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HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
Love is a many-splendored
thing, so says the
Four Aces in a song made
popular in the late 1950s.
It’s love that drives a passion,
and sometimes that
passion and your love become
intertwined. Such
was the case for John Baldo
and his wife, JoEllen. You see, John is a Corvette enthusiast
and has been coming to Carlisle for many years.
His fi rst trip was one he wished he’d never have had to
make: the services for Chip Miller in 2004. Following that
somber spring journey, John returned in the late summer
of ’04 for the Corvettes at Carlisle Auction, marking
his fi rst automotive related trip to America’s Automotive
Hometown.
John’s love and passion for Corvettes and his wife
are such that on August 25, 2007, John and JoEllen
were married on the stage as part of Corvette weekend.
John and JoEllen live in Cary, IL, and a trip to Carlisle
was always something special the couple looked
forward to. Following their engagement, John and Jo-
Ellen started to make wedding plans. At some point
during the discussions, the notion of getting married
at Corvettes at Carlisle went from being a one-off joke
to something very serious.
When asked why get married at Carlisle, JoEllen
quickly responded, “Why not?” John was fast to
chime in, adding, “My darling thought it was a good
idea, and we always talked about getting married at
42 2012 CORVETTES AT CARLISLE CarlisleEvents.com
an event like this. We love
Corvettes, we love Carlisle
and we love each other.”
Though John’s wife was
not a car person when
they fi rst met, he quickly
won her over; both personally
and with his passion
of cars. During their
blossoming relationship, they worked with the Mecum
Auction Company and before his current gig with
FedEx; John drove an auto transportation truck, moving
cars from all parts of the country.
John has no reservations about spending his fi veyear
anniversary at Carlisle and notes, “We are very
proud that we were married at Carlisle. On a day-today
basis or at shows when we talk about cars, we
mention that we got married during the Corvettes at
Carlisle event in 2007, and it sparks conversation. A lot
of times, someone will mention that they were there
with us on our special day.”
For those who did attend the special event, it was
an early and long day for them. John and JoEllen’s
wedding was at 7 a.m. on a Saturday and was offi ciated
by a pastor from the Wisconsin Corvette Club. To
date, the couple have no children together, but each
has their very special “babies.” John has a ’96 Corvette
LT-4 coupe, while JoEllen loves her ’88 ’Vette.
Please welcome John and JoEllen back to Carlisle as
they celebrate fi ve years of wedded bliss right where it
all started — Corvettes at Carlisle!
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