Last weekend, the community of Charlo came together for their annual Fourth of July parade, and this year was full of red, white and blue with candy flying in the air as the parade headed down the packed streets of Charlo.

This year, Charlo honored community staples Anne and Dale Fuhrmann as the grand marshals. 

The Fuhrmanns are lifelong Charlo residents who have long supported Charlo School District and raised their children, Joel and Jason, in this community. 

The Fuhrmanns have been married for 51 years, which, Anne jokes, sounds like a century. Anne retired from Glacier Bank, and Dale, a U.S. Army veteran, is retired from Montana Rail Link. 

Their community involvement has centered on their alma mater, Charlo Schools, with Anne participating in the Charlo PTA and the youth basketball program. They are also longtime supporters of middle school and high school sports. 

Dale and Anne met while attending Charlo High School and are both graduates of Charlo. Their son, Joel, works for the Coleman Limousin Ranch and is the fire chief at Charlo-Moise Volunteer Fire Department. Their other son, Jason, works for the Montana Rail Link and is married with three kids. 

Anee said they were very surprised to hear they would be the grand marshals of the parade. She added that she believes there are more deserving people than them. 

“We’re very fortunate to live in a great country like this,” Anne said.

    Kids dive for candy at the annual Charlo Fourth of July Parade. (Emily Messer/Leader)

 James Dorrington shows off his Spider-Man web-slinging abilities while enjoying his popsicle before the Charlo Fourth of July Parade kicks off. (Emily Messer/Leader)

 Classic cars, horses and floats flowed down the streets of Charlo during the annual Fourth of July Parade. (Emily Messer/Leader)