Gaylord & Phyliss Henry

A brief bio for Gaylord Henry
Gaylord John Henry was born August 28, 1926 at Big Timber, Montana. He grew up there and graduated from Sweet Grass County High School.
His parents Benjamin and Erna relocated to Rifle about 1945, purchased a store on east 3rd, and opened Henry and Son Department Store. *See Fred Munro for history on the building*
Gaylord married Phyllis Zarlingo January 12, 1951 in Rifle at the Presbyterian Church.
Phyllis Zarlingo was born August 17, 1927. The Zarlingos were from Silt Mesa. Phyllis was working at the bank in Rifle when she met Gaylord. She and Gaylord had two daughters, Cathy and Gayl.
Gaylord enlisted in the Army February 12 1945. He served in the Army air corps in China 1945 to 1946.. He was18 years old when he enlisted.
Ancestry next shows his address in 1947 to be Rifle.
In 1953, Gaylord's parents retired and he purchased the business renaming it Henry's Department Store.
Together Gaylord and Phyllis ran and expanded the business to Cathy's Dress Shoppe and a second location at JQS center.
About 1970 the original business moved from 108 East 3rd to 144 East 3rd where Penneys had been. The 2nd location opened 6 weeks after black Sunday which.would be about June 6, 1982.
Gaylord and Phyllis retired in 1991 to their ranch on Morrisania Mesa.
Gaylord helped create the Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Development Association, Club 20, Rifle Creek Golf Course, Metro Park, and the Rifle Ski Club.
Gaylord loved to fly in his Piper Comanche and was a member of the Airport Advisory Committee that helped establish Garfield County Airport.
Gaylord was a volunteer fireman, a member of the Methodist-Presbyterian Church, and a charter member of the Elks Lodge.
Phyllis was also a member of the Methodist-Presbyterian Church, had served as treasurer for the Presbyterian Church, was a Sunday School teacher, and was active in the Commmunity Choir.
Gaylord passed away November 3, 2009, in Rifle and is burried at Rose Hill.

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