DATE: Thursday, July 10, 1997               TAG: 9707090144

SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN             PAGE: 02   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: MR. ROBERTS' NEIGHBORHOOD 

SOURCE: Frank Roberts 

                                            LENGTH:   77 lines

WOMAN WITH PIONEER SPIRIT FINDS HER MAN

When I first met Jo-Ann she was riding in a covered wagon. Yeah, yeah - you didn't now I was that old. Anyway, she was 17 - she's now 37. The official Bicentennial wagon train originated in South Carolina and was heading to Valley Forge. She joined it in Suffolk, stayed with it for 23 days. I wrote about its trip through town - we've been friends, and Trivial Pursuit partners, ever since.

One part of the story illustrates her perseverance: ``I asked my mother to let me go. She said no. I asked her again, she said no. I asked her again. She said she would think about it, so I went upstairs and packed.''

Jo-Ann update: One day, home-sweet-home was anything but sweet, a creaky old house in Suffolk sorely in need of repair, with that soon-to-fall-apart look; the next day she was in a lovely town house in Virginia Beach, complete with wall-to-wall stereo, a swimming pool near the doorstep, an ocean close by.

Nice, but more important is the guy who's been living there - Carlson.

``Three days after we met,'' Jo-Ann said, ``we decided to get married.''

They first met at midnight, the reason more practical than romantic. She makes those chirpy telemarketing phone calls and works till 11:30 p.m.

``We met on the beach at Rudee Inlet,'' she said.

Sigh!!

Carlson said it was easy to spot the girl of his dreams. ``She was the only one on the beach. We talked. She's quiet and peaceful. It took off from there.''

It began with these words in the personals in Port Folio: ``Romantic, voluptuous DWF, 30s, seeks 1 tall, honest S/DWM, 30s, for intellectually/physically shared moments.''

Sigh!!

``I didn't want a smoker. I did want someone who was very affectionate,'' Jo-Ann said. ``I wanted a good personality. Intelligence counts. And, I wanted a full head of hair. Guys my age are always losing their hair.''

Carlson is appropriately hairy, and he is appropriately tall. Jo-Ann wanted tall and got 6-feet 6-inches.

``One of the main things - I wanted a guy looking for someone to marry - no more dating,'' she said. ``I had 27 responses to the ad.''

Carlson was first and foremost. Jo-Ann called no one else.

One thing - he wanted a family - she has one.

Derrick is 19 and lives in Seattle, but 16-year-old Jessica and 4-year-old Jeremy are at home - his. Well - theirs.

Carlson, like his lady love, was wed before but, unlike his lady love, had no children.

``She was looking for the same thing I was,'' he said. ``Her phone message really attracted me.''

My favorite excerpt: ``I love animals, children, music, camping, exploring, aromas, sights and sounds, thunderstorms, long walks, making love, reading, watching sunsets - not necessarily in that order.''

I should hope not.

Another excerpt: ``I know when to be a lady and when not to be.''

Still another: ``I'm looking for a good sense of humor, and an extremely romantic, affectionate nature. Mr. Touch-Me-Not can hang up now because I would surely drive him crazy.''

Sigh!!

I seem to have followed my disgusting male nature, excerpting the more physical parts of the phone ad.

Jo-Ann, though, is an educated lady who recently completed college after a decade of low paying jobs and a struggle to raise her children. She had no money, but steadfastly refused to go on welfare.

``I answered other ads. They still had relationship problems. I knew Jo-Ann was for me after the first couple hours,'' said Carlson, recently discharged from the Navy. His lady love served in the Army.

He has a good job and is gung-ho to settle down with a family - hers.

``One date I remember,'' Carlson said. ``We had dinner - afterwards, she recited some of her poems. They were really good.''

Which brings me to ``A Gentle Touch.'' Here is an excerpt from that poem:

`` - I try to reach out - and touch most gently - in the hopes of having someone touch me - gently in return.''

Sigh!!

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