Celebrating 50 Years Of Marriage

For their fourth-grade play at White Sulfur Elementary in West Virginia, Joe and Karen Moran played husband and wife. They could not predict that nearly six decades later, they would be celebrating their 50th year of marriage.

“My wife was about a foot taller than I was,” Joe said with a laugh, recalling the play.

Joe and Karen were high school sweethearts and best friends who got hitched at 20. Joe worked for CSX, a rail-based transportation supplier. The company transferred him to Baltimore, bringing the couple to Arnold in 1981. Together, the Morans raised four kids, who all still reside in the area.

Karen said the couple’s secret is “always being kind and thoughtful.”

“I think our secret is communication,” Joe said. “We never go a day without talking to each other. We’re good friends. A lot of times, we finish each other’s sentences.”

Joe and Karen’s fondest memories are of traveling the world together, an activity they have done more frequently in retirement. Together they have visited Hawaii four or five times, Las Vegas, St. Thomas and other places.

They plan to celebrate their anniversary by spending time near Deep Creek in Western Maryland with their daughters and by having a family dinner on the Eastern Shore. They now have 10 grandchildren.

“All of our kids have wonderful families. I think we did our job,” Karen said. “That’s a blessing.”