West Fairlee
From the start, something stood out about Garrow. His emails announcing upcoming community suppers and events almost always contain multiple exclamation points along with colorful posters — bold fonts in different colors, all-capital letters, underlined phrases and charming pieces of clipart. Enthusiasm is exuded in every line. Each email makes me smile whenever they appeared in my inbox.
In my imagination, I envisioned Garrow as a mid-50s farmer, spry and gregarious, overflowing with love for his community.
Then, I received the invitation for his potluck 85th birthday party. Eighty-five? There was no way.
I met Garrow in person for the first time last Saturday at the party. The only misconception I’d had about him was his age.
“Make yourself welcome,” Garrow said as guests arrived at the West Fairlee Church on Route 113. People put on nametags before placing their coats down at chairs lined up in the space with banquet tables covered with tablecloths in the colors of Duke University, Garrow’s favorite college basketball team.
A woman played the ukulele, leading others in song. Steaming pots of food lined kitchen counters and a table held the birthday cake, featuring a photograph of the West Fairlee Church.
Then there were all the memories on display. Put together by family and friends, there were photographs from all eras of Garrow’s life, which he’s shared with his wife of 62 years, Lorna, their children, grandchildren and now great-grandchildren, and the scores of friends he has made. The couple lives in Vershire.
Most of the meals that Garrow hosts at the church are free. Donations are welcome to offset costs, but no one is ever turned away due to an inability to pay.
“It’s hard to say no to Steve,” said friend Eleanor Zue. “He puts on a mean dinner every couple of months.”
Garrow was a cook during his time in the Army and it’s a skill he enjoys sharing with the community, particularly his tomato sauce.
“We were put here to serve, and I love it when I get people together,” Garrow said in an interview before the party.
The Garrows have been involved with the West Fairlee Church for 15 years, and I think it’s safe to say that the church in its current iteration would not exist without the hard work put in by them and other community members.
From restoring the steeple to helping to raise the church to restore its foundation (and a large downstairs room with a kitchen that serves as a community gathering place), Garrow has raised thousands of dollars for the church and the greater community.
“I found that I had a gift to do fundraisers,” said Garrow, who began working on farms when he was 9 years old. He served in the Army and also worked at various businesses, including restaurants and a sawmill. Later in life, he worked as a salesman for companies in the region and as a driver.
His generosity extends far beyond the church. In years past, he has held fundraisers for community members who are struggling with health issues and an annual Christmas dinner for veterans and their families.
As everyone sat down with their plates at tables, family friend Karyn Ringer asked people to share what Garrow means to them.
“Steve has always been somebody to get everyone together and excited about a good cause,” friend Connie Pircher said. “He always takes the effort to invite me and I’m so blessed that he does that.”
This same sentiment was expressed through every story that was told. People who worked with the Garrows when they were foster parents spoke of the lucky children who got to spend time with them. Family members spoke of his willingness to lend a hand.
“Steve is an encourager,” said Jerry Hendrickson, Garrow’s friend and former son-in-law.
Daughter Stephanie Garrow remembered going to a fair to show a heifer. When the animal started to act up, she left the ring.
“He said ‘If you don’t … go back in there you’ll never show another heifer,’ ” she recalled.
It made her angry enough that she did so, and ended up winning first place.
“Their world has been about kids and young people and community,” Stephanie Garrow said.
Lorna Garrow estimates that they hosted at least 200 children in their home over 40 years of foster parenting. When I expressed my surprise, Lorna Garrow’s answer was simple. “I had good time with them,” she said.
Steve Garrow met Lorna Garrow when they were children and he worked on her family’s farm. They lost touch, but later reconnected.
“When I came home from the service, I went to the Rutland fair and she was there,” Steve Garrow recalled.
He asked her to ride with him on a Ferris wheel.
“That’s how it all started,” he said. “Sixty-two years later, we’re still together.”
And in those 62 years, in all the communities they’ve lived in or been part of, they’ve been committed to helping in any way that they can.
We are lucky to live in a region full of people like the Garrows, who embody the ideal of “everyone welcome.” To Steve Garrow, it’s clearly not an afterthought. It’s what he lives and breaths every single day.
“I hope I have touched your Life in some small way!” his party invitation read.
From the stories shared at Garrow’s birthday party, it’s clear that his reach is deep and wide.
Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
