Couple Celebrates 60 Years of Marriage by Margie Miller - City News Group, Inc.
View Upcoming Events View Your Local Sales

Community Calendar

◄ NOVEMBER ►
S M T W T F S
27 28 29 30 01 02 03
04 05 06 07 08 09 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
View Events
Submit Events
directory

Couple Celebrates 60 Years of Marriage

By Margie Miller, Publisher/Journalist
March 30, 2017 at 08:28am. Views: 363

ALL>> Friday, June 10 marked the 60th anniversary of Don and Marlene Ritz of Riverside. The couple celebrates not only sixty years of marriage, but sixty years of running Fair Price Carpets in Riverside. Don, who is originally from North Dakota met Marlene in 1957 at a drive-in in Riverside, California. “She had coal black hair that looked real nice,” Don said of his initial impression of Marlene. Working for a stock broker at the time, Marlene described Don as something of a “smooth talker" and the couple soon began dating. “We went to Huntington Beach a lot,” Marlene said of their early relationship. “Or we’d go to her house and sit on the porch swing," Don said. After a couple years of dating, Don asked Marlene to marry him. On June 10, 1957, the two were wed in Riverside, California. Don and Marlene moved into a rental house owned by Marlene’s father. It was there that Don and Marlene's carpet business first got off the ground. “I didn't have a warehouse. I had a garage. You had to climb over the carpet to get to the back of the garage," Don said when describing the early days of running Fair Price Carpets. Things began to move very fast after that. The couple moved into a place of their own, and it was not long before their family of two became a family of three and then four. “We were always doing something, trips and vacations” said daughter Kim Quinn of Moreno Valley, when describing her childhood. As time went on, Don and Marlene's business became more and more successful. Marlene and Don worked as a team to manage the business. Marlene dealt with the books while Don dealt with warehouse matters and the suppliers. “Marlene was a hard worker,” Don said. “She was the smart one.” Don and Marlene would eventually go on to become grandparents. Their grand-children, Krystal Gonzales of Colton and Kurt Ritz of Riverside, third generation who now work for the company Don and Marlene started all those years ago, had nothing but praise for their grand-parents. "They have always been the foundation of this family and have always been there for us" Krystal Gonzales said. “They built an empire. They lived the American dream,” Kurt Ritz added. Don and Marlene also have great grand children, Alyssa Tolson of Grand Terrace, from their late granddaughter Kayla Tolson and Ryan Gonzales of Colton from Krystal Gonzales. Soon, the couple would go on trips that would take them much further than Huntington Beach. “We’ve traveled all over. We’ve been to Spain, Ireland, Alaska, France, Jamaica and more,” Marlene said. The Ritz’s now live in a house in Highgrove/Riverside California, where they have lived for the last 28 years. “It’s been a good life,” Don said. “Marriage is a lot of hard work, but if you don’t work, you don’t have anything.” Fair Price Carpets now employs close to 50 employees and they are all treated like family, with some employees that have been with company for almost 40 years. Office staff and installers have been greatly appreciated over the years for helping make the company strive Don and Marlene have always been so helpful to the community and those who have lived here. Everyone knows them and they have helped many.

Related Articles

Photo Courtesy of: coltonca.gov

By Margie Miller, Publisher City News Group

October 28, 2026 at 06:00am. Views: 743

One of the most visible projects Navarro wants to advance is the city’s planned sports complex. He lists its development among his major accomplishments and says residents should evaluate another term partly by whether the city breaks ground and completes project phases. Read more about Mayor Frank Navarro...

Photo Courtesy of: Grand Terrace City Council

By Doug Wilson, Councilmember, Contributing Writer

October 28, 2026 at 06:05am. Views: 647

Councilman Doug Wilson, serving Grand Terrace since 2014 Speaks out about why he feels Grand Terrace residents deserve to know the facts about Measure “N,” the proposed one-percent sales tax initiative on the ballot this November 3rd.

Photo Courtesy of: The CARE Project inc.

By Carl M. Dameron, Contributing Writer

October 20, 2026 at 03:09pm. Views: 902

Photo caption: The CARE Project’s Vice President, Diana Jaurigue, with President & Founder Carrie Madrid, who is wearing the LympheDIVAS compression sleeve on her left arm. Donated compression garments help manage swelling and are essential to daily care for many breast cancer survivors.

Photo Courtesy of: Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino

By Rachel Bonilla, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:37pm. Views: 383

Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino (FARSB) has once again partnered with ALDI for their annual volunteer event, where team members packed over 1,300 food boxes with various shelf-stable items to be distributed for disaster relief as needed.

Photo Courtesy of: CIty News Group

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

October 20, 2026 at 04:11pm. Views: 2116

An October 2026 study from Loma Linda University suggests a simple dietary change may influence inflammation-related measures in older adults. A bowl of walnuts sits alongside a nutritious breakfast, illustrating the everyday dietary choice examined in Loma Linda University research.

Photo Courtesy of: AI-generated by ChatGPT

By Stella Pierce, Community Writer

October 28, 2026 at 06:00am. Views: 581

Families enjoy a Halloween trunk-or-treat gathering with decorated vehicles, pumpkins and festive costumes. Grand Terrace has scheduled its 2026 Trunk or Treat celebration for October 31

Photo Courtesy of: coltonca.gov

By Margie Miller, Publisher City News Group

October 28, 2026 at 06:00am. Views: 833

Colton councilmember John Echevarria wants to expand his outreach to residents throughout the city, strengthen partnerships with county, state and federal officials, and build upon what he describes as a record of employee advocacy, neighborhood improvements and community involvement.Learn more about John Echevarria...

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group - AI Illustration

By Hattie Strong, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:38pm. Views: 363

Loma Linda University Children's Health Specialty Clinics, a new five-story, 105,000-square-foot facility designed to bring more than 21 pediatric specialties together. The facility is expected to begin serving patients in early 2027.This is an AI-generated illustration, not a verified photograph of the actual building.

Photo Courtesy of: https://wellri.com

By Stella Pierce, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:38pm. Views: 329

An October City announcement draws attention to an everyday household practice with benefits for food budgets, kitchen safety and the environment. A basket of fresh produce can represent a week's worth of meals, the results of a successful backyard harvest or an unexpected bargain at the grocery store. Yet without proper storage, even the freshest fruits and vegetables can spoil before a family has an opportunity to use them.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group - AI Illustration

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:38pm. Views: 538

An October announcement highlights how investigative technology and cooperation among law enforcement agencies can help solve crimes affecting Grand Terrace neighborhoods. For residents of Grand Terrace, home is more than an address. It is where families gather, children grow up and neighbors build relationships over many years. When a residential burglary occurs, the effects can extend beyond the property taken or damage caused. A crime inside someone's home can undermine the sense of security that makes a neighborhood feel safe.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group - AI Illustration

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:38pm. Views: 329

The rumble of a commercial truck passing through a city can represent two very different things. For a business awaiting a delivery, it may signal the arrival of essential supplies. For residents living near a busy roadway, it may raise concerns about traffic, noise and safety. In Grand Terrace, finding a reasonable balance between those interests is at the center of an ongoing transportation planning effort.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

October 20, 2026 at 03:49pm. Views: 773

Secure drop box is located outside the Grand Terrace Library, on the west end of the Civic Center building at 22795 Barton Road. According to the City, it will remain accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3. The San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters is responsible for operating the box, collecting ballots and transporting them for election processing.

--> -->