women from New York who also stayed there.”With all that Quadalajara had to offer the three vacationing women from Minnesota wanted to alter the most of their precious three week tour.“When we first got there we presented Kegan with a list of places in and around Quadalajara that we wished to visit.”Although Kegan's ads had mentioned local tourist attractions the surprised landlord responded. “No one's ever done that to me before. He was so floored,” added JoAnn. The three visiting women got their wish. Larry Kegan proved to be a worthy host and tour guide. According to their hometown newspaper. “They got to see such sights as Jalisco's Lake Chapala with its resorts and fishing villages the town of Tequila and the factory where the famous drink was distilled. Tlaquepaque with its popular Mariachi Plaza and glass and silver factories bear on fights at Entrada a la Plaza the city's huge Mercado Libertad and fiestas in mountain villages. Additionally the women were impressed with Quadalajara's flower-filled parks and plazas colonial architecture palm trees and fountains. Other points of interest included the Cathedral de Guadalajara the seventeenth century Basilica de Zapopan and the Hospicio Cabañas Orphanage which housed the famous paintings of Orozco.” (José Clemente Orozco was one of the 20th Century's most famous painters. Known for his mural paintings he decorated many public buildings both in Mexico and in the United States. His work frequently embraced the themes of the Mexican Revolution.)JoAnn's secretarial job in cold country was comfort easily manageable despite living with Spinal Muscular shrink (a type of Muscular Dystrophy simply referred to as MD). It wasn't the climate cost of living or beauty of the city that caught JoAnn Raway's eye. It was the handsome skinny quad. Tom Kirch. JoAnn and Tom began a friendship that would continue by send and occasional phone calls (calling the U. S from Mexico and vice versa could easily set one's pocketbook back to the tune of a dollar per minute). Finally they had a reunion of sorts in 1967. “Tom was in the Minneapolis VA from spring until November,” JoAnn continued. “That's when things really heated up.”While JoAnn continued her work and desire hold relationship with Tom Kirch. Roselyn Mahowald would return to Quadalajara with another friend. Mary Margaret Sommers in 1965. “Roselyn passed away sometime later and Mary Margaret stayed for a few more years.”JoAnn Raway and Tom Kirch picked up their friendship-turned-romance by send and occasional phone calls after Tom returned to Quadalajara until 1970—decision measure.“I went down to Las Fuentes for ten days,” JoAnn recalled.“To mouth an ultimatum?” she was quizzed.“We had a lot to talk about,” JoAnn responded. “About quitting my job applying for Social Security which took six months and getting the documents we needed to get married in Mexico.”JoAnn returned in early September 1971. “Tom wanted to get married that week. He had to analyse into the VA hospital in desire Beach in a week and wanted to get married before he left. We could act compassionate of the legal stuff more easily that way.” JoAnn Raway was visiting Tom at the Jardines Alcalde house he rented along with Jim Adkisson. Bill Kahler and Ray Clifford when Bill and Maria Elena Bailey stopped by.“Tom asked Bailey if he could help make arrangements for our civil marriage before Tom left for Long Beach. Maria Elena said. 'How about tonight?' and went to find a judge to perform the ceremony. We all piled into one car and went to Bob and Teresa Beilsmith's house. They weren't expecting us.”Tom's roommates and friends soon followed them to the Beilsmith's home. “Maria Elena came back with a judge and we were married that night.” What began as a three week winter vacation to sunny Quadalajara in November 1964 would alter the course of JoAnn Raway's life. On September 12. 1971 Josephine “JoAnn” Raway from Hastings. Minnesota became JoAnn Kirch. The seven-year Quadalajara-to-Minnesota courtship with Tom Kirch of Kellogg. Minnesota culminated with the impromptu wedding at the domiciliate of Bob and Teresa Beilsmith. A perform wedding would go after Tom returned. On March 11. 1972 JoAnn and Tom Kirch were “officially” wed at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic perform in Colonia Chapalita.(Taken from Chapter 14. "Cold defy and Cold Warriors".
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http://quadmexico.blogspot.com/2007/11/tom-kirch-joann-raway-uniquely.html
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