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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 27, 2011)
8 community december27 2011 Senior Stars: Shirlee Daughtry By Karen Miller Having moved myself fifteen times since I was born, all around the country and abroad, it seems rare to me to find someone who has never moved far from home. Or even wanted to. So I found it rather interesting when I sat down to talk with long time Verno- nia resident Shirlee Daughtry, who did both—never moved far or had any inter- est in doing so. Shirlee loves Vernonia... read on and see why! Shirlee Daughtry was born just a few blocks away from where she lives now and has the distinction of having been home delivered by Dr. Ebey, back when doctors still did this sort of thing. That house where Shirlee was born is still being lived in. She was raised by her grandparents. Any Norwegians reading this will be interested to know that Shirlee’s grandfather’s father came from Norway to Minnesota, married and homesteaded in Mt. Vernon, WA., north of Seattle. In 1934 Shirlee’s mom’s par- ents, Oscar and Regina Vike came to Vernonia where Oscar found work with Clark and Wilson Logging as a skidder leverman. Shirlee recalls that the #102 engine, on display in Vernonia at Shay Park, was used at logging sites and did the switching and moved the cars for loading—where Oscar did his job. The #105 is on display on the billboard com- ing into town from the south end. Up- grading this billboard with new artwork this past year was a project of Sally Har- rison’s, another Vernonia go-getter. Sal- ly obtained the photo of the #105 from Shirlee Daughtry. Shirlee has three half-brothers and two half-sisters. She has been wid- owed for twenty years. Shirlee met her husband DL while she was working at the Pal (ice cream) Shop when she was twenty years old. DL Daughtry came to Vernonia from Summerall, Mississippi, where another long time Vernonia resi- dent , Tessie Aldrich, is also transplanted from. DL, (that was his full name—the initials didn’t stand for anything and ap- parently this was common in that part of the south then) joined the Army back in Mississippi when he was just sixteen. DL then followed his mother’s brother, his uncle Ernest, who was foreman of the planer mill, here to Vernonia. Shirlee and DL were married in 1956. They had a son, Lane, born in 1957 and a daughter, Venetia, born VERNONIA E C I V SER PAIR & RE Warranty on all parts and labor • Brakes • Oil Changes • Clutches • Tune Ups • Maintenance 58605 NEHALEM HWY. S. Next to Storage, Too 503/706/9409 in 1960. Lane is now a long hauler for Curl’s. Venitia, named after movie starlet Venitia Stevenson whom Shirlee had read about in a movie magazine and liked the name, operates a MAX train in Portland. Some of Shirlee’s memories about growing up in Vernonia: Shirlee recalls the “wooden blocks she played with at Lincoln Grade School during recess time. Does anyone else remember those blocks? Her grandma had a restaurant, Ma Vike’s Café which originally was located where the John L. Scott Real Estate office is now, then moved to the building where Grey Dawn Gallery is located, and then to where Muffy’s shoe shop is now. That building, she recalls, housed Hawkins Motors where they worked on and sold cars and where her Shirlee near her home on Cory Hill. Shown in the background is the Cory family home; Shirlee believes this to be the only known photo of the Cory House. uncle Harvey Redmond, a Pearl Harbor survivor, was a mechanic. The Sentry Market building was a car dealership and the Meyer’s Auto Body building was a Chevrolet dealership where she and DL purchased a ‘67 SS Chevelle, dark maroon, and a black 454 Chevy Caprice with wide white wall tires. She also remembers Miller’s Department Store, which sold shoes in the JCPenney’s building. Shirlee loved growing up in Vernonia, “...everyone knew every- one!” “Back then, you had everything you needed.” According to Shirlee, back then it was a big deal even to go to For- est Grove! Shirlee has fond memo- ries of Mrs. T h o m a s ’ s variety store, where she spent lots of time brows- ing and to- day she still has several items from that era from Mr. Nichols Shirlee with her Aunt Nora. Variety Store husband in 1992 . She was one of the including several candy dishes in her founding members of Vernonia Pride, china cabinet. although she gives the credit for the idea Vernonia, Shirlee says, was big of starting it in the early 90’s to Genny on Saturday night dances back in the Fisher. It was Shirlee who made and 40’s, which were held at the old Le- cared for the first hanging baskets and gion Hall where Vernonia Cares is now. later added whiskey barrels with holi- Shirlee asks—does anyone else remem- day decorations. Shirlee says she never ber when they cordoned off Madison and once fell off the ladders while climbing Bridge Street with log trucks and had a up to water the flower baskets on Bridge big dance celebration at the end of World Street! War II? Working in the garden section at Shirlee also remembers watch- Hank’s in the 90’s paid off for Vernonia, ing Roy Rodgers and Dale Evens back as Shirlee has put her knowledge and on the silver screen at the Joy Theater, talents to good use. She learned a lot along with Gabby Hayes and the 40’s about plants and flowers, she says, from newsreels showing WWII footage and all the customers who liked to share their news and the day Pearl Harbor was knowledge—especially how to get rid of bombed. Shirlee says she was raised in a very patriotic environment and still car- ries that mindset today. In 1956 Shirlee joined the High- way 47 speedway workforce from Ver- nonia when she began working at Tek- tronix, where she spent a total of thirty years, retiring in 1992. Shirlee takes great pride in sharing that while work- ing there she received excellent perfor- mance reviews and very high ratings for her work. She took classes to better her- self and was treated very well by her em- ployers. She contributes her exemplary work ethic to her grandmother, Ma Vike, whose motto was passed on to Shirlee, “Do it right the first time so you don’t have to do it again!” Shirlee is very proud of the fact that she has lived her whole life on Cory A portrait of young Shirlee taken at Hill in Vernonia. She is very interested Scott’s Photography Studio which was in finding out the history of how that located across the street from what is now Mariolino’s. area of town became named Cory Hill. If anyone out there has any historical in- the moles with a certain trap. Shirlee formation, she would love to hear from continues to help care for the landscap- you. ing around City Hall. Shirlee became an important Shirlee served on the Vernonia part of Vernonia and became involved Planning Commission for two years in in civic affairs after the death of her the 90’s, and then as a City Councilor for ten years, which she recalls as a tremen- dous learning experience through which she gained much knowledge about city business. Shirlee says she took her role as a city leader very seriously and appre- ciated the opportunity to give back to the community which she truly loves and cares about. Shirlee also served on the Cemetary Committee for several years and continues to help rake leaves and help the caretaker with the property. Sometime go take a look at all the old time photos neatly displayed at City Hall. This is also a passion and the work of Shirlee and she says she appre- ciates the donations of photos from peo- ple for the display. For all of you who have enjoyed the benefit of having the beautiful Scout Cabin building at Hawkins Park, you continued on page 15
