Craig Daily Press

Craig — During 20 years of marriage, Ann and George Kidder said they have never fought.

Instead, “We discuss,” Ann said.

They finish each other’s sentences and they often think the same thoughts, they said.

At times, it’s almost like the Kidders can read each other’s minds.

“I have to watch what I think,” George said, laughing.

Last May, the two renewed their wedding vows and made good on a pact they agreed upon when they agreed to marry.

Their agreement: When they had been married for 20 years, the two would reconsider if they wanted to stay together.

Their contract was made as a joke, George said.

But, the couple takes their marriage seriously.

The Kidders had no illusions when they met on a U.S. Postal Service docket in Orlando, Fla.

George and Ann, both contracted drivers for the Postal Service, were married before.

Both were divorced.

“We both wanted something different in our second marriages,” Ann said.

They worked at it — relying on mutual respect to seal their bond, they said.

It wasn’t always easy, they said.

First, there was the initial date — the one to which Ann arrived with walking pneumonia.

Second came their jobs driving Postal Service trucks on different routes and on different schedules. George also was working as a carpet floor layer at the time.

For the first 11 years of marriage, the couple saw each other about 30 minutes per day.

“We tried to put everything (we could) into that half hour,” Ann said.

The couple moved to Color­ado from Florida in 1997 and founded Kidder Transportation. They initially worked seven days a week together.

George prefers it this way.

“I don’t feel like doing anything if she’s not around,” he said.

They couple said they do nearly everything together, including acting as Mr. and Mrs. Claus for local children every Christmas.

The couple began the annual performance about 15 years ago, when they were living in Florida. They kept the tradition going when they moved to Craig in 1998.

“We love doing this together,” Ann said.

“We found our little niche and we have fun with it,” George added.

Finally, there were the families — seven children of various ages between them.

Ann has five grown children — Lance, Tony, Kathy, Rhonda and Brian. Her husband has two: George and Amber, also adults.

The couple has 10 grandchildren, with two more on the way. George and Ann also have seven great-grandchildren and are expecting two more by year’s end.

The secret to 20 years of successful marriage?

“Respect,” Ann said. “We had the respect of what we did in life,” including their shared jobs and their families.

And hard work, George added.

“It’s not really work when you care about” the other person, George said.