Hearts united through business and volunteer work

August 5, 2009

By JoAn Bjarko
The Wellington

Wedding bells. Community volunteers Sue Moore Clowes and Charles Robert Mayhugh will marry Oct. 17 in Clowes’ garden in Wellington West. Photo by JoAn Bjarko

Chambers of commerce typically spawn economic development, but two Wellington (Colorado) business owners have found romance as well.

The Oct. 17 wedding of Sue Clowes and Chuck Mayhugh will look very similar to a chamber social gathering topped off with long-time friends and family. Fellow chamber of commerce members Linda Kinzli and Bill Schneider will be matron of honor and best man.

Like true economic boosters, Clowes and Mayhugh are turning their fall garden wedding into a community event. Mark Gabbert from Zion Lutheran Church will officiate, Wellington food purveyors will cater the festivities, and the band from The Filling Station will entertain. The second floor of the Days Inn is already reserved for out-of-town guests.
“It’s an opportunity for us to have family, friends and community all come together,” Mayhugh said.

“We just want it to be fun,” Clowes added.

Make that fun and colorful. Up to 30 “red hatters” of the Shady Ladies will be wearing red and purple, which are the wedding’s color theme.

Sue Clowes moved to Wellington in 1996. As the owner of Cooper Oaks Designs, she produces needlepoint images of well-known works of art, fun sayings and other popular designs and sells them nationally. She’s seldom without needle and thread while observing town board meetings.

Architect Chuck Mayhugh brought his business, CRM Architects, to Wellington in 2006. Both joined the new chamber of commerce that year, and Mayhugh soon volunteered to serve on the Wellington Planning Commission.

It was the volunteer spirit in both that really brought them together. Clowes and Mayhugh are dog lovers who spent a good deal of time organizing the past two Wellington Community Pet Dog Shows.

“Neither one of us was looking for marriage,” Mayhugh said. “We just really enjoyed each other’s company.”

Clowes has two rescued Dalmatians at home and determined Mayhugh would make an acceptable husband if the dogs approved, which they did.

The couple have more in common. Each has two daughters and five grandchildren, and the list goes on.

They can’t quite remember when they decided to get married. The idea just evolved. The official engagement, however, took place on Clowes’ 70th birthday, when Mayhugh, 68, presented her with a ring during her surprise birthday party. The UPS deliveryman, who got the ring to Wellington just in time, is also invited to the wedding.

Since they are combining two households and have no materials needs, the couple are suggesting in lieu of gifts that wedding guests make a contribution to Safe Harbor Lab Rescue, Dalmatian Rescue of Colorado or another nonprofit organization.