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Five Durango sisters re-create photo from 48 years ago

Valles girls remember watching parades on Main Avenue

When the five daughters of Roy and Thelma Valles came to town for a sisters reunion, it brought up countless memories of growing up in Durango.

“We lived on West Third (Avenue) then, and whenever we heard something happening downtown,” the youngest, Debbie Voss, said, “the older girls grabbed the little ones and went. We’d run across the swinging bridge to see what was going on.”

On one of those occasions, the Durango Band Parade, the sisters were captured in a photo for the Oct. 22, 1968, Durango Herald. They re-created that photo Thursday, a week before another parade, the Fiesta Days Parade, that was also a family favorite.

“We have so many memories,” Voss said. “My mom always took us to Woolworth’s for milkshakes, drive-in movies were a real treat and we loved the (La Plata County) Fairgrounds and rodeos. We rode our bikes everywhere.”

The reunion was inspired by the visit of sister Cora Avila from Modesto, California, who came to spend time with their mother, now 86.

Three sisters stayed pretty close to home. Cindy (Lorraine) Tucson lives in Durango, Voss resides in Ignacio, and Teresa Wamel calls Bloomfield, New Mexico, home. The fifth sister, Christine Tabor, lives in Brighton.

Despite the photo in the newspaper, the Valles sisters may be remembered for something else by longtime residents.

“My older sisters would square dance in the front yard,” Voss said. “Cars would pull over, and they would have an audience.”

abutler@durangoherald.com



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