In 1946 Hal and Ruth Launders settled on a farm on the road to Centreville just south of Herndon, building a life that joined Ruth’s love of rural living with Hal’s work in business and community affairs. Hal had lived in Washington before the war, worked in public relations, and served with the Coast Guard in the South Pacific during World War II, while Ruth had worked in the federal government in Washington. Married in May 1946 in Litchfield, Connecticut, they chose the property for its flagstone ranch house with a distinctive dark wooden interior that reminded Ruth, who had grown up in frontier Oklahoma, of the Great Plains. They named it Arrowhead because numerous Indian artifacts were found in the fields. The farm was an active home filled with wild and domestic animals, and visitors enjoyed its lively atmosphere and backyard swimming pool. Like many neighbors, they first kept dairy cows, but by 1950 turned to beef cattle, with Ruth focusing on registered Aberdeen Angus. The herd grew to almost 200 by the 1960s and averaged around 50 in later years, and Ruth traveled to livestock shows nationwide, winning many awards for her bulls. Angus cattle grazed there until 1998, when the herd was sold, ending one of the last active farming operations in Fairfax County. Ruth was often seen driving a tractor hauling hay on Herndon’s local roads, while Hal, less knowledgeable about farming, helped especially with business matters and devoted much of his energy to real estate and community affairs. He recognized early the promise of Dulles Airport, opened in 1962, as a force for local economic development, became a founding member of the Committee for Dulles in 1966, later served as its president, and also served as president of the Herndon Chamber of Commerce. Hal died on September 18, 1996, and Ruth died on May 11, 2001; both died peacefully in their bedroom after more than 50 years in their home and were buried on their property as they had wished.