We had an interesting interview lately with Thad and Nola Curtis of the Mexico Trip Insurance Center in Ajo, Arizona. It's located north of the town on Highway 85, right on the way for people traveling from Phoenix to Puerto Peñasco. At the moment Thad is selling insurance for Americans going to Mexico, but Nola will soon be licensed to sell insurance to Mexicans traveling to points north of Ajo.
But that isn't all--Thad and Nola have plans to develop their site by adding other services. A young couple will be working with them making reservations for visitors to Mexico, and they plan a real estate office next door for real estate sales in the U.S. and Mexico. One door south will be ChiliVille, and some of the best burgers and fries you will ever taste.
Insurance is a second career for Thad, who spent nearly 27 years in law enforcement. As a young boy his parents bought a grocery business in El Mirage, Arizona. In 1962 he joined the police force and by the age of 22 he was the youngest chief of police in the nation. He served as a Maricopa deputy under Sheriff Cal Bois and as an Arizona Highway Patrolman under G.O. Hathaway. He was stationed in Gila Bend and in Ajo. In 1987 and 1988 he was head of the State Liquor Department. At the request of Governor Rose Mofford he stayed on until she could find a permanent Superintendent. He then returned to his regular job as a Pima County Sheriff's Lieutenant until his retirement in 1989. Two years ago he ran unsuccessfully for Pima County Sheriff against incumbent Clarence Dupnik.
Thad was a young Arizona Highway Patrolman in Ajo in 1967. Soon after his arrival he was circling the beautiful Plaza during Ajo's first snowstorm in 36 years when he spotted a group of teenagers in a friendly snowball fight. He got out of his patrol car and joined in, but was soon forced to retreat to his patrol car. A boy named Cisco, with the other kids close behind, smashed a wet snowball on the patrol car windshield and started talking. They all became instant friends.
Thad had noticed and had met a very pretty Mexican girl named Nola. He soon learned Cisco was her brother. He asked Cisco, "Do you think your sister would go out with me?" and Cisco asked her. That's how he and Nola had their first date. Later they were married and raised a family. Their son lives in Washington and has two daughters; their daughter lives in San Diego and has two sons. They raised a daughter of Thad's who lives in Newport Beach and has one son. They bought a sailboat and plan to purchase a 24' boat so they can do a lot of sailing and fishing with their grandchildren in Rocky Point.
Nola was born in Caborca, Sonora. Her family, the Montijos, is one of the largest in the state. She has relatives all over Sonora, some in Puerto Peñasco, as well as in Arizona. Her grandmother, who recently died, was the last surviving charter member of the Presbyterian Church in Ajo. She had 11 children, 79 grandchildren, 43 great-grandchildren, and 12 great-great-grandchildren.
Thad and Nola live in a beautiful old house in Ajo. It was built in 1918 and has the large rooms, high ceilings, and decorative wood moldings associated with homes of that period. In his spare time Thad is learning computer graphics, which he loves, and improving a patented invention of his that cleans and flushes the water out of evaporative coolers, thus avoiding the buildup of minerals. He showed us several models, each one more elegant and streamlined than the last.
Thad is also still active in politics. He has spearheaded the drive against the National Park Service, which is allegedly trying to claim ownership of the last 22 miles of the road from Why to Lukeville to make it a toll road. This would be a severe hardship to thousands of visitors to Rocky Point as well as to Mexicans visiting the United States, and Thad believes that--in the interests of the people--the state of Arizona must assert its ownership of the road. He has been outspoken on the subject and distributed literature and drawings promoting his point of view, which is shared by many others.
After retirement in 1989, they moved back to Ajo where they had first met, where Nola's parents still live, and where they have many friends and relatives. Moreover, Ajo is close to Rocky Point where they plan to have a second home among many more friends and relatives.
We've seen Thad and Nola in operation, and they go far beyond just selling insurance. They really like helping others and solving problems for them. They are good salesmen for Puerto Peñasco, pointing out places for people to go, locating their favorite restaurants on the map for them, and giving them tips on how to get along in Mexico.
One of the services Thad and Nola expect to have at their site is a booth displaying the ceramic art of a friend of theirs, Carlos Salazar. Carlos is part Yaqui and part Mexican and makes the most intricate and beautiful designs on pottery that we have ever seen. Thad and Nola showed us some of his pieces, and they are truly exquisite. Having them for sale at the Mexico Trip Insurance Center will be another good reason to stop there. Look for it on Highway 85, right next to the Chiliville Restaurant at Milepost 38.2.
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