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Bill Jones, Citizen of the Year; Lee Morrow, Pioneer of the Year

Larry Banman
Special to the Sky-Hi News
Lee and Betty Morrows
Provided by Middle Park Fair and Rodeo |

This year’s Citizens of the Year are Sheilah and Bill Jones of Kremmling. The Pioneer of the Year is Lee Morrow of Fraser.

The Middle Park Fair and 4-H were a part of the lives for Sheilah and Bill Jones for many years. Sheilah was involved with the Colorado State University Extension Office several times during her stay in Kremmling.

Sheilah has also been an officer on the Middle Park Fair Board, a frequent helper for the Sheep Lead and superintendent for the Citizens and Pioneers of the Year. She followed Rose Cox in many of those roles, perhaps in a nod of gratitude to Rose and Gilbert for taking in that first lamb. Sheilah has also been very active in keeping the Exhibit Hall active over the years.



For many years, it was virtually impossible to go to the fairgrounds and not find either Sheilah or Bill involved in some manner. Whether it was in a recognized position or picking up litter, no job was too large or small for Sheilah and Bill to lend a hand.

Bill worked for 23 years at the Henderson Mill, he worked for Northwest Ranch and Supply and for the past 10 years he has been employed by Everist Materials. He was a mainstay for numerous years in the livestock barns, often toiling behind the scenes.



Congratulations Sheilah and Bill for the well-deserved honor as this years’ Middle Park Fair and Rodeo, Citizens of the Year.

The Morrow family has roots that run deep in the history of Grand County. Many people are familiar with Morrow and Sons Inc., or Fraser Valley Gravel. Lee Morrow, this year’s Pioneer of the Year for the Middle Park Fair, built that business with his brothers Cary and Steve.

Like many stories, the Morrow family history started in one direction and ended up going another due to necessity and circumstance. Also, like most stories, Lee’s includes a companion who was with him through thick and thin, his wife Betty.

Lee was bon in 1935 and attended Fraser Valley Elementary School, the site of the current town hall. He attended high school in Granby and graduated in 1953. Lee said that athletics and activities kept him motivated while attending school.

Following in the family footsteps, Lee worked in the timber industry for many years. The family logged throughout Fraser Valley and started their own sawmill in 1955. They sold lumber in Denver and did all of their own trucking.

There came a time when logging just wasn’t working out for the family and Lee and Cary worked as carpenters, helping to build the main lodge at YMCA of the Rockies. During that time, they decided to strike out on their own in the gravel business and they purchased two dump boxes and attached those to their logging trucks.

Initially, they worked out of a gravel pit on the Amos Horn property in Tabernash. As the business grew, they purchased their first crusher in 1971, which ran until 1991. A new crusher was purchased and they added a wash plant in the 1990s for making concrete.

After the gravel ran out in the Horn pit, they moved to their current location at the Murphy/Morrow pit on CR 50.

Certainly, the Morrows have watched a lot of changes in the Fraser Valley and the county. Is is upon the shoulders of people like the Morrows and their families that the county grew and prospered.


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