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Vance E. Strunk is the Senior of the Month for November 2018.  He was born in October 1924 and has spent his entire life in Oregon, a true native.  We found a common bond early in our conversation.  Vance’s Dad, who was born in 1869, did so in Shawnee, KS.  Almost 80 years later, the author of this article, Margy Nickelson, was born in Shawnee, KS!  Small world!  Vance told me that he was born at Mercy Hospital in Eugene and when the nurses saw what they had brought forth, they got everybody out and set the building on fire!!

When he was 4 years old, Vance followed his Dad everywhere and one day Dad said “no” so Vance stayed behind far enough to be out of sight and followed anyway.  When he got to the stream, he was afraid to go across so he found a log, put a bit of moss for a pillow and went to sleep on that warm afternoon.  When his Dad got done, he walked back to the house without seeing Vance.  They all sat down to dinner and that was when the family noticed that one of them was missing.  So, they went back out in the dark, with a lantern and the dog, Jigs!  They passed him once and again on the way back up but Jigs found him on his log and he got home safe.  When he was 9, his Dad told him not to, so Vance went out to ride the colt.  He threw the saddle on him and the horse kicked him in the hand.  It hurt so bad, he laid in the hay and cried for two hours.  He had to get up and get over it, as he was afraid his Dad would find him!  When Vance was 11 years old, he and his sister, who was 8 at the time, were out spotlighting Jack rabbits when a deer walked into the light.  He shot the deer with a 22 and he and his sister drug it back to the barn.  They found the gamble stick, attached it to the animals’ feet, but were too short to lift it up.  Dad came out and helped them get it lifted and they were able to skin the carcass.  It was during the Depression so that was one valuable deer!

Vance was married to Ruby in 1943 and the marriage lasted 65 years.  This long and loving relationship produced four daughters (all retired), eleven grandchildren and, as Vance says, “more great grandkids than I can count!”  Ruby passed in 2008.  His birthday is on October 8 and most of his family was able to spend it with him while he celebrated being 94 years young.

Vance joined the Navy in 1943 and was stationed at the 13^th Naval District at the “Bore Site Range” outside Sanford, Florida.  He worked his way up through the ranks and got to be in charge of the entire operation.  What they did was correct problems with the machine guns on board airplanes.  Those guns had to be able to hit a two-foot target at 900 feet.   He was discharged in 1946, three years after he was married.

Vance was electrocuted once in 1959 and it is by the grace of God that he exists!  He had a Gravenstein Apple tree and his daughters liked to climb up there and get those delicious apples.  Vance noted that the power line was going right through that apple tree and the branches that touched it were turning black and looking charred.  So, he called the power company and they could not elevate the line, as he asked, but instead said they would put it out of service.  But they cut the power on the wrong end of the line.  Vance was moving some irrigation lines and, as he was holding the pipe, he came within 18 inches of the power line.  It arced over and the electricity went through Vance and came out his feet!  He was badly hurt!   He spent 3 weeks in the hospital in Eugene (not Mercy) and then was flown to San Francisco, accompanied by a nurse, and remained in the hospital for another 5 and a half months!  The treatment was as bad as the injury!  His feet had holes in them the size of lemons!  A lot of “meat” in his feet was dead so they placed a compress on the wounds and bound them extremely tight.  After a long time, they pulled those off, “with the dead meat hanging” and the pain was so bad that Vance was lifting an orderly and two nurses off the floor by kicking so hard with the pain.  After two “hypos” he had gotten through the worst of it!  He had a nurse who at 63 was full of sympathy for Vance and she would leave him a piece of meat in his bedside drawer (the only good meal of the day was lunch in the hospital) and she would bring him huge glasses of eggnog every day.  He has not forgotten that bit of kindness.  People need to remember kindnesses more!

Asked what his greatest accomplishment had been, he said he bowled a 300 at age 80!  In a league!  As a professional!  And he had the ring to prove it!

His words of wisdom are, “In life, do the best you can.  And if you make a mistake, apologize.  Stay happy.  Being mad shortens life!”  What Vance looks forward to is seeing his wife and many other family members (he is 94 remember) in heaven.

Our Senior of the Month is Joyce Beeney.  Joyce is a “fixture” down at the Senior Center and we are glad that she is among our circle of friends.  Joyce was born in 1941 in Bellevue, Ohio.  She is the third of 6 children.  Joyce has two older brothers and one younger brother and she has two half-sisters who are both younger than Joyce.  Joyce was 9 years old when her mother remarried and that union resulted in the two younger daughters.  Joyce took care of the house while Mom took care of the babies.  The family did not have a farm but lived next door to a farm and those kids would play in the barn, as long as there were no cows in there!

Joyce was a “Daddy’s Girl” and when he and her Mom got divorced, he moved to Arizona.  Joyce grew up and married.  She also developed bronchitis and had a very difficult time with her health in Ohio.  Her Dad, and the doctors, thought it would be a good thing if she moved to Arizona to improve her ability to breathe.  Her husband thought she should be gone no more than a week and when she stayed longer, he filed for divorce claiming desertion.  She had to send the kids (her son was 6 and her daughters were 4 and 5) home to Ohio and it was the hardest thing she has ever done.  She has been married three times, divorced twice and widowed once.

She did get a high school education and graduated.  She has failed to turn in her Senior Class Essay and was sure she would not get a signed diploma but she did and is a certified home health care-giver.  Joyce is work brittle and conscientious.  She has been on her own for most of her life and has always had a job and maintained her own home.  She worked at Motorola for 17 years and she worked at the Pony Soldier near Fred Meyer for a couple of years.  Otherwise, she has been in the business of caring for folks who cannot care for themselves.  She cared for her step-mother and actually saved her life.  She found her hemorrhaging quite severely and was able to get her the help that she needed to survive.  Her step-mother resented it, as she was an alcoholic, but it was the best thing Joyce ever did.   Joyce maintains, justifiably, that she threw herself into work to save herself from going insane without her children.  The first job she had was at Green Springs Sanitarium which housed folks with tuberculosis.  Her Mom wanted her to be a nurse, and she would have been good at it, but she did not have any Latin and they required Latin at that time.  During her time at Motorola, she rose to the position of Quality Assurance and was managing people.  She liked this job and it was her favorite.

Joyce’s family has many members who served in the military, including several members who were in the Navy and some in the Air Force.

When asked about high points in her life, she says her most interesting escapade was a trip she made in 1979 to the Holy Land.  While there, she traveled to Amsterdam, Jerusalem, Cairo (where she saw King Tut’s Tomb), and the Garden of Gethsemane.  The most impressive part of the trip was walking where Jesus walked as he bore the cross.

Joyce continues to keep occupied.  She currently loves working at the Upper Rogue Independent and she really likes Dan and Laura Mancusco, the owners/editors.  The life lessons she has learned are to do your best, keep no regrets, look to the future and the Golden Rule.  She is looking forward to being 100 but only if she is in good health and able to get around.

September has Linda Gonzaga as our Senior of the Month.  She was born May 12, 1956 in Roseburg, OR, the fourth child of five and the second girl.  Her Mother stayed at home and cared for 5 Italian “little brats”.  Her Father was a miner at Hanna Nickel Mine in Riddle.  A good childhood and learning from mistakes makes her an honest woman.  Her middle brother, Carmine, died many years ago from injuries suffered in a car accident.

Linda has two children, 5 Grandkids and 1 Great Granddaughter, Grandma’s pride showed through as she spoke of them.

When she was 20 she cared for a friend’s mother which led into the career of care giving.  She’s also worked at Marlin Boat Works in White City, 10 – 12 years ago inside the boats to make sure they were polished and ready for a buyer.

Five years ago she joined the group known as “The Red Hat Ladies”.  This group wears Red Hats and Purple dresses. “It’s a license for women to play” They like to travel and make their own ensembles that they wear to their conventions high teas and “Steam Punk” (take past items and drag them into the future).  She’s called the “girly girl princess”.

When asked what her biggest accomplishment was – she stated “I’m 62 – I made it!  She’s grateful and thankful.”

She’s a prankster – poor William (her husband) and Joyce Beeney (her best friend) are her targets.  Watch out!

Her philosophy is when you’re with someone (whether you like them or not) whether they are black or white, tall or short, big or little, from toddler to elder they are human – treat them as such –  we all hurt and bleed the same.

Joy is in my heart!  Looks forward to seeing her Great Granddaughter.

Our Senior of the Month for August, 2018, is Rose Kercher.

Rose was born in Marshall, MO, in 1943 and is the middle, and only girl, of three children.  Her family moved to Oregon when she was 3 years old so she does not claim to be a Midwesterner.

Both of her brothers have passed away, the youngest just a month ago.  Her eldest brother died teaching Rose to swim.  He was nearly 15 and Rose only 12.  It was more than a tragedy and it took Rose a very long time to get over it.  Truly a sad and terrible thing to happen to children.  Her younger brother, who just passed recently, was riddled with arthritis and was crippled.  He began drawing disability at the age of 35.  After being in pain all his life, he was a cranky child and a cranky man.  Rose is the only one left and we are glad she is with us still!

Rose was a very athletic person.  She played baseball, basketball, touch football, track and field, long jump, and many other sports.  She spent all 12 years of her education in the Central Point School District.  When she was 13, she went to a track meet in Klamath Falls and she ran the 100-yard dash in 12 seconds, the 50-yard dash in 6 seconds and was able to long jump 21 feet!  She started to prepare for the Olympics!  The summer Olympics that year bestowed the gold medal on a woman who ran the 100-yard dash in 12 seconds so Rose was right.  She could have been in the Olympics, were she older!

Rose lived in Los Angeles from 1962 until 1969.  While there she was offered a chance to model Hanes hosiery.  She declined as she was too bashful to have her legs displayed on billboards across the U. S.!

Rose had one bad marriage and she is not unhappy to be out of it.  She has one daughter, Deirdre, who lives in Belgrade, MT, and Deirdre has a daughter who is married to a military man, lives in Colorado, and has a child of her own.  So, Rose has a child, two grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.

Rose has worked all her life.  She has done everything from waitressing in a bar, to putting in electrical wiring in mobile homes, to operating a switchboard at a stock exchange.  Truly a “jack of all trades!”

Rose’s younger brother was not a very nice guy due to his illness and her mother was a harsh and controlling woman.  She had been undermined as a child and it was pleasant to discover who she was and to see that she is a nice and caring person.to Rose was delighted to discover that she had value and was worth something.  She believes one should not cry over spilt milk and one should not stay angry, all lessons learned as she evolved from a timid girl who was treated poorly to a conscientious and caring woman.

Rose is looking forward to moving to Montana next Fall.  Deirdre’s home in Belgrade is just up the road from Bozeman which will become Rose’s future home.  The apartment building, she is considering, is not yet built but Deirdre is “in charge” of things on that end so Rose is not worried and is looking forward to the move.

Our Senior of the Month for June 2018, is Helen (Harnish) Wolgamott!  Helen and her family are one of the oldest families in Eagle Point. Her ancestors can be traced back to the Mayflower and her family members came across on the Oregon Trail in 1853.  The Harnish family moved to Eagle Point in 1900. And the Taylor family (Helen’s mother’s side) moved from Cherry Lane, near Roxy Ann, to Eagle Point in 1908. They were married in 1915.  Helen was born at home in 1928, the youngest of four children. Dr. Holt drove out from Medford in his car, and he stayed overnight at their home the night before Helen was born. Helen is the youngest of four children, 2 boy and 2 girls.  Her brothers are gone and her remaining sister lives in Reno and is in ill health. Helen has 5 granddaughters, 3 of whom graduated from Oregon State, and one grandson. She has 6 great-granddaughters. Her eldest great-grandchild is 8!

Helen has worked many jobs outside the home.  She worked for two power companies, California Oregon Power Company (COPC) and for Pacific Power.  She was a key punch operator and a bookkeeper. She lived and worked in Reno for 7 years while her husband, Richard, got his degree in education from the University of Nevada.  She worked for Sierra Pacific Power there. Later on she worked for Farmers Insurance and the telephone company.

Richard moved his family to Eagle Point where he became a teacher and remained a teacher for 15 years.  He then worked for the County Recreation Department for 6 years. Richard passed away in 1979 from service-related injuries that he contracted in the Korean War.  He left Helen with a son in the 8th grade and an ailing mother.  They all lived on an acreage which also had to be cared for and Helen was working full-time.  It was hard! Sometimes she would have to hire someone to care for the sheep while she was working and it began to cost more than she made.  She decided to move on. The lesson learned in these hard times was “One finds out about the things one can do when they have to!”

I found out why Harnish Wayside is shaped like a barn!  Helen’s dad used to run a livery stable in what is now Bob Moore Park so the barn shape is a nod to Mr. Harnish’ past occupation.  The Harnish property stretched from where the Ace Hardware store is to the creek, then over to old Highway 62. In 1947 the property was split down the middle and new 62 came to be.

Helen entertained me with good memories.  She told me about her brother, Earl, who was involved in WWII and was gone for 5 years.  He acquired a colt whose mother had died so the colt was “raised on a bucket” according to Helen.  Later on, they had to be careful because if they had a pail of milk they had to hurry because if that horse (Pepper) saw that pail of milk, he would run after them.  

She and Richard decided to keep sheep because one could handle them, unlike cattle.  Helen learned how to deliver lambs and how to give them their shots (she hated that).  They didn’t have to buy special equipment. Helen remembers piling the kids and the sheep in the station wagon, if they had to take the sheep somewhere!

She remembers that her mother used to make Helen’s bloomers out of flour sacks from the Mill.  Helen loved those bloomers because they were so comfortable! She was disappointed when her mother announced that she was no longer going to make her bloomers.   She had to buy “commercial” bloomers from then on! She also remembers garter belts to hold up your socks. At least your legs were covered in the cold weather.

Helen is amazed by modern technology.  She told me that she was astounded that she could reach her daughter in Spain, instantly, on the cell phone.  Instantaneous communications! She related the story of her grandfather who always claimed that he was born at the same, exact time that Oregon became a state in 1859.   Years later, Helen discovered that Oregon became a state in February of 1859 and her grandfather was born in May of that year. Quite a gap in time! Well, Oregon became a state some time before the people of southern Oregon knew about it.  The law was passed in Washington DC in February, they had to inform Salem. This took several weeks on horseback in the winter and then several more weeks for word to get down to the good folks in Medford and surrounding communities.

Helen believes you need to live one day at a time and live it to the best of your ability.  She also thinks we should treat people how we would like to be treated. I asked her what she looked forward to and she told me she wants to see her last grandchild, Taylor, graduated from Oregon State on June 16.  She has been to all the others and she is determined to make it to this one.

Helen told me that all her lifetime spent in Eagle Point, she has heard people remark about how Eagle Point people are stupid and somehow, not “up to par.”  She has set out to change that! She is active in the city’s museum. She personally planted flowers at the Museum and on many corners in the downtown area. Additionally, Helen is the driving force behind the Avenue of Flags.  On each national holiday, Helen and her crew position flags all the way from Ray’s Food Store to Stevens Road via main street. The flags adorn the Harnish Wayside and both bridges that span Little Butte Creek. Every one of these flags are casket flags that have been given to Helen for this very purpose.  Since she started this endeavor, it has been taken over by the Chamber of Commerce, but the flags would not be an attraction of Eagle Point if it were not for Helen Wolgamott! She is a treasure to our town and we are grateful for all she does.

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!

The Senior of the month for February 2018, is Jeanine Sterrett.

Jeanine is 62 years old and we enjoy her company at the Eagle Point Senior Center on a regular basis.  

Jeanine has overcome many obstacles and challenges during her life.  She was placed into a foster home during her teenage years. Very little is known about her biological family as she does not have contact with them.

Jeanine has lived in the Dabel Family foster home off and on since 2007.  She is a huge asset and joy to her foster family. She lives with two other MRDD (Mentally Retarded Developmentally Disabled) foster sisters and has grown very close to the Dabel Family.

Jeaninne has many challenges but does not let that stop her!  She has worked for SOU as a janitor and currently volunteers her time and service to the Eagle Point Senior Center working for Food and Friends.  She is a very hard worker!

Jeanine is a lover of animals and has her own goat!  She has 3 rabbits for which she takes sole responsibility.  She also makes sure the 3 family dogs and the cat are fed and watered every single day.  She never forgets her animals and is a wonderful advocate for them.

Jeanine enjoys coloring, camping, and going on vacations, especially to Mexico.  She has visited Mexico 5 times and is anxious to return.

Jeanine is very active in her church.  She attends the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints every Sunday.  Jeanine loves Jesus Christ and tries hard to serve him by showing love to all those around her.

We are happy to have Jeanine as part of our Senior Center family.

The Senior of the Month for January 2018 is Millie Wewerka.  Millie was born in Michigan and was raised as the eldest of five children.  She had two younger sisters and two younger brothers. One sister and one brother have passed away.  Her remaining siblings still live in Michigan. Millie has many nieces and nephews and the nephews far outnumber the nieces.

Millie has one son who is a Civil Engineer in Medford.  Millie was widowed in 1995 when her son was in college and she says she is now “set in her ways” and will likely stay single.  She has three grandchildren, all elementary school age. Two boys and one girl, still a preponderance of boys!

Millie worked as a librarian in the Library of Congress for 40 years.  She lived a few years in Washington DC and then moved to the suburbs of Maryland and commuted for many years.  She got used to driving the commute and dealing with all that traffic. She says her driving habits have changed substantially since moving to Eagle Point!  Her son met his future wife in Maryland and she was a Southern Oregon girl so they moved out here and when Millie retired, she joined them in Eagle Point. She is glad to be here.

While living in Washington DC, Millie was called to be part of the jury pool for the Watergate Trial but was not selected.  She did, however, serve on a Federal grand jury which was called to hear fraud cases. Not only was the prosecution permitted to ask questions of the accused but the jury was as well.  In one instance the jury asked questions of the accused and his answers added up to an admission that he did it!!

When asked what her biggest obstacle was, Millie said her reluctance to try new things.  She feels she has two things that are her biggest accomplishments. In her personal life, she is justified in a feeling of accomplishment associated with raising her son who is professionally successful and a good Dad.  In her professional life she is proud of the fact that she worked on cataloging library standards that were adopted by libraries throughout the United States.

Millie says her best advice would be to trust God even if you are fearful or anxious.  Millie looks forward to continuing to be productive and helpful. She not only works for Food and Friends, which is how we know her, but she is also on the City Planning Commission, she is a neighborhood coordinator for the Eagle Point Food  Project, and she is a voluntary tax preparer for AARP and therefore, entering her busy time of year.

We are proud to know Millie and glad that she is part of our Senior Center Family.