EPSeniorCenter

Our Senior of the Month for May 2018, is Marilyn Millard Bandfield.  Marilyn is part of the famous Millard family of Eagle Point.  They are one of the oldest families in town and are comprised of Johnny, Marilyn, Bonnie, Hazel, Kenny, Dick, Nancy, Ruth, Wayne, Larry, Steve, and Gary.  There are two other siblings who are deceased, Wes and David, making the family one of 14 original children!  You will see that the Millard family is as work brittle as they are prolific!

Marilyn was born on Alta Vista Road on May 1, 1935, and graduated from Eagle Point High School in 1953.  Her husband, Don, came to the marriage with one daughter after his wife was killed in a car accident.  Don himself spent 3 months in the hospital after the accident and the children, who were standing up in the back seat were unscathed.  Marilyn was married to Don for 40 years and together they had 6 children.  After their first daughter was born, Marilyn had a miscarriage and was told that she would never be able to have more children.  She fooled them.  Seven years later, she began to have kids and proceeded to have a child a year for the next 5 years!  Don served 2 years in Korea and was an over-the-road trucker for most of his life.

Even though Don was not home to help Marilyn raise her family, she worked outside the home.  She was a telephone operator, she worked in the Williams Bakery for several years, and at a local sandwich shop/catering business. She worked at Harry and David for a while.  After her cousin, from Canada, bought a local hardware store, she worked there as a bookkeeper doing secretarial and treasurer duties.  Marilyn went to college at night, as well.  Most of this was accomplished with that flock of kids at home.   She began working as the secretary of her church and remained in that job for 22 years, just retiring last May.

The most interesting thing that happened to her included tickets to a Mariners game in Seattle that her cousin (hardware store) bought her in 2010.  Her grandson, Donald, then 18 accompanied her.  They got a hotel room that was about a mile from the stadium and had a beautiful view.  They walked from the hotel to the game and got there just to discover that Donald had forgotten his ticket in the room.  They walked back to get it and then walked back to the game and discovered that Marilyn had forgotten her ticket as well.  Rather than make that trek again, they told the cashier what happened and she was able to make a duplicate.  They watched the game and the Mariners lost.  Donald bought her a hot dog and water and as they were walking to the hotel yet again, Marilyn passed out!  She is not sure why perhaps anxiety as she had never flown before and was scared to death on the way up and probably dreading the trip home.  She awoke to the face of a fireman and popped up claiming that she was fine!  She has never flown again.  Her two sons had to drive to Seattle to get her!

Marilyn tells me that her biggest obstacle was overcoming the stroke she suffered in 2010!  It took her a year in physical therapy.  The doctors told her another lie and said she would not walk again.  She is walking and only has a bit of weakness in one leg.  She is a determined lady!

Marilyn’s greatest accomplishment was raising that gaggle of kids to be good citizens and they are, each and every one!  She lives by the golden rule and it has served her well.  When I asked what she was looking forward to she said, “Heaven, I guess!”  She is very happy that her sister, Nancy lives with her.

Marilyn wanted me to mention that she has 14 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, and 5 and a half great great grandchildren.  As I say, the whole bunch is energetic and prolific!  Marilyn was a joy to talk to.

The Senior of the Month for April, 2018, is Bob Heaton. He is currently serving as your Treasurer at the Senior Center. Bob was born on July 14, 1948, in Denver, CO. He says he is a “native” Oregonian, even though born in CO. His family lived in Oregon, and he would have been born there, but the house was washed away in a flood. His very pregnant mother had to stay in CO at his grandparents’ house. It is also Bastille Day so Bob will point out that the entire country of France celebrates his birthday with him!

He was a Federal employee for 33 1/2 years; 15 with the Forest Service in Oregon, Arizona, and Southern California, and the rest with the BLM. He was in the Navy for two years, 1969 and 1970. He learned to speak Russian while in the Navy and as you will see that opened up new horizons for Bob.

Bob has one older brother, Ed, and one younger, Dave. Bob has had 3 marriages and 4 children altogether. He loves to golf and to kayak.  He just bought a trailer to carry the kayaks to the waters that will provide a pleasant kayaking experience.

His college experience includes a major in Russian and a minor in Physics. Yet he worked his entire career in Business Management!  Go figure! He did have several occasions that he was called upon to interpret. He was contacted by the Portland Oregonian to provide that service for the first grain exchange in the country. When he was at university he was called to interpret in an exceptional circumstance.  A Russian soldier was knifed aboard ship off the Oregon coast (don’t ask what the ship was doing there) and was airlifted to a medical facility. Bob interpreted for the soldier and for the medical staff, sometimes making lists with both languages so both parties could communicate by pointing to a word and the cross reference was right there!

He tells me that the most interesting time of his life was when his Grandparents took him the summer before second grade. He was their favorite as he was born there and his folks let him go since they were financially strapped at the time. But they couldn’t stand not seeing his smiling face so they went and got him before second grade was even finished! That year was very formative!

Bob’s biggest obstacle was overcoming his fear of public speaking.  (Hard for us who have heard him to believe!) He was petrified of speaking in front of people but he knew that he had to get over that if he was going to be able to pursue his dreams. So, he did the work. He joined Toastmasters, the Masons, and got the job done, as we can attest!

Bob’s biggest accomplishment was, with his wife, Jeanne’s guiding hand, creating an environment that actually helped their kids survive. Those children were a challenge. At one point, Bob and Jeanne, were forced to stay in a hotel out of fear for their lives. One of the children stole over $1,000.00 from a drug dealer and the dealer knew where Bob and Jeanne lived! Yikes!

Bob says that his years on this earth have taught him many things, one of them being that there is no such thing as Murphy’s Law. Bob believes that it is a negative way to look at everyday experiences. Murphy’s Law does not exist!

What Bob is hoping for in the future is to take Jeanne on a European Cruise. Maybe the Baltic or the Mediterranean . He has been there but he wants to take the person he loves the most, Jeanne.

Our Senior of the Month for March, 2018, is none other than our own Suzi Collins.  Suzi was born in Watertown, MN, on November 29, 1945.  Watertown is about 30 miles from Minneapolis and was founded in 1858.  She discovered on a recent heritage tour that the house her great grandparents had is still there and the hospital in Watertown, which was owned by the local doctor, is also still there!

Suzi is the eldest of four children, three girls and one boy.  Her beloved sister, Kathy, died the day after she turned 65 years old and Suzi is still bearing the weight of that loss.  When I asked Suzi about marriages she said, wryly, “More than once but less than Liz Taylor!”  She is extremely proud of her daughter, Stacy Suzanne, who is the Vice President of Conversant, a digital marketing company which just expanded to three additional states!

Suzi has had many occupations including a clerk-typist, a security guard, a realtor, a loan officer, and, for a time, she drove an 18- wheeler across country.  She has been the secretary at the Senior Center for almost 4 years.  She organized the Eagle Point Fourth of July Parade for 8 years and has been on the city Planning Commission for 11 years.  A woman of many talents!

The most interesting thing that has happened to Suzi was a trip to Australia in 2001, right after 9/11.  She says it is an awesome country with beautiful and friendly people.  She says the AAA tour was well worth the expense: the 14-hour flight, not so much!

Suzi’s biggest obstacles included overcoming some terrible losses.  She lost her sister, and her best friend.  She also lost the most awesome little dog, Radar, whom she loved deeply.  He was born with no eyes and Suzi filled that role in his life.  She misses him still.

A genealogy search revealed that Suzi is half German and half Norwegian, and she discovered that she is a Princess!  She is directly related to King Harald of Norway!  Of no less significance is the fact that Suzi met Elvis Presley when she was 15!

I asked Suzi to give me some words of wisdom.  What has she learned over the years?  She said, “I have learned you never know when you’ll be called home so tell your family and friends that you love them.  It might be your last chance to say it!”

What she looks forward to is driving to southern California to her All Class Reunion every year!  She loves the Reunion and she loves seeing her friends who still live there.  She treasures these trips but she can hardly wait to get back home to her beautiful Oregon and her beloved Eagle Point!