Golden anniversary for Darrell and Peggy Aplanalp
By JARED HENDERSON
RANGELY | The dining room was filled with display boards of photos — wedding portraits, holiday snapshots and school pictures of their two children, Shane and Misty, a are now parents themselves. At the table sat Darrell and Peggy Aplanalp, hand in hand, ready to celebrate 50 years of marriage.
The couple was married on June 20, 1975. Over the decades, they’ve raised a family they’re deeply proud of — and they said it all began thanks to a friend who introduced them.
Darrell, who grew up in Rangely and graduated from Rangely High School, met Peggy shortly after his senior year. Peggy was living in Dinosaur at the time, and the two began dating that summer.
“The person who introduced me said, ‘That guy really wants to meet you,’ and I said, ‘Well, why isn’t he asking me?’” Peggy recalled with a smile. “And the guy said, ‘Well, because he’s bashful.’”
“Apparently, we hit it off,” Darrell added.
After that first meeting, they spent time together at Elks Park, and Darrell made frequent trips to see Peggy. It didn’t take long for them to know they’d found something special.
“I guess it was when Cupid shot the arrow in my heart,” Darrell said.
“We were just very attracted, and we knew relatively quickly,” Peggy said. “We had a lot in common — same ideals and everything — and we figured that out pretty fast.”
Looking back over 50 years, both say their greatest accomplishment is the family they raised together.
“Our two kids are our pride and joy,” Darrell said. “Both of them turned out to be real fine citizens — good fathers and mothers — and that’s our greatest achievement.”
Peggy added more about their kids Shane and Misty.
“They are kind, caring, independent — and really good parents. They love their children deeply. We’re very proud of that. They’re responsible, honest, caring, thoughtful — just really good people. We wonder how we got blessed so much.”
Their son Shane, who was present that evening, agreed.
“It doesn’t come naturally,” Shane said. “They taught us.”
Reflecting on five decades together, Darrell said all relationships have to grow over time.
“There’s what they call the honeymoon stage, and then real life sets in and you have bills to pay,” he said. “We had a couple of hospital situations without insurance, but we worked hard and paid our bills off. You grow together through that. We both wanted to be responsible. Furnishing a home and managing debt — we took that seriously.”
Peggy said the early days of marriage felt like a dream — but reality was even better.
“You start out all starry-eyed. Then you have your first disagreement and think it’s the end of the world — at least on the female side,” she said with a laugh. “You realize you don’t live in a fairyland anymore — but it’s better that way. We’ve always been a team.”
She recalled advice from Darrell’s father early in their marriage.
“He told me, ‘Peg, you guys are exceptional because you’re evenly yoked.’ I didn’t understand what that meant at the time,” she said.
Years later, she came to appreciate those words.
“It means when two people want to work together equally. I think that’s what I’m most proud of — throughout the years, we’ve stayed that way. We were both determined to pull our weight and grow together.”
Among their favorite memories are raising Shane and Misty — watching them grow into adulthood and eventually become parents themselves.
“Watching our kids grow up is something a parent cherishes,” Darrell said. “They were both in sports and excelled. Shane was quite a football player and became a state champion wrestler. Misty played volleyball and basketball. It was fun to go support them and see them succeed.”
They also cherished family trips — especially one unexpected purchase.
“The boat was a big one, wasn’t it, Shane?” Peggy said with a grin.
She recalled a moment when Darrell noticed their teens were starting to spend more time with friends.
“He said, ‘We were always so close as a family. Let’s create an atmosphere where their friends want to be around us,’” Peggy said.
A few days later they traveled to Grand Junction, and Darrell talked her into buying a boat.
“That was one of my favorite memories,” Peggy said. “Darrell and Shane picked it out together, and we had so much fun. It was the only thing we ever went into debt for that wasn’t a necessity — but it was worth it. It kept our children close.”
Peggy stayed actively involved with her children’s school events and later with other students’ trips, too.
“Any fundraiser or class trip — she was helping run and organize,” Shane said. “She helped with our senior trip to Lake Powell. She organized the houseboat rentals, travel, food planning — everything. Even after I was in college, she came back to help with the trips.”
“I just loved those moments,” Peggy said. “All those trips, and later when Darrell and I started vacationing together down south in the winter. We’ve made a lot of good memories.”
When asked what day they would relive if they could, both quickly agreed.
“For me, it was the day our kids were born. Those were very special days,” Darrell said.
“You cheated me — I was going to say the same thing!” Peggy replied with a laugh. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
They both went on to describe the experience as life-changing and filled with love.
Darrell was 19 and Peggy was 16 when they married, and their advice to newlyweds remains simple: respect each other — and make financial decisions as a team.
As they prepare to mark this golden milestone surrounded by loved ones, the Aplanalps continue to reflect on a life built together — through challenges, joys and a steadfast commitment to each other and their family.
