Military Veteran Project | Topeka Magazine fall 2014 by Sunflower Publishing

Fall ’14

Vol. VIII / No. III

from the editor

Editor Nathan Pettengill designer/Art Director

Jenni Leiste

designer

Shelly Bryant

chief Photographer

Jason Dailey

COPY EDITOR

Deron Lee

advertising Teresa Johnson-Lewis representative (785) 832-7109 Ad Designer

Jenni Leiste Kristin Forbes

contributing Bill Stephens Photographer Contributing Writers

Tonya Bell Anita Miller Fry Kim Gronniger Carolyn Kaberline Valerie Mendoza Nick Spacek Debra Guiou Stufflebean Linda A. Thompson-Ditch Barbara Waterman-Peters

GENERAL MANAGER

Bert Hull

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Katy Ibsen

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This three-generation photograph of, from left, Alicia Cardenas, Angel Kizzire and Alicia Cardenas, was taken shortly after Sunday Mass at Topeka’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church. It was a service that Angel used to explore the foyer of the church with her toddler’s sometimes-steady feet and insatiable curiosity. I imagine in the history of Our Lady of Guadalupe, many toddlers have spent the better part of a worship hour exploring the fringes of the sanctuary. On the outskirts of the sacred, they wander and grow, absorbing before understanding and inheriting the church community, faith, traditions and culture. It’s a story that plays out in many churches, but takes on particular significance this year for the community of Our Lady of Guadalupe which celebrates 100 years of worship and service as a cultural foundation for Topeka’s Mexican-American community. For these reasons, we devote a large section of this issue to exploring the significance of OLG’s centennial—what it means to its parishioners, to the community and perhaps for the toddlers like Angel who might shape the church in the coming decades. With thanks to the members of OLG who shared their memories and stories, we hope you enjoy reading about the 100-year journey in this issue.

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what's inside TOPEKAMAGAZINE

notables 8

The Think-Paintings of Poca Kim Transplanted artist speaks her thoughts in turpentine and brush

Dual Service Two military chaplains look back on their service in faith and in the forces

Enchilada Tradition The Valdivia-Wilson families share an enchilada recipe that would likely make Pedro Lopez proud

travel

In every issue

The Winfield Way Year after year, Topekans make a musical pilgrimage to one of the state’s biggest, friendliest festivals

Arts connect map

31 What’s happening

features 38

OLG at 100 Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church prepares to celebrate a century of mission as its members consider the church’s future role

Voluntary Duty More than two years after her loss, Melissa Jarboe continues to soldier on for a cause

on the cover

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Fall ’ 14

Melissa Jarboe, standing with her back to the camera, talks with members and volunteers of her Military Veteran Project outside the Capitol. Photograph by Jason Dailey.

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There will always be a fathomless division between those who have fought in wars and those who have not. The training, the culture, the habits of survival that are formed preparing and serving on the front line cannot be fully taught or understood from positions unthreatened by fire. But the people who inhabit those two worlds intersect in the community; and those two worlds intersect within people’s lives—such as the lives of soldiers as they finish their duties and immerse in civilian life or the lives of family members who live with those who serve. Within that overlap of very different realities is where military chaplains serve. Unarmed, but under the flag, they are neither fully soldier nor fully observer, yet they are called to face and to counsel through the heaviest burdens in military and civilian life. Debra Guiou Stufflebean’s interview with two former military chaplains attempts to relate the details of their service. It’s a story that cannot, of course, fully cross the divide of experience, but it convoys some of a chaplain’s reality, and their almost impossible mission of bridging two very different worlds with love and sacrifice.

Dr. Ronald Lee Cobb, a former chaplain in the Kansas National Guard 35th Infantry Division, talks in this issue about his experiences serving soldiers in the field and away from the front lines.

The Think-Paintings of Poca Kim

Dual Service

Enchillada Tradition

The winfield way

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Photography by Jason Dailey Story by Barbara Waterman-Peters

The ThinkPaintings of Poca Kim Transplanted artist speaks her thoughts in turpentine and brush about the

writer TOPEKAMAGAZINE

Fall â&#x20AC;&#x2122; 14

Barbara Waterman-Peters writes, paints, exhibits, teaches and manages Studio 831 in the North Topeka Arts District (NOTO).

astel colors surround Poca Kim at her NOTO art studio. Soft, golden-yellow walls, paper lanterns and a glasstopped table encasing floating roses mark a room for quiet contemplation. Hanging on the walls are the works of this artist/poet whose mind and soul are fully engaged in her work. Kim’s animated face shows that she is eager to speak, but her words are thoughtfully considered. “I don’t want to paint what I see,” she states emphatically, “because that is a ‘souvenir.’ My art is what I think.” Growing up in Wonju, South Korea, Kim found that academic success came easy, but as a middle child in a blended family of six children, she had little space to herself, and it was only in high school, when she got her first room—“my castle,” she describes it—and was forced to recover from a respiratory illness, that Kim had long periods of solitude to think and create. After graduation, Kim continued to write but also pursued a more traditional career, finishing a two-year course in hotel management and working in a 5-star hotel in Seoul before winning a spot to travel to Washburn University. She came to study computer science, but graduated with a nursing degree in 2007. Moving to Topeka, Kim discovered the difficulty of reconciling two distinct languages and cultures, particularly in her writing. After all, the exquisite poetry of one language does not always carry over to the other because each has subtle shades of meaning. Tone and structure are often lost in translation; idiomatic and colloquial expressions cause all sorts of humorous and not-so-humorous misunderstandings. A reference commonly understood in one culture, such as a myth, won’t be recognized in another. But for a poet, the language gap is wider, in that the beauty, the sound of the words and their linguistic rhythms, can never be duplicated. So, in setting up her new life in America, the poet became a painter—enabled by studio classes she took at Washburn

This detail of PrayerO (opposite page, photograph by Art Print Express), shows a hand coming up from a robe to apparently strangle a praying monk. The image was the first in a series of works by Poca Kim, pictured above sitting and working in her NOTO studio.

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under Ed Navone and David Hartley, as well as a growing confidence in her visual voice. “I realize that my artwork speaks better than my tongue,” Kim says. “I paint what I think, to communicate the delicate and abstract ideas which I can’t describe nicely in English. Painting became my writing.” And it is, indeed, beautiful “writing.” Kim’s large, often square canvases shimmer in any light, even the low light of her studio. Their energy is tangible and yet subtle, with carefully controlled matte surfaces (turpentine is her only medium) created by an almost pointillist brushwork. Her colors are vibrant, but never overwhelming; forms and patterns are organic. Poems, in English and Korean, often accompany the images. One theme, Love Triangle, is delightfully restrained yet lyrical, with flowering tree branches, cats and birds. Simplicity itself, this series of six works shows endless variations on a single theme. However, it is the content, the message in these paintings that perhaps most engages the viewer. In Kim’s most successful group of works, the Monk Talk Series, using her own face as a model (in South Korea, temple monks can be male or female), she paints an impish, lovable character conveying strong messages. “I borrowed the monk’s voice,” she says. “I don’t know if I can change the world, but I keep thinking the world should be changed in many ways.” At first, the monks were more serious and their message more overt—perhaps because of the sober events that led Kim to depict them. Sitting with a dialysis patient, watching a TV newscast, Kim learned of three young women in Cleveland who had escaped after 10 years of captivity. Stunned by the

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Backing away from the initial image that she felt might be too dark and direct, Kim began creating a series of monk images, top, that were lighter, but still conveyed a message. Detail of FillingO, above left, photograph by Art Print Express.

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story, Kim sought a way to express ways the women might move forward after such a horrible experience. She decided on the monk as a perfect symbol for healing, and the series began. she created the first monk, whose neck was tightly gripped by a hand, to explore the concept of violence, forgiveness and survival. The image of a suffocating monk proved too painful for some of her audience—as well as the artist—and Kim decided to make future imagery less direct even though the original image remains one of her most powerful. “It is a symbol of suffering; the hand could be any struggle in life,” she says. Another work, showing drowning figures becoming fish, is based on the recent ferry tragedy in South Korea. This fall, Kim is bringing Next time, please save us faster! to South Korea and has donated

use of the digital image to a group of artists honoring the victims. Briefly a member of the Collective Art Gallery before its closure, Poca Kim is now a full-time artist and has moved on to NOTO, where she is the latest Core Artist and occupies a spotless studio next to Yeldarb Gallery. Her energy and fresh ideas combine to make her a valuable addition to the district. One of her signature ideas is the “One Room, Two Pieces of Fine Art” campaign, designed to encourage people not only to enjoy the visual arts, but to acquire them for their own surroundings. Kim’s own studio walls are, of course, filled with more than two works. They are a testimony to an artist who is beginning to make her mark as she seeks to “make changes in the world” … as well as in her adopted hometown. And Topeka is richer for that effort.

A detail and the full, three-section image of Next time, please save us faster! shows Kim’s attempt to create a work of art that would provide comfort to families of the victims of the recent South Korean ferry disaster. Photograph by Art Print Express.

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Photography by Jason Dailey Story by Debra Guiou Stufflebean

Dual Service Two military chaplains look back on their years in faith and in the forces

about the

writer TOPEKAMAGAZINE

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Debra Guiou Stufflebean is the author of four novels and the director of the Shepherd’s Center of Topeka. She and her husband, Mike, live in the College Hill neighborhood with their four dogs and can be found cheering at their grandchildren’s ballgames.

“N

o one considers the horrendous amount of grief that a soldier has having to leave one family to be rejoined with another,” says Father Don Davidson, speaking of the experiences of U.S. troops returning to the states after a tour of duty. He continues: “We arrange for welcomehome ceremonies and celebrations…” “…And they are happy to be reunited with their loved ones,” interjects Dr. Ronald Lee Cobb, “but jumbled inside with all of the excitement is a sorrow so deep that some soldiers become suicidal.” “People forget that these soldiers were bonded together in an unholy union essential for their survival,” says Davidson. “It is the essence of what makes a unit function. The conditions may have been deplorable and the food wasn’t good, but they had one another’s back, and those types of relationships are difficult to replace in the civilian world.” Both Cobb and Davidson know these challenges firsthand, having served as military chaplains and retiring as full colonels. Both men were at Fort Leavenworth to counsel soldiers from New York in the wake of the 9-11 attacks. By 2003, both men were deployed for overseas duty in Bosnia. “It was a very tense time because nobody was sure we were really going to Bosnia because of what would be happening in Iraq,” recalls Davidson. “You could be put on a plane and wind up anywhere.” “Soldiers were driving themselves crazy trying to second-guess their orders,” adds Cobb. “I was constantly telling them to worry about where their boots were on the ground and let tomorrow sort itself out.” It turned out the unit’s final destination was Bosnia, where its 35th Infantry Division would attempt to prevent ethnic cleansing and seek out hidden caches of arms and mass burials.

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The Calling Cobb, who retired at the end of 2003, and Davidson, who retired from the military in 2012, came to their chaplaincies from different paths. During his college years, Cobb was an elite firefighter, stationed at Los Padres National Forest and Cleveland National Forest in California. He entered seminary and was ordained in 1969. Moving to Kansas, he enrolled in the National Guard in 1974 and served in several churches. He also has spent 22 years as an addiction counselor. Davidson, whose father and grandfather served in the military, knew he wanted to be a military chaplain even before deciding to become an Episcopal priest. He was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in May 1984 and ordained as a priest in May 1985. Davidson says that of the parishes he has served, the past two— St. Thomas the Apostle in Overland Park and St. David’s Episcopal in Topeka— have been especially supportive of his calling to be in the military.

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Dr. Ronald Lee Cobb, wearing beret, and Father Don Davidson talk about their experiences serving as military chaplains.

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A prayer for the soldiers Describing the prayers he would lead to combined forces before their missions in Bosnia, Ronald Lee Cobb writes: “Every time we would leave the steel and concrete walls of Eagle Base on significant missions, I would get all the soldiers and all of the Islamic Bosnians and Serbian translators to join hands with me in a circle in the chapel and say a prayer something like this:” Lord of Heaven and Earth, you know that our desire is to bring peace to this country. We ask your protection and your guidance for every single person on this mission, and we also pray for the peace of Bosnia, and for all the Croats and Serbians who also live in Bosnia. Lord, go ahead of us and give us wisdom and lead us to the right people at the right time at the right places. And we ask these blessings in Your Name which is above every Name. Amen.

The Role Chaplains are an anomaly, of sorts, in the military hierarchy. They have a direct link to the commander and frequently brief the commander about the overall condition of the troops. Chaplains undergo basic and advanced training programs, plus they attend Command and General Staff College. But they also draw on religious training and values. “Our job isn’t to try to convert men and women to Christianity,” explains Davidson. “Our job is to love the soldier for serving our country.” “People shouldn’t choose military chaplaincy unless they really, really love serving others, because a chaplain will deal with a high level of pain,” adds Cobb. “A lot of pain for sure,” says Davidson, as he relates a time he had to tell a soldier that her husband had been murdered back home. “You don’t expect things like that.” “The suicide rate is far too high, especially for soldiers who have been in Iraq and Afghanistan,” says Cobb, who has, not infrequently, intervened in the lives of soldiers whom he considered to be at risk for suicide.

The Lessons Both men say that their service as a chaplain has strengthened, rather than shaken, their faith. Cobb says he has much more compassion for people—and more understanding of the troubles soldiers face—from having gone through trauma himself. “Communing with God deep within is what got me

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through it so that I could then be useful to help others do the same.” Davidson says he is more aware of divine “incidences”— as opposed to “coincidences.” He recalls a time when he was walking through a ward at Landstuhl Hospital in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and noticed a soldier alone in a room and apparently in pain. He stepped inside to introduce himself and learned that the soldier had fallen out of a helicopter and was awaiting surgery. She told him she had requested a chaplain, and preferably one from her faith background— Episcopal, the same as Davidson. “Coincidence? I don’t think so,” says Davidson. “God used me to bring this broken soldier peace.” Davidson’s experiences have been fodder for sermons. “I don’t do as many as when I first returned from Bosnia, and I’m sure folks in the pews are glad, but it was a way for me to process everything in my mind,” he says. Cobb has shared lessons from service as well, first through journals and then in the form of three books: the first an account of his unit’s mission in Bosnia, the second a study of Islam as a force for peace, and the third, Spiritual Journeys, which he describes as “remembrances that have given my life meaning, and hopefully will help others.” Separately, the two chaplains look back on their different routes through service and ministry and find a common bond of serving soilders and bringing them home to reunite with their families.

Both Cobb and Davidson say they have called on experiences from their service to help them in their work as a counselor and a pastor in civilian life.

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Photography by Bill Stephens Story by Linda A. Thompson-Ditch

Enchilada Tradition The Valdivia-Wilson families share an enchilada recipe that would likely make Pedro Lopez proud about the

writer TOPEKAMAGAZINE

Fall â&#x20AC;&#x2122; 14

Linda A. Thompson-Ditchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love for food dates back to times spent watching her grandmother cook in her farmhouse kitchen. A freelance writer for almost two decades, she has contributed to The Boston Globe, The Dallas Morning News, Taste For Life, Better Nutrition, Manhattan Magazine, Shawnee Magazine and Cat Fancy.

t family dinners when he was growing up in Topeka, Rito Valdivia had to be first to get fresh enchiladas. His grandmother and aunts would create an assembly line to put all of the enchilada components together. Waiting at the end of this line was Rito. Today, Rito’s wife, Shelley, and his mother-in-law, Juanita Wilson, make the enchiladas, but he continues trying to be first in line because he is convinced—even though his family does not necessarily agree—that the best enchiladas come at the front of the batch. “We time it so I can be there when they’re ready,” says Rito. “If I’m golfing, I call and tell Shelley I have four holes left, and we’ll time them so they are ready when I get home.” This quirky, intense appreciation for home-cooking fits well into a family that has revived a local culinary tradition. In 2011, the Valdivias, Juanita and her husband, Roger Wilson, and Shelley’s sis-

“We lived around the corner from the Lopez family, and Mom would send me their house with a note telling what she wanted.” — Juanita Wilson ter, Robin, purchased Pedro Lopez Brand. The company is named after its founder, who is believed to have co-initiated the founding of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1914 and then founded his pepper and spice business the following year. For decades, the Lopez cooking products were a regular part of the meals in Mexican-American kitchens of Topeka. “I’ve used it since I was a little girl,” says Juanita. “We lived around the corner from the Lopez family, and Mom would send me to their house with a note telling what she wanted.” Pedro Lopez’s family owned the company until around 1960. Afterwards, the company went through several owners before the Wilson-Valdivia family purchased it, retaining the product name but organizing as Mi Familia, LLC—a name that reflects their approach. “For us, it’s wonderful,” Roger says. “We’re close to our kids anyway, and it’s more fun to run a business with family.”

Shelley Valdivia, opposite left, and Juanita Wilson hold a plate of enchiladas in their home kitchen. Valdivia and Wilson are part of a two-generation family behind a Topeka culinary institution—the Pedro Lopez Brand.

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Roger grew up on an Illinois farm and “didn’t even know what a taco was. Then I met Juanita. She and her family cooked for me, and I fell in love with the food.” The Wilsons and Valdivias live within walking distance of each other and regularly share family meals. “Mom usually cooks for us during the week when we’re busy with work and school,” says Shelley. “I like to cook on the weekends when I have more time.” In a twist of cuisines, Shelley cooks more of the Mexicaninspired dishes while Juanita prepares Americana dishes. “I cooked Mexican dishes my whole life,” explains Juanita. “So I passed it on and now I make dishes like meatloaf.” But it has been the family’s enchilada recipe that helped the Valdivias’ young children, Lauryn Luisa and Ayden Lorenzo, become Little Miss and Little Master LULAC this past February at the annual LULAC Sweetheart Dance—an honor bestowed based on a family’s total earnings through charity enchilada sales. The family raised $9,000 by selling the enchiladas, with the proceeds benefiting the Topeka LULAC Senior Center and scholarships for local Latino students. Now, the enchiladas are made mostly for home meals, with Rito at the front of the line. But others are still clamoring to take his place. “People still call, asking if they can buy them,” says Shelley.

The Wilson and Valdivia families often cook together in preparing regular family meals.

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recipe:

Valdivia-Wilson Enchiladas Preparation Time 1 hour Feeds 8 to 12 people (makes 24 enchiladas) Ingredients: 8 ounces ancho chilies 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon cumin 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt (to taste) 2 1/2 pounds hamburger 1/4 pound chorizo (2 links of the Pedro Lopez Brand with the casing removed) 2 tablespoons chili powder 4 pounds diced potatoes, cooked until just tender 2 cans peas, drained 24 corn tortilla shells Grated sharp cheddar cheese Instructions: 1. In a large saucepan, place the ancho chilies in enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer until the chilies are soft and red in color, about 30 minutes. 2. While the chilies are boiling, brown the hamburger and chorizo in a skillet. Add the chili powder, potatoes and peas, and cook until the potatoes are warmed through. Set aside. 3. When the chilies are ready, take them out of the water (but save the water) and place them into a blender or food processor. Add the tomato sauce, garlic powder, cumin and salt (if using.) Blend until the chilies are smooth, adding enough of the cooking water to make a sauce the consistency of thin gravy. (The sauce should be thick enough to coat the tortillas, but not too thick.) 4. Into another skillet, add vegetable oil to cover the bottom by 1/4-inch. Heat on low to medium-low. (The goal is to have the oil hot enough to soften the tortillas but not make them crispy.) When the oil is hot, add one tortilla and cook until just a little golden. You’ll know you’ve cooked it long enough when it doesn’t break as you remove it from the oil. It should be flexible and not crispy. Continue until all of the tortillas are fried. 5. As each tortilla becomes cool enough to handle, dip it into the sauce to coat. Then lay the coated tortilla on a plate, spoon some of the hamburger filling into the middle, add some cheese on top and roll to make the enchilada. Place the completed enchilada on a serving platter or baking dish. 6. When all of the enchiladas are completed, sprinkle cheese over the top and serve. (The finished enchiladas can be frozen to serve later.)

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Photography by Bill Stephens Story by Susan Kraus

The Winfield Way Year after year, Topekans make a musical pilgrimage to one of the state’s biggest, friendliest festivals

about the

writer TOPEKAMAGAZINE

Fall ’ 14

Susan Kraus is a therapist and award-winning travel writer who believes that travel can be the best therapy. She enjoys helping people create their own “travel therapy” by writing about journeys that anyone can replicate.

or many, just saying “Winfield” evokes vivid memories: all-night campfire jam sessions, family time, reconnecting with old friends and making new ones … and the music. So much music. Music on the big stages; on improvised, campground stages; in every campsite, all day and then all night. The official name for all this music is the Walnut Valley Festival, but to regulars it’s just “Winfield,” an annual pilgrimage to replenish the unplugged heart and soul. What started in 1972 as a two-day event now takes place over four days, featuring more than 30 bands and musicians. For some Topekans, the long Winfield weekend—the third weekend in September—is not just special, but close to sacred. They plan their vacations (if not lives) around this time of being immersed in family, friends and music. Kevin Meier, who has attended more than 30 festivals in his 58 years, says the annual campout as has a “a magical and profound pull” that has given his family “a sense of community.” “Winfield is a time to get away from it all, check out of the rat race for a week, clear the mind, listen to excellent music and get closer as a family,” says Michelle Smith, who first attended in 1994 with her husband, Richard, and daughter, Courtney. “The sense of harmony, joy, silliness, peace … a little escape from the real world is just good for the soul.” “It’s a safe place to bring your children,” Kevin adds. “It’s more like a neighborhood or village where you know most everyone.” The festival offers activities for youth along with the musical acts. Both Kevin and Michelle describe how their children enjoyed events such as art projects and children’s jam sessions. They made “Winfield friends,” discovered a unique freedom in a safe area and developed a love for music. While the focus of Winfield has traditionally been bluegrass music, every kind of acoustic music—from Cajun to country, Irish to blues—is played during the festival on four stages running concurrently, making it hard to choose. In addition to the stage concerts, there are eight official competitions: international autoharp, national flat-pick, national fingerpick, national mountain dulcimer, national hammer dulcimer, bluegrass banjo, mandolin and old-time fiddle. And that’s just the official music events. There are more bands, more performers and countless jams throughout the campground. Thousands of people attend, and it seems as if every third person is carrying an instrument. You don’t have to play to enjoy the music, but the enthusiasm can be contagious. “When I first came I didn’t know anything about bluegrass, but it was transformative,” Kevin says. “I left determined to play and bought a guitar.” You can tell this is a musician-focused event from the vendors. Aside from a juried arts and crafts fair, souvenirs, ample food choices and a massage tent (an especially nice touch), you’ll find stands selling fiddles for $400 to $3,200, plus other specialized booths. Vendors seem happy to answer “dumb” questions like: “What’s the difference between a violin and a fiddle?” (I learned that it isn’t so much the instrument as the playing style. And because fiddle players generally

“Winfield is time apart

from the world,

unplugged,

TV or news,

j u s t

t i m e

moment —time with to be in the

people

you love.”

-Kevin Meier.

“We have from about

13 to 24 tents

in our ‘camp’ with family and friends from

TOPEKA TONGANOXIE LAWRENCE BALDWIN KANSAS CITY,”

evin says K r, Meie g tin coun ts n e t on hiss. r finge

“ E v e ry y e a r i s a l i t t l e d i f f e r e n t. E a c h y e a r h a s i t s o w n p e r s o n a l i t y. ”

Winfield events from the past year included, clockwise from top, a jam session of Topekans and their friends, including Richard Smith, Chris Millspaugh, Luke Paul, Chad Lindsay-Ybarra and Kevin Meier; the Pickers Paradise stage—one of seven professional performance stages; and plenty of family reading time, enjoyed by Linsday-Ybarra and Luna Linsday-Ybarra.

TOPEKAMAGAZINE

Fall ’ 14

make a rougher saw with the bow, they tend to equip their instruments with sturdier strings and choose bows with coarser hair.) On my first Winfield trip, on a sunny festival morning last year, I joined hundreds of people in listening to John McCutcheon (a folk-singing legend with 34 albums and counting). Then, I wandered over to another stage to hear Beppe Gambetta, an internationally recognized acoustic guitarist from Italy. By the time he wrapped up, singing his own interpretation of “You Are My Sunshine,” the audience was gently swaying in unison. That was followed by nine more hours of music, tasty food, and meeting new people. And that was just one day. “It surprises me when folks don’t know about one of the best festivals in the country, with something for everyone to enjoy, right here in our own backyard,” says Kevin. “Just go, I tell them, and you’ll go back. That magic will draw you in, and your calendar will revolve around the third weekend in September, and you’ll be part of this Winfield family.”

How to avoid the “Land Rush” Families and friends tend to gather in “camps,” with their tents circling fire pits and sharing makeshift kitchens. The demand for choice spots is high, and a structured protocol has evolved for securing a spot. It’s far too complicated to describe, but the festival website can provide guidance. Best advice? Hook up with old-timers and ask to join their “camp” for a year to learn the ropes. Camping is rustic, but showers are available. Trucks come around with ice (you can tell because they yell, “Ice! Ice! Ice!”), and an old tractor with a flatbed rolls through every morning with hot coffee and doughnuts.

TOPEKAMAGAZINE

Fall ’ 14

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Calendar TOPEKAMAGAZINE

Fall ‘14

What’s Happening in

september Honoring Douglas The annual Aaron Douglas Art Fair features 40 emerging artists, including this year’s featured talent Jaime Colon. In addition, the Aaron Douglas Art Fair offers music, local food vendors, free children’s activities and an interactive arts booth. Held on September 27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Aaron Douglas Art Park at 12th and Lane in Topeka’s Tennessee Town neighborhood, the fair’s goal is to showcase diverse and upcoming artists, celebrate community, and continue the legacy of world-renowned Topeka-born artist Aaron Douglas. Staci Dawn Ogle, the event’s art director, says the event has grown in each of its nine years. This year, musical performances include two stages with four local bands. Aaron Douglas, who graduated from Topeka High School in 1917, went on to become a leading mid-century artist. The park named in his honor holds a replica of Aspects of Negro Life: From Slavery Through Reconstruction, a portion of a four-piece mural that Douglas created and is now held in New York City, at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. --Tonya Bell

| Agricultural Hall Kansas Expo Centre | Free to the public, September 20-21 September 20 | Annual Bruce Whaley Spirit Ride, a fundraiser for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society | Lake Shawnee Shelter House #2 | 8 a.m. September 20-21 | Kansas Capital Quilters Guild 2014 Quilt Show | The Women’s Club, 5221 SW West Dr. September 23 | American Rodeo Steer Wrestling Qualifier | Domer Arena | Free September 24-October 5 | Annual Senior Olympics | Various sporting events taking place in locations throughout the city September 25 | Yakov Smirnoff, the popular Branson performer comes to Topeka | Prairie Band Casino & Resort September 25 | The Music Man featuring Shirley Jones and Patrick Cassidy | Topeka Performing Arts Center September 27 | Great Expectations, Topeka Symphony Orchestra season opener featuring violinist Yevgeny Kutik performing Brahms and Stravinsky | White Concert Hall, Washburn University | 7:30 p.m.

September 19-21 | Kansas Cowboy Dressage Association | Domer Arena | Free

September 27-28 | Cider Days Fall Festival, an arts and crafts festival | Landon Arena Exhibition Hall Parking Lot

September 19-21 | Friends of the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library Book Sale

September 27-28 | KS Hunter Jumper Association | Domer Arena | Free

TOPEKAMAGAZINE Photographs: Shutterstock and Yevgeny Kutik

Fall ’ 14

What’s Happening in

october 90 Years The Mulvane Art Museum at Washburn University celebrates 90 years with a gala on October 10. The event, “Imagine Art for a Lifetime,” showcases the ongoing exhibit—work from Washburn University Art Department graduates (such as Randall Exon, whose painting, Girl with Muskie, is included on this page), as well as new work by university artists. In addition, 90 pieces by regional artists will be placed in a silent auction during the gala evening. “Imagine Art for a Lifetime” includes music and food. Reservations and more information is available through the Mulvane Art Museum. (785) 670-1124 or online at washburn.edu/mulvane

TOPEKAMAGAZINE Photographs: Shutterstock, Mulvane Art Museum and Topeka Magazine

Fall ’ 14

What’s Happening in

november Topeka Thanksgiving The Community Thanksgiving Dinner will take place again this year at the Topeka Expo Centre Agricultural Hall, November 27. The free event was the vision of Pauline Johnson and the late Addie Spicher, who organized the first meal 47 years ago, feeding 69 people at the former East Topeka United Methodist Church. The event has grown to serve more than 2,400 each year and Ag Hall has hosted the event for the past 18 years. “It’s always been a part of my life,” says Myron Johnson, lead organizer and Pauline’s son. “My mother will be there this year, too.” The board consists of seven members, but the annual event requires hundreds of volunteers. Preparation for the dinner begins in April. “Things are in place and early planning plays a big part of it,” says Johnson. This year, organizers are prepping to feed 3,000 people. with any leftover food donated to the Topeka Rescue Mission, which helps with preparation by providing storage space, kitchen utensils and vans to pick up supplies. “I can’t say enough about Barry Feaker and the staff at the Mission they are truly a Godsend,” Johnson says. “This meal is not for the poor or homeless exclusively, but for anyone who would rather not eat alone,” Johnson said. --Tonya Bell

TOPEKAMAGAZINE Photographs: Shutterstock and Topeka Magazine

Fall ’ 14

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This issue contains one of our largest run of feature-story pages, a decision we made to accommodate two important stories: the work of Melissa Jarboe’s Military Veteran Project and the 100-year anniversary of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. These are two very different organizations: one relatively young, the other a century-old; one civic, the other religious, one having emerged from the struggles of war, the other from the struggles of immigration. But both organizations are similar in that they depend on numerous volunteers and groups from across the region to carry out their work. Too many individuals, in fact, to include each one in our pages. For example, we could have included an entirely separate section about the work of Ride 4 the Fallen under the Military Veteran Project; and we could have written and photographed much more about Holy Family, the school supported by Our Lady of Guadalupe and its sister parish, Sacred Heart - St. Joseph.

features TOPEKAMAGAZINE

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But these omissions come with any story we print—there is always something more to discover and share. And that is a good thing—because this book is always an introduction to parts of the community that you can walk into, meet or explore as soon as you finish reading about them.

38 OLG AT 100

48 VOLUNTARY DUTY

TOPEKAMAGAZINE Sister Rebecca Granado stands outside Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church

Fall ’ 14

parishioners of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church include, top row from left: Marisol Chavez, Luis Alvarez with Jesus AlvarezRobles, Rita Bennett and Diego Garcia; bottom row from left: Mirella Marcelo with Marisol Marcelo, Jose Marquez, Ignacio cuevas with karen cuevas, and Deborah Ortega.

OLG at

100 Photography by Jason Dailey

Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church prepares to celebrate a century of mission as its members consider the churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future role 39

This November, past and present parishioners of Topeka’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church will open yearlong activities celebrating 100 years of their parish and honoring the work of their ancestors in establishing a vibrant community. Whether they reconnect for a weekend or rejoin the Our Lady of Guadalupe fold, all will revel in the resourcefulness and resilience of early MexicanAmerican immigrants whose religious convictions, cultural contributions and hard work made an enduring impression on the Topeka community.

“The backbone of the parish is the third and fourth generations who have grown up with American values and the philanthropic spirit of giving back to the church and community”

-Father Jerry Arano-Ponce

For nearly a century, Our Lady of Guadalupe parish has been the spiritual, educational and cultural core for generations of Topekans whose heritage ties them to Mexican villages and Oakland’s old-shade neighborhoods. Seeking a better life for themselves and their families in the wake of the Mexican Revolution from 1910 to 1920, many Mexican immigrants settled in Oakland to work in the Santa Fe shops and yards. Unfamiliar with the language and American customs, 20 families formed a Mexican colony and sought to create a Catholic church where they could practice their faith and honor their ethnic traditions. The church’s welcoming representation of its namesake behind the altar and arched alcoves showcasing saint statues have been captured in countless photos commemorating baptisms, confirmations and weddings. The parish’s legacy, one of impoverished immigrants determined to retain their religious roots while improving the economic vitality of their new homeland, has kept many generations tied to the church. Father Jerry Arano-Ponce, pastor since 2013, says that about 65 percent of Our Lady of Guadalupe’s parishioners are Americans of Mexican descent whose grandparents came to Topeka to work in the Santa Fe shops. “The backbone of the parish is the third and fourth generations who have grown up with American values and the philanthropic spirit of giving back to the church and community their time, talent and treasure,” Father Jerry says. This support is most evident through Fiesta Mexicana, the parish’s primary fundraiser for Holy Family School. “Our ancestors came here with very little and built so much, and we keep that spirit

-Kim Gronniger

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going through the Fiesta Mexicana and our parish life,” says Margaret Martinez, a lifelong parishioner who works in the administrative offices of StormontVail HealthCare and has been the Fiesta Mexicana coordinator for nine years. Mary Lou Escobar, who retired from the BNSF purchasing department, grew up in Oakland and attended the parish grade school and Hayden High School. She and her husband, Ronny, who retired from Southwestern Bell, live across town but retain their parish membership. “My grandparents helped start the parish, and it feels like home here,” she says. Ronny recalls Sunday family breakfasts before Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe with his grandparents, followed by a weekly haircut at their home. Hope Cuevas, 86, a parishioner for 70 years, attends Mass with her husband, Jose. “We’re great believers, and that’s what keeps us going,” she says. Cuevas cleans the altar once a week, cooks for funeral dinners and assists royalty candidates with their Fiesta Mexicana food sales. She says she helps because she feels close to the other volunteers and wants to support Holy Family School, sponsored jointly with Sacred Heart – St. Joseph Parish. “Parishioners from Sacred Heart come and work with us in the kitchen too, because a lot of what we do is for the school,” she says. “We’re grateful because we need the help.” Shelly Valdivia, a State Street Elementary School teacher and a Eucharistic minister, often attends Mass with her 93-year-old grandmother, who, despite using a cane, frequently makes the trek to the front row. “I grew up in this church, and I just love it,” Valdivia says. “How can anyone look at that beautiful Virgin Mary behind the altar and not be affected by it?” Valdivia observes that many of her mid-life peers no longer come to Our Lady of Guadalupe, joining parishes more conveniently located by their homes or taking a break from organized religion entirely. “I didn’t go to Catholic school and I don’t live in the neighborhood anymore, but my friends and I were raised in the church to walk this path, and everyone knows the way back,” she says. “As my generation gets older, I hope more people will come back.” Many Mexican and Central American immigrants recently have arrived in Topeka, drawn to Our Lady of Guadalupe’s support of the Hispanic community as they assimilate. Father Jerry estimates that about 500 people attend the Sunday Spanish-speaking Mass at 1 p.m. and about 350 attend the 10:30 a.m. Mass at Assumption Church, offered since April to accommodate parishioners interested in a morning service. “The new immigrants, while rich in faith and family, do not have permanent or well-paid jobs to be able to contribute more in supporting the church,” Father Jerry says. “It will be their children who will be better off in the future because of educational opportunities and better jobs, who will fully sustain the church with future vocations to the priesthood and material support.”

A short history of the OLG century

Pedro Lopez, a representative for the Mexican colonia in Oakland, spotted a priest leaving a passenger train in July 1914 and persuaded Father Ocampo to stay in the Topeka area to help the group establish a Spanish-speaking parish. After an initial Mass celebration at Assumption Church, Father Ocampo stayed two years, ministering to families in towns along the Santa Fe tracks and donating whatever money he received toward renting a vacant storefront at what was then the corner of Crane and Branner to welcome Our

Lady of Guadalupe’s first parishioners. In 1921, with $14,000 in funds, parishioners began constructing a two-story building to serve as the school and church. When the church’s first Fiesta Mexicana took place in 1932, the parish had grown to 260 families, about 1,500 individuals. The current church was dedicated on Aug. 15, 1948, and would withstand flood damage in 1951 and the destruction of its parish hall during the June 8, 1966 tornado. The church’s ornate mosaic—purchased from Mexico and assembled

in the parish in 1962— has remained intact, along with the faith and fortitude of families who have worshipped here for almost 100 years. Nearly a century after its establishment, the church welcomes a new wave of Hispanic immigrants drawn to the community in search of a better life for their families. Spanishspeaking Masses are offered at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays at Assumption Church in addition to a 1 p.m. service at Our Lady of Guadalupe, to ease their assimilation and to provide fellowship and worship. -Kim Gronniger

Third-generation Topekan Valerie Mendoza discusses how the history of Our Lady of Guadalupe parish is also a narrative of her family, and a story in the lives of many others in the local Latino communities. My grandfather Robert Gomez grew up in an Oakland neighborhood home located where Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church now stands. “My bedroom was right there, at the altar,” he would tell me. Of course, when the church came, the family moved—but in a way, we became more connected to that spot. Two generations later, my history, as well as the history of many Mexican-Americans in Topeka, is intertwined with Our Lady of Guadalupe church (OLG). Both sides of my family have always been active in various aspects of the church. My grandmother Hazel Gomez (née Gonzales), grandfather Robert, and father, John Mendoza, all attended OLG school. Grandmother Hazel was the fiesta queen in 1943. My mother, Virginia Mendoza, is currently the president of the Amigos of the Marlo Cuevas Balandran Activity Center, which serves as the church hall. And I am on the board of El Centro of Topeka, a social service agency affiliated with the church that caters to a predominantly Latino clientele and is funded by the archdiocese of Kansas City. Everyone in my family has celebrated baptisms, first communions, confirmations, quinceaneras, weddings and funerals at the church. Even for those of us who do not attend regularly, OLG is part of our life cycle. My family is not unique. This kind of involvement in and devotion to the church is common among Mexican-American families and has lasted through the generations. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of Mexico. She first appeared to an indigenous laborer in 1531 near present-day Mexico City. She requested that a cathedral in Her honor be built on the site, and in return She would offer Her protection to the people of Mexico. Thus, the naming of Topeka’s place of worship was symbolic of the immigrants’ Mexican heritage. Indeed, in Mexico, Catholicism has been more than a religion; it has functioned as a central part of Mexican culture. Our Lady of Guadalupe, then, is a site where Mexicans in Topeka gather to worship and to reaffirm themselves as Mexicans. Parishioners turned to their cultural traditions in 1932 when the church was having trouble paying its bills during the Great Depression. In order (continued on page 44)

OLG and … me

i Giras

For the faithful, a church’s mission can be at least partly fulfilled through worship, the sacraments, the preservation of a religious tradition. These are spiritual goals that do not necessarily affect those outside the assembly. But throughout its century of life, Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church has devoted attention to the plight of its parishioners and community members outside its sanctuary. Here are six stories of how the history of OLG has, at least in some way, intersected with the lives and organizations of those around it.

Isauro Munoz of Mariach

OLG and …

the

It’s almost 10 a.m. as two buses arrive at the LULAC Senior Center at 1502 NE Seward. Each Monday through Friday, these buses convey at least 25 to 30 people to the center, where they will take part in a variety of art projects and crafts, set off on shopping trips, play bingo, work in the center’s greenhouse or sit and visit with friends. LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) was charted nationally in 1929; since the founding of a local branch in 1970, Topeka LULAC has focused on senior services, including meals, transportation and translations. LULAC also has helped establish La Colonia, where 55 units house senior and disabled citizens, and has sponsored annual collegiate scholarships for 5-8 local Hispanic students. The senior center is funded by the United Way, the City of Topeka, Shawnee County Services for the Elderly, Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging, Inc., LULAC Council 11071 and KDOT, with additional funds from an annual golf tournament and a sweetheart dance held around Valentine’s Day. Our Lady of Guadalupe church continues to support the mission as well. Though the LULAC Senior Center has no legal association with OLG, a core group of parishioners comprised the organization’s early leadership, and the church community provides a base for logistics and volunteers. “Every year the church allows us to host Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners at the Marlo Cuevas-Balandran Activity Center,” says Virginia Mendoza, LULAC council member. “It’s a cooperative effort between the church and us. We also allow the fiesta king and queen candidates to use our facilities for bingos, breakfasts and other fundraisers free of charge. The sharing of our facilities is much like the sharing of our faith. It’s the mechanism that binds us together into a Latino community. It permits us to share our cultural customs and traditions.”

s e n ior

OLG and …

- Carolyn Kaberline

OLG and …

the

f ol k

da n c

ers

Founded in 1976, Ballet Folklorico de Topeka is the city’s senior troupe for Mexican dance performances. And its dancers—local students, but also some who have moved away from Topeka and return for practices and performances—are dedicated to perfecting a culturally authentic art. “Our style is an interpretation of the traditional music of Mexico,” says director and founder Ed Gonzalez, who notes that there are 31 different states in Mexico, each with a variety of influences—Spanish, French, German, Arabic and Native American—that are all captured in the group’s presentations. “We are in the process of learning the culture, instrumentation and language from several different regions in Mexico,” Gonzalez says, explaining that the group seeks to preserve its culture while bringing it to countless others. Though the troupe rehearses in the NOTO Arts District, its spiritual home is Our Lady of Guadalupe. Not only does the group perform regularly at the church fiesta, its members are almost all parishioners, often serving as altar boys and girls and frequently winning a crown as fiesta king or queen. The troupe also helps with other fundraising endeavors of the church and school, with after-school programs and with kitchen duties during the fiesta. Gonzalez says his future goals for the group include reestablishing programs in arts education, helping students continue their studies, working with other ethnic groups and becoming more involved nationally. The group, which was selected to perform for the pope during World Youth Day in Denver in 1993, also hopes to continue traveling and performing throughout the nation. - Carolyn Kaberline

-Valerie Mendoza

Corpus of the OLG Choir Ophelia

to make money, they decided to hold a fiesta. This first fiesta consisted of Mexican food sales, traditional music, dancing, and carnival games. It was so successful that the parish repeated it the next year, and it became a cultural staple of the community and city. The importance of the annual fiesta to the Mexican-American community and church cannot be overstated. They are woven together. To this day, former parishioners from all over the country return to Topeka to celebrate community and culture. Topeka’s fiesta is celebrated in July every year because that is when Pedro Lopez had his chance meeting with the priest from Mexico, which set the wheels in motion for the founding of OLG church. The fiesta, therefore, honors the founding of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. Fiesta has always taken place on the church grounds and in the streets surrounding the church. One is forced to commune in the Mexican neighborhood of Topeka if one wants to partake in the festivities. This differs significantly from larger and more well-known fiestas. San Antonio’s fiesta, for example, occurs all across the city, and the fiesta in Taos, New Mexico, takes place in the town square. Closer to home, Kansas City’s celebration occurs at Crown Center rather than at one of the city’s Mexican neighborhoods. In this sense, Topeka’s fiesta resembles traditional celebrations in Mexico, which also take place in local neighborhoods. For those of the first local generation, that of my grandparents, the church offered solace and safety in a time of great discrimination, when certain restaurants posted signs that read: “No dogs or Mexicans allowed.” OLG served as a hub of activity, as most of the community lived within a few blocks of the church. Everyone knew each other, and many households were related through compadrazgo (the Mexican tradition of merging families through godparenting). It seemed as if the community was one big familia, and these ties lasted a lifetime. My grandmother Hazel kept in close contact with all of her comadres (literally co-mothers) and godchildren throughout her life. When my parents were coming of age, the church continued to serve as a place for family formations—future spouses often met at church functions. Mexican-Americans of my generation, who grew up after the 1970s, mostly lived outside of Oakland, and most of us attended public schools rather than OLG’s Catholic one. Nonetheless, our ties to community and heritage remained strong as we attended weekly church services and Sunday school, and celebrated various feasts and Catholic rites of passage with family. My path took me away from home after high school, and it was not until I moved away that I realized how special Topeka’s Mexican-American community is. I missed the food, the culture, family, friends and the sense of community. I returned to Topeka in 2012 with my 7-year-old daughter, who is half-Mexican and half-Anglo. We moved back so she could be near family and experience her Mexican culture. Although life has taken its twists and turns, OLG remains a constant. It reminds me of my history, and my Mexican heritage. Our Lady of Guadalupe church is about more than religiosity and faith. It is about who we are as people, as a community, as Mexican-Americans, as Topekans.

OLG and …

the mariac hi bands

ar t i

- Carolyn Kaberline

the

As parishioners line the aisle, Isabel Gonzales cues fellow members of Mariachi Girasol to begin their music— half-hymn, halfMexican-traditional, but entirely sacred. They are the accompaniment to the sacrament of Holy Communion at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church. The connection between OLG and local mariachi bands—who play regularly at church services—is steeped in tradition. Currently, the church is joined at worship and at the fiestas by two Topeka groups: Mariachi Girasol and Mariachi Luna Azul. The last group, started by Cathy Luna and members of the Luna family in October of 2009, brings together 13 members from all walks of life and cultural influences. One of the musicians sometimes performs in a kilt to celebrate his Scottish heritage. Their shows entertain audiences with a repertoire of traditional mariachi tunes as well as such songs as Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire,” which Luna refers to as “American mariachi music.” Both groups reflect OLG’s mix of Mexican, Anglo and other immigrant cultures—sharing a foundation in the church community. “We were raised in Our Lady of Guadalupe, and that’s where our faith is from,” Luna says. “We are inspired by her and turn to her in prayer. Because of the faith we have, we always pray before every performance and come together as a community. We do things to help other people in or community as well. We are spiritually driven by her.”

Since its founding, Our Lady of Guadalupe has preserved cultural traditions and inspired Mexican-American artists such as Andy Valdivia. A parishioner of OLG, Valdivia always wanted to create a history of the church and its community. “My whole life, I would hear stories from my family and friends on their troubles and adventures of how their families got here, and the trials and tribulations of what happened to them after they got here,” he says. “It was exciting, sad and happy all at once. I wanted to do something about it.” His opportunity to tell that story came in 2006, when Our Lady of Guadalupe’s new activity center opened and the church bulletin called for artists to create a mural in it. Valdivia’s design was selected, and that mural, titled Mi Parroquia (My Parish), led to another called Our History—his favorite— located on a basement wall, and another, Village to Village, on a wall of the activity center’s gym. Valdivia, who has been making art since before he went to grade school, now plans to expand the basement mural to depict more Mexican history as well as more of what makes up the Our Lady of Guadalupe community. “It gives me the opportunity to continue what I want to do: create a graphic image of our past and present history,” he says. “I want to use God’s gift to me to create something to give back to this community, whose many individual histories I’ve become fascinated with. I am one of those histories, and I feel I owe it to all the others to paint about it.” - Carolyn Kaberline

OLG and … Our Lady of Guadalupe has influenced generations of Topekans. But groups that formed around the church have also affected people outside the city and down family trees. This is the case with Kliph Scurlock, a national touring drummer who has played with Flaming Lips, Slackjaw and Contortion Horse. Scurlock has been a fixture of the music scene for several decades now, but his musical past goes back to his childhood home of Topeka, to his mother, Linda, a non-OLG parishioner who was part of the now-legendary all-female mariachi ensemble, Mariachi Estrella. She was also one of the members of the band who tragically lost her life during the Hyatt Regency skywalk collapse in 1981. Speaking from his home in Lawrence, Scurlock talked about his mother’s influence on his musical career, and his thoughts on Mariachi Estrella’s legacy. TM: What was it like having that sort of musical background in your life? KS: Well, for a couple of years of my life, definitely. I think I was 6 when she joined the band, and just barely 8 when the collapse of the hotel happened. So there were definitely a couple of years where I heard a lot of mariachi music, and it was pretty awesome. TM: Did you become more aware as you got older of the band’s significance? KS: Definitely, but I think more people became aware of the significance, which made me more aware of the significance. From a 7-year-old’s perspective, it was amazing: “My mom’s in a band! All the girls in the band are really cool and really sweet.” But, it wasn’t until—geez, well into my 20s—that I heard people were talking, like: “They were one of the first female mariachi bands! They broke down barriers!” and stuff like that. That’s awesome, but at least from my perspective, I don’t think they were ever intending to do that. I don’t remember my mom ever talking about how “we’re all females and that’s a big deal.” It just so happened that they were all girls. Again, this is coming from the perspective of a kid, so I’m not sure. They may have been more aware of what they were and how unique it was, but I wasn’t ever aware of it. TM: Have you explored their music more as you’ve gotten older?

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KS: Definitely, and I’ve been able to because of Marlo [Angell] doing that documentary [Mariachi Estrella]. There was footage of them playing on Channel 11 in Topeka, and when she got that footage, she was kind enough to make me a copy so I could actually watch them and listen to it, because there were just no recordings. History is just littered with bands like that. It’s like … why is there no footage of Big Star? But, at the time, nobody had cell phones with cameras, and recording was in the hands of a select few, and it was pricy and daunting to go into a recording studio. -Nick Spacek

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melissa jarboe

G Melissa Jarboe, center in black dress, stands with volunteers and supporters of her Military Veteran Project, including: Bill Levitt, Camrey Gayer, Stephanie Willis, Alike Peterson, Shane Criqui, Betty Wollenberg, Gale Wollenberg, Fred Bettencourt, Sheyvette Dinkens, Ronda Klein, Bob Hauer, Yvonne Perry and Liam Nelson.

rowing up in Kansas and Minnesota, Melissa Jarboe found herself in and out of three foster homes, the first at the age of 8. She experienced rocky family relationships, became pregnant at a young age, married, and became pregnant with a second daughter about the time she separated from her husband. She offset difficulties by focusing on her career and providing for her daughters. “I wanted the best for my kids, so I started working harder,” the 35-year-old Topekan says. She traveled throughout the Midwest for her job, with her off-hours devoted to her children. With little time for romance, she checked out an online dating site. It was there, in 2008, that she began corresponding with her future husband, Army Staff Sgt. Jamie Jarboe. They talked online for about six months before going on a real date. He was stationed at Fort Riley. She was living in Topeka. The army sergeant had an attitude of determination, and let Melissa know that someday they would be married. “There was no gray area with him,” says Melissa, who turned down some early proposals from Jamie, but reconsidered in 2011. At that point, Jamie had been deployed twice already–once for nine months and the other time for 15 months. As he was awaiting his third deployment, Jamie got upsetting news that a fellow soldier had been killed in the Kandahar province of Afghanistan, the area where he was headed. Melissa says Jamie told her he wanted to make sure that she and her girls would be taken care of. He proposed again, on February 13, 2011. This time Melissa accepted. They married the next day, Valentine’s Day, in Indiana, during a trip on their way home to Topeka. The newlyweds planned to have a formal wedding on April 7, 2012, just weeks after Jamie was to return from his deployment. But Jamie would return to the states a full year before he was expected. In April 2011, a sniper’s bullet penetrated his spine; he was evacuated and sent back to the States.

At His Side This period of Melissa and Jamie’s life has been well documented in traditional media, on social-media sites and most recently in a book authored by Melissa, Sacrificed: Memoirs of SSG Jamie Jarboe and Melissa Jarboe. She greeted Jamie as he was brought to the United States for treatment at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C., then received care at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and a rehabilitation facility in Denver. Jamie endured more than 100 surgeries. Melissa remained at his side, documenting each day in her journal and online posts, as well as through photos and videos.

A photograph of Melissa with Jamie as he lay in his hospital bed symbolized their experience, showing Melissa as Jamie’s wife, advocate and caregiver. She says she gave her all during Jamie’s recovery, communicating with his medical providers to advocate for the best care for her husband. Along the way, she learned the intricacies of the military health care system. Melissa says she witnessed tired nurses and medical personnel, lack of equipment and supplies, and the struggles of other families to get appropriate care for their loved ones or of patients without an advocate. “I tried to educate myself on Jamie’s injuries and have faith in the system,” Melissa says, adding that she felt her husband and patients like him deserved the best of care after working so hard on the battlefield. Jamie’s wounds left him a quadriplegic, and he went on to develop further medical complications. As members of Jamie’s unit began finishing their tour and returning to Fort Riley in February 2012, Jamie was returning to Topeka for hospitalization. Melissa says it was to be a temporary stay, but her husband’s health took a turn for the worse. Jamie died on March 21, 2012; he was buried 10 days later, in a Topeka cemetery.

Honoring Jamie In her efforts to make sense of Jamie’s death and honor his service, Melissa started the Jamie Jarboe Foundation, now known as the Military Veteran Project. She says she founded the nonprofit organization with proceeds from her husband’s life insurance and her retirement funds in order to advocate for, educate and honor military veterans and their families. Now, the all-volunteer organization has about 400 people who work across the country on behalf of veterans seeking medical treatment through the Veterans Administration but facing backlogs in getting care. “We take care of one another,” says Melissa. In addition to its primary goal, the organization has a variety of services. Wellness clinics are held to ensure that injured soldiers receive appropriate care and the correct medications, and that they know which benefits are available to them. The organization maintains an open line of communication with numerous military and veterans groups and medical facilities, and provides connections to post-traumatic stress disorder counseling for soldiers and spouses, as well as services for children. It works as a liaison between families and the VA, helping to locate the appropriate services.

Some of the events organized by the Military Veteran Project The 2014 Topeka Veterans Day parade will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, November 8, in downtown Topeka.

The Salute Our Heroes Gala will be at 6 p.m. on November 1 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel. For more information, go to the Military Veteran Project Facebook event page.

Honor Run/Walks and Honor Ruck awareness events are promoted year-round, encouraging people to run or wear a rucksack or backpack with a photo of a local veteran for each team member and a flag.

For more information and a list of programs sponsored and assisted by MVP, go online at: militaryveteranproject.org and topekaveteransparade.com; also look for the Facebook pages of: Military Veteran Project, Prayers for Sgt. Jamie Jarboe, Topeka Veterans Day Parade and Ride 4 the Fallen.

Melissa heads up two websites and four social-media sites. She spreads word of the foundation through speaking engagements; she plans to speak at the national VFW conference next July. “We’re making change happen. It’s the right thing to do. No one ever stopped to do that for Jamie and me,” she says.

Grief and Power Melissa’s Topeka home is comfortable and quiet, with large windows looking over a green space. Inside are numerous family photos on the walls and across a window seat. An area near the home’s entrance displays Jamie’s military medals and decorations, his spurs from his cavalry days, his trunk. Melissa has slowly begun to part with some of the items, giving them to the Big Red One’s museum in Chicago.

Melissa says her husband was an inspiration to her during his life, and continues to be today. “I have never met a more persistent man,” she says. “He promised to come home to American soil to me. In his last days of life he said he had no regrets. He would do it all over again for his country.” She says her life is forever changed because of Jamie, and now she is working to change the lives of others for the better. In Topeka, Melissa organizes an annual Veterans Day parade as well as a banquet, the Salute Our Heroes Gala, to honor military members. Last year, 2,000 people participated in the parade of patriotic-themed floats. The gala attracted some 300 people and was held free for veterans, with tickets for others available for purchase. She plans on holding both events again this year, knowing that the public celebrations may provide a balance to the intense, personal grief so many have felt in the wake of war and injury or death. “I’ve walked into hospital rooms and seen service members with no hope and kids crying,” says Melissa. “When you give them empowerment and options to create their lives, they can become powerful. They can make choices.”