Reichs celebrate 75 years of love and laughter

MOSES LAKE — John (Smokey) Reich, 94, and Marjorie Reich, 93, will celebrate 75 years of wedded bliss on June 30.

They were set up to go on a blind date by Smokey’s sister who was a friend of Margie’s. First glance did it for him! Her, not so much; she thought he was cocky, but she liked something about him.  

Courting consisted of visiting family, fishing, ordering milkshakes and long mountain drives. She remembers one of those drives in particular when he stopped his car, jumped out, ran up an embankment and picked a yellow wildflower for her. Yellow flowers are still her favorite to this day. Three months later they were married. They were in Missoula, Montana and it was 1951. She was 18 and he was 19 years old. She needed a wedding dress, so her mother lovingly repurposed a prom dress. Soon after a honeymoon fishing on Seely Lake, the newlyweds were both working in Seattle. John was working for Boeing and Marge was working at Western Union. 

They decided it was a good time to start their family, and their first daughter was born in Seattle. Their intention was to move back to Missoula, but a job opportunity was available in Moses Lake. It was 1953 and with a 1-year-old baby they moved to Moses Lake and made an old school bus their home. That temporary move turned into 73 years. They added to their family a second daughter, a boy, and seven years later they adopted a baby boy. Their family was complete.

Smokey built a career paving roads throughout the Pacific Northwest. He enjoyed taking his family of four kids, and Margie of course, with him in the summers. They did a lot of fishing, hunting, camping and sightseeing in those days. He retired at age 65 from the construction life. Not one to slow down, he took on a part-time job delivering Nickel Savers for over nine years. 

While Smokey worked hard outside the home his whole life, Margie kept the home fires burning. She chased after kids who were involved in sports, mechanics and horse activities. She is a very talented and artistic airbrush painter, crocheter, knitter and seamstress. She not only raised two boys and two girls, but she took care of her grandkids and great-grandkids while their parents worked. After retirement, they traveled pulling a fifth-wheel trailer with their grandkids and great-grandkids in the summer, taking them on “ventures” back to Montana and many other Washington camping spots. Alone time for them consisted of motorcycle trips or riding snowmobiles on mountain trails. 

And here they are 75 years later with four kids, four grandkids, five great-grandkids and one great-great-grandchild. They still reside in Moses Lake.

If you ask them, their secret to a long marriage is the importance of laughter. And they do laugh a lot.

Smokey and Marge, you are a blessing in all ways.

    The Reichs were married in 1951 in Missoula, Montana. John was 19 and Margie was 18.