Brothers Johnnie and Bobby Morris recently announced plans to retire from the National Park Service, and their combined time will total over 100 years of dedicated service, all of that time spent at Petrified Forest National Park.
They 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 Midcentury Modern architectural significance.
The employees of Petrified Forest National Park consider the Morris brothers national treasures as well. Help the park celebrate their service and legacy by sending well wishes and/or attending their retirement party from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22, at the park’s community building. For further details or to RSVP, contact Chief of Maintenance Kevin Dowell (928) 524-6228, ext. 247, Kevin_Dowell@nps.gov, Keri Morris at (928) 524-6228, ext. 279, or keri_x_morris@nps.gov.
