Do the things you enjoy

Long-time Saratoga resident Don Herold, who marked his 90th birthday on March 16, was at his shop bright and early on Friday morning, taking care of some bookkeeping.

He established Herold's Iron Works in the winter of 1969, and he still runs it - and although he's cut back on the jobs he takes on, he still keeps busy.

"I used to have a body shop, machine shop, fabrication shop, but times have changed. The people have changed, wages have changed," he told the Sun. "I couldn't pay the help what they need and charge people for it, so I've downshifted. I figured I would do it myself. I do enjoy it. "

Herold said he does some welding, machine work, and easier fix-it projects.

"Right now I'm rebuilding a '27 Ford (Model) T, so when I have spare time, I work on it. I go fix something and that takes up the day," he said.

Herold has been married "all his life," which is practically true - as he and his wife Gertrude marked 70 years of marriage last December.

"We're working on 71," he said. "We do everything together. We enjoy each other's company. We've met whatever's come before us."

Though the couple used to travel a lot, Herold said they don't travel much anymore.

"It's too inconvenient. We stay by the home fire and enjoy life and our friends around us," he said.

They do enjoy going to to the desert west of Baggs and occasionally making a day trip through the mountains. They appreciate the history of the area and like to see the wild horses.

The couple moved to Saratoga in 1952 from Baggs.

'It's a good place to be, a good place to live," Herold said. "There's the Snake River, the Platte River. We don't have the problems they have elsewhere. All in all, (Saratoga) is a good place to raise a family and live."

Herold's secret to a long life is as simple as his secret to a happy marriage: just do the things you enjoy.

"Everybody has problems, but you just solve them and get up and go back to work," he said. "There's a lot you don't like to do, but you work through it and go on with other things you enjoy."

Just as the Herolds' anniversary celebration was low-key - simply a quiet dinner prepared by their three daughters - Herold doesn't have any big plans to celebrate his birthday.

"I don't want any commotion, any parties," he said. "I don't like a lot of attention."