GALION — Richard and Barbara (Ross) Beck celebrated 70 years of marriage recently with their entire family of 30 and a few long-time friends from throughout their marriage. The celebration took place in their home church, Gospel Baptist Church.

Known as “Dick and Barb,” they graduated as classmates from Galion High School in 1947, but their first date didn’t take place until September of that year. They were married June 9, 1948 in Greenup, Kentucky by the former Rev. Robert McAllister, in the First Baptist Church there.

They were engaged in a large dairy/grain operation on Galion New Winchester Road known as HY-VU Dairy Farms for more than 50 years. They had a herd of 300 head of Holstein and farmed 1,500 acres before retiring in 2000.

They are the parents of three children: Pat (Mark) Britt of Galion, Steve Beck of Galion, and Eileen Mason of Tuscon, Arizona. They have eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Their faith in God had taken them through any trials and difficulties that they have faced during their 70 years together, and they say they have had a great marriage filled with lots of hard work, tons of laughter and lots of love.

Their lifestyle consists of living in the farm house where they have resided for nearly 67 years and going to Florida to live on Daytona Beach, right on the ocean. They say it is the best of both worlds.

They are both in relatively good health and enjoy retirement very much.