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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.