Garfield grand marshals mark 57 years in town

Long-time Garfield residents Don and Joan Wride will be grand marshals for the Garfield May Day Saturday. During the May Day parade, they will ride in a convertible down Main Street.

The Wrides, who have resided in a quaint house high above Garfield for the past 57 years, have a long history of involvement in the town.

In an interview with the Gazette May 7, Joan and Don took turns talking about their life in Garfield.

Don worked as a manager for the hardware store in Garfield for 35 years. He served as president of the Garfield Chamber of Commerce in the 1970s.

Daughter Robin Smick said in a later interview this is a time for the town to honor her parents service to the city.

Joan taught Sunday school for 20 years in Garfield, led her own 12-member singing group and was involved in a very active prayer ministry for several years.

The couple raised four children in their Garfield home. Their children are Smick, Rick Wride, Nick Wride, and Jane Koen.

Smick said her parent’s 59-year marriage was built on a mutual attitude of putting the other person first.

“Mom puts him first and he puts her first in everything. My mom had dreams- like fix-it jobs. My dad would be out there doing it,” Smick said. “He wanted to please her so much- he was so in love with her.”

Smick said her 80-year-old mother still has a single-minded mission of doing everything in her power to serve Don.

“She is just so dedicated to caring for him. He does the same for her,” Smick said.

Smick said she has no memories of her parents fighting either. Joan affirmed this.

“In all our years married, we never had a quarrel,” Joan said.

Joan, who suffered a stroke 20 years ago, can still recall details of their past, but now has trouble speaking.

Smick said her mother had a very deep faith that drove her service in the church.

“People would come here to get help from my mom. She would feed the poor people around town -take them food,” Smick said.

She said her father too was a man of few words and held a very deep faith. Don had a deep peace that all would work out for the good, even in the midst of a crisis, she said.

Once Robin became sick while in college.

“I was in college and he came to see me. He took me in his arms and told me I was going to be okay, and I believed him,” Smick said.

Don said he enjoyed working in his shop throughout the years.

The wooden mantle over the fireplace was hand-carved by Don. A chalk sketch of Jesus, drawn by Joan’s late mother, hangs over the television set.