DOINews: NPS-Petrified Forest National Park: Brothers with 100 Years of Combined NPS Service to Retire

Brothers Johnnie Morris (left) and Bobby Morris are retiring after more than 100 years of combined service at Petrified Forest National Park. Photo by NPS.

When brothers Johnnie and Bobby Morris retire shortly, their combined time with the National Park Service will total more than 100 years of dedicated service, all of it spent at Petrified Forest National Park.

Both brothers started work as laborers in 1962, when Petrified Forest was still a national monument. Originally hired to install fence, the brothers continued to work at the park in a wide variety of maintenance capacities, with Bobby retiring as a painter and Johnnie as an engineering equipment operator.

The brothers have witnessed history unfold at the park – its designation as a national park, growth of the park by tens of thousands of acres, and discovery of major paleontological and archaeological finds over the years. The two even helped construct the Painted Desert Visitor Complex, recently designated a national treasure for its mid-century modern architectural significance. We at Petrified Forest National Park consider the Morris brothers national treasures as well.

For further details on sending well wishes or attending the brothers' Nov. 22 retirement party, contact Chief of Maintenance Kevin Dowell at Kevin_Dowell@nps.gov.

By Richard Ullmann, Chief of Interpretation, Petrified Forest National Park, NPS

Nov. 4, 2014

Related Links:

NPS - The Morning Report
NPS - Petrified Forest National Park