meeker | After 50 years and five days of marriage and 36 years of living in Meeker, one can probably assume that Tom and Lori Farris are in both for the long haul.
Lori was born in Glendale, Calif., and Tom was born in Cheyenne, Wyo. In 1977 — 36 years ago — the Farrises decided to make Meeker their home.
The duo gathered with friends and family on Saturday at Circle Park in Meeker to officially celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a potluck dinner.
Tom and Lori moved to Meeker in 1977, when Tom joined Colowyo Coal. Lori became a mail carrier, then she was copy handler at the Herald Times, where she did copy editing, page paste-up, labeling for mailed subscriptions and just about everything one can do at a newspaper.
The Farrises have two children, both of whom were in attendance Saturday for the couple’s anniversary. Daughter Jonalie (David) Comeau lives in Lovell, Maine, and she is a stay-at-home mother with seven children. Son Robert, or Bob, Farris lives in Rifle.
As far as community involvement, Lori rode for several years with the Meeker Drill Team, having retired from that in the past year.
Tom, who was in the U.S. Navy, and Lori also used to enjoy bowling when there was a bowling alley in Meeker, but her interests remain with her horses, and she still does a bit of trail riding. Tom used to do a lot of hunting and fishing.
Lori said the most memorable trip of her life was a two-day mule trip into the Grand Canyon.
“This was an incredible, memorable trip, and I even remember finding a scorpion in my tent the night we were at the bottom of the canyon,” she said. “It was a wonderful, scenic trip and just a lot of fun.”
Lori said she and Tim love the small-town atmosphere of Meeker.
“I guess I am not a big-city girl at all,” she said. “I truly like Meeker and the people. When we retired, we realized there was no other place we wanted to go.”