Somehow she missed him, during that year they shared the halls of the same small school.

She'd have no memory of him nine years later, when they'd meet in a bar on St. Patrick's Day, him summoning the courage to approach her in his bright green vest and bow tie. And he would only vaguely recall her, as a high school classmate's sister who'd been a senior when he was a freshman.

But of course, neither Laura Lutz nor John Chavez could have suspected as teenagers that such a significant part of their future was so close – or that, a decade down the road, a stranger in a bar would become their whole world.

That night in March 2014 at Norty’s Bar in St. Joseph, Missouri, came with many memorable impressions, not the least of which was John’s look: the green vest and bow tie sans shirt, paired with jeans and cowboy boots.

“He was hard to miss,” Laura says. 

He was also very personable, not to mention intent on talking to her despite a group of older women who were vying for his attention. Fortunately, a friend saved him from them and allowed him to focus on the pretty object of attention, who he was pleased to find laughed at all of his jokes.

Given how late in the evening it was, their conversation didn’t last long. But they did discover their high school connection and cover some other basics before exchanging phone numbers.

“And she gave me the right number,” John notes.

He made good use of it, and after a couple weeks of talking and texting, they went on their first date, to Olive Garden. They took things slow for the next few months but were officially a couple by the end of the summer — having progressed to the point of meeting the other’s family and seeing each other more than only on the weekend.

Laura + John

- St. Patrick’s Day luck starts a true love story -

By Erin Wisdom-Watson

Neither Laura Lutz nor John Chavez could
have suspected as teenagers that such a
significant part of their future was so close –
or that, a decade down the road, a stranger
in a bar would become their whole world.

By the following St. Patrick’s Day, though, Laura found herself frustrated over what felt like a stall in their relationship’s progression. John hadn’t yet said those three all-important little words, and she brought this up to his cousin when they were out celebrating the holiday at the same bar where she and John had met the year before.

His cousin relayed her message, and John made plans for remedying the problem during a trip to Florida they’d be taking in May. However, life-altering events have a way of changing the best-laid plans — which was precisely why he ended up first expressing his love for Laura not on a Florida beach but, rather, a St. Joseph Target. 

And his words weren’t the only significant revelation she received that day. Rather, they came on the heels of perhaps an even bigger one: She was pregnant.

She broke the news to John a few hours after finding out herself, by casually asking as they passed a display of baby products how he’d feel about buying some to have on-hand for nine months down the road. Once he realized the true meaning behind her words, he knew he couldn’t hold back any longer on the ones he’d been saving for her.

“I wanted to wait until Florida to tell you,” he said, “but I love you.”

Although they were both surprised by the pregnancy, they were also thrilled. In addition, they were ready to contemplate marriage — not because they had a baby coming but simply because they were ready to make that commitment.

Thus, they began ring shopping that summer but ultimately decided to hold off on anything wedding-related to focus on the pregnancy and new addition they’d soon be welcoming. They did move in together that fall, though, before the birth of their daughter, Elizabeth, in January 2016.

They resumed ring shopping when Elizabeth was six months old, and this time, John didn’t waste any time in making a purchase and planning a proposal.

That plan involved convincing Laura to come fishing with him — which wasn’t exactly the easiest task, with her not being quite as enthusiastic about the sport as him. But finally, on July 9, 2016, she agreed to come along to Happy Holler Lake in Savannah, Missouri.

On the way, John couldn’t help but foreshadow what was about to unfold with statements like “I think you’ll catch a big one today.” The hidden meaning in his words went undetected on Laura’s part, though, as did his true intentions as he prepared a fishing pole for her.

While she played with Elizabeth and looked out at the lake, he retrieved the engagement ring from his tackle box behind her and tied it to securely to the fishing line on the pole he handed her.

“All right, here’s the bait that’s going to catch you a keeper,” he said — and sure enough, once that “bait” was on her finger, she had not only a beautiful piece of jewelry but also a husband-to-be.

They’ll become husband and wife on June 3, 2017, with a ceremony at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in St. Joseph. A reception will follow at Backwoods Venue 222 in Gower, Missouri — and this opportunity to revel in their relationship is one aspect of the day they look forward to the most.

“Everything in our lives is about Elizabeth,” Laura notes, “but this day will be about celebrating me and John.”

It will also be the start of their next chapter, and if their story thus far is any indication, they’ve chosen just the right person with whom to spend all the rest of it.

This is true for Laura due to John’s humor, thoughtfulness and kindness, as well as his ability to be a calm and reassuring presence when she needs to hear things will be OK. It’s true for John because Laura accepts him and his interests — not to mention that, due to their ability to compromise and talk through issues, they’ve never had a big argument.

They also both appreciate the parent the other has become and hope for more children. And if John’s dream comes true, they’ll raise them in a home on a lot of land, complete with a fishing pond.

Of course, it’s impossible to predict all that will come, but for them, even the unknown seems promising.

“I’m looking forward to the future,” John says. “Just everything.”

Neither Laura Lutz nor John Chavez could have suspected as teenagers that such a significant part of their future was so close – or that, a decade down the road, a stranger
in a bar would become their whole world.