Celebrating the Wright fit

KateLynn Slaamot
NLJ Correspondent
 
Fifty years of marriage may seem like a lot, but Newcastle’s Kay and Thomas Wright recently celebrated that many years of union last month with many family and friends.
Kay Timmons — her name at the time — and Thomas met in their sophomore year at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, where Kay grew up. Kay’s good friend introduced her to Thomas at a spring rodeo in 1966, although Thomas admitted he “didn’t pay a lot of attention that time.” A week after they were introduced, Kay talked to Thomas again in square dancing class. She noted that, at first, he didn’t remember her, but when he figured it out, he asked her for a date.
Their first date was a spring rodeo concert in Fort Collins, Colo., in which musician Connie Smith performed. Their second date was watching the movie “Shane” at a drive-in theater. Eventually, Thomas invited Kay to go to his family’s ranch to ride horses, an offer that she enthusiastically accepted. She helped the family brand calves in June, and Thomas took her to see sites in the Black Hills. 
“He was this good-looking cowboy — or country guy, I should say,” Kay said. She had always loved livestock and admitted she was attracted to the cowboy type.  
 “When you got stars in your eyes, it’s kind of hard to say much else,” Thomas said, noting that Kay was pretty and good at square dancing, and she was fun to be with. He said she was a good student and they were both interested in the outdoors. 
The fall after they met, Thomas and Kay continued to date steadily until they became engaged after college graduation. Kay landed a teaching job in Greeley, Colo., and Thomas was in the U.S. Army. He had gone to ROTC summer camps and was part of the Medical Services Corps. 
After much deliberation about whether they should marry before Thomas left for Vietnam, the couple was united in marriage on Nov. 30, 1968. Thomas was later sent to Vietnam when his first daughter was only 4 days old, and he remained in that country for a year. 
When left alone with her newborn daughter, Kay moved in with Thomas’ parents on their ranch in Weston County.
“She was more a mom to me than a mother-in-law,” Kay said of Thomas’ mother. Helen Wright taught Kay how to raise a baby and was Kay’s “support system,” she said. 
“I at least knew he was okay,” Kay said. 
While it was hard for the couple to be away from each other, Kay said, Thomas wrote to her every week, perhaps more. 
When Thomas returned from Vietnam, his daughter was already a year old. He shared a lot about his experience in Vietnam, and he said that while he was there, he helped provide medical aid to wounded soldiers. He said that he tries to meet with his 23rd Battalion buddies at an annual reunion, and Kay said that the wives have also become acquainted. 
The couple has also gone on numerous adventures around the globe, visiting Iceland, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and traveling all over America. One of Kay’s favorite trips was their honeymoon trip, she said, in which they traveled through Colorado to see the Royal Gorge, through Arizona to see the Grand Canyon and through numerous other states. Australia was also one of their travel highlights. They stayed there for 30 days and traveled 10,000 miles across the country. Thomas noted that they saw beautiful scenery, including the great Australian Outback.
So what’s the secret to a successful marriage?
“You’ve got to find the compromise that doesn’t compromise the things that you value in your core,” Thomas said. He emphasized the importance in having the same core beliefs as one’s spouse in a marriage while also being willing to compromise on the little things. 
“This family allowed me to raise Arabian horses on this ranch for 40 years,” Kay said, noting that allowing someone to have a unique interest of their own also promotes healthy family relationships. She even showed her horses on a national level, winning numerous national championships with her livestock. 
“I grew up working with my grandfather and my father,” Thomas said. His grandfather purchased the ranch in 1947 and it’s been part of a family operation for years, and Thomas and Kay still live on the ranch. He and Kay now reside in the house that Thomas grew up in, and they’ve lived there together for many years. Both Thomas and Kay said that they are surrounded by a wonderful family, and they have two daughters and five grandchildren.
One more piece of advice?
“You should try to soak it up a little,” said Thomas, who shared his heartfelt advice that one should take a moment every day to pause and reflect on the beauty of life, even noticing the little joys. 
Kay smiled.
“It’s been a great go,” she said.